For homeowners who had put history higher than just about any other element on their wish list, the house they found delivers that and more. Built in 1893, the Colonial Revival in Westford, Massachusetts was a local icon, known to all as the “yellow house” and originally built loaded with architectural flourishes by a wealthy textile merchant.
A Family’s Vision for Restoration
Dianne and Charles Grondine, their daughter Emily, and her fiancé Ethan Hudon, are committed to saving the house’s best historical elements while also making it energy efficient and low maintenance. Dianne and Charles will one day move into the carriage house on the property, which will serve as their in-law suite, while Emily and Ethan will live in the main house.
The Grondines had been familiar with the house for years before purchasing it, having lived in the area and driven past countless times. As with all locals, they were distraught when the house caught fire years ago, losing its roof, and eventually being taken under the town’s control.
“When we heard the house was for sale, we had a vision for restoring it and making it our own,” says Dianne. “We know we can take it from decrepit to grand again,” adds Emily.
Blending Old with New
The homeowners worked with architect Sara Mallio of White Oaks Studio to develop their design plans, then turned to TOH house builder Charlie Silva for the renovation, which is being documented as part of the show’s 46th season.
“This house is a unique and beautiful piece of Westford’s history, and I know of very few houses that still retain so many original architectural details,” says Sara Mallio, who notes that the main aim was to preserve historic elements.
Fortunately, the fire was limited to the upper stories, sparing many of the house’s original features–such as the elaborate main staircase, embellished built-in bookcases, paneled wainscoting, and lavish portico—which all survived. “There are so many compelling historical details in this house that somehow made it through the fire, it’s remarkable,” says Kevin. “And I like the fact that the townspeople cared so much about the place, they were adamant the structure remain a single-family house.”
For Charlie Silva, the gutted post-fire condition of the house made it straightforward to quickly assess the extent of charred joists and structural framework inside the house. “The issue with old houses is always the unknowns, but here there were no surprises inside because everything was exposed,” he says.
Rebuilding from the Top Down
The roof, however, needed a complete rebuild. “We knew we would start by rebuilding the hipped roof,” says Charlie, “and we framed it to carry the loads in a way that met today’s code, unlike what had been there originally.” To build a new hipped roof, Charlie, TOH general contractor Tom Silva, and crew started from scratch and installed ridge beams and hip rafters, using laminated veneer lumber at the intersections. They also framed a widow’s walk to replace an original that perished in the fire, adding six columns to support the widow’s walk and transfer the load down to the basement, where new footings were laid.
The newly framed roof system set the stage for a usable attic with a flat floor system, new kneewall, new dormer windows, and a new stairway up to the widow’s walk. “The attic is one of my favorite spaces,” says Dianne. “We will eventually finish it as a home office and rec room, but for now to have access to the new roof and widow’s walk is amazing.”
The homeowners’ low-maintenance goal led to decisions in favor of non-natural materials, some requiring the approval of the town’s historical commission. For example, the commission would not approve asphalt as a replacement for the original slate roof, but did give the go-ahead to use steel roof shingles with galvanized zinc coating. The homeowners chose to replace original wood siding, trim, and gutters with composite siding, cellular PVC trim, and fiberglass gutters. “I love these old houses, and this one was a beauty for sure,” says Tom, who applauds the efforts to re-create the old look but with new materials.
For the first and second floors, the gutted post-fire interior gave the homeowners a blank slate for their floor-plan decisions although they are trying to stay true to the original house, particularly in areas where original doorway casings and paneled wainscot survive.
A Grand Staircase with a Story
Multiple layers of lead paint on original elements needed attention, and a professional abatement team spent days stripping the paint. The grand staircase, with its original banister and spindles, along with multiple landings, is particularly precious to the homeowners; its 100 original spindles were sent off-site to have the lead paint removed.
“It is so important to us to see the grand staircase come back to life,” says Emily, who has learned that at least one set of previous owners was married in the house and did their cake cutting right next to the staircase. “I’m 100% thinking of doing the same thing.”
Reimagining the Interior
The original sitting room and parlor on the first floor have retained their footprint, while the kitchen-dining area along the back of the house is taking on a more open feeling. “We are paying homage to it having been two separate rooms by keeping a cased opening, and we are planning a mural to wrap around one of the walls depicting historical elements from the town of Westford,” says Dianne. A deck off the kitchen has been reframed as a larger deck, doing double duty as the roof of a new greenhouse that was added off the basement.
Another big change to the basement is creating a single-car garage, a feat accomplished by enlisting TOH mason Mark McCullough to cut through the original granite and rubblestone foundation to create an opening. “Some people thought that was going to be too big of a deal, but once done, it makes so much sense for accessibility into the house,” says Dianne. They plan to reuse the original pieces of granite, which were from a local quarry, around the property.
Sustainability in a Historic Home
Charlie tackled other aspects in the basement related to the state’s Home Energy Rating System (HERS), removing the concrete slab and excavating down 14 inches to make room for enough closed cell foam insulation to help the house meet the strict energy code. “This will be conditioned space down here and even include a bathroom,” says Charlie. The house’s thermal performance also benefits from insulation being added throughout the entire structure—closed cell cavity insulation inside, rigid foam insulation outside and installing new triple-glazed windows.
An energy-efficient HVAC system has been brought into the picture also. TOH plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey found a behemoth in the basement: the house’s original coal-fired boiler, which would have sent steam up through pipes and radiators; he also found evidence of where the coal chute had been. The new system reflects the most advanced technology today: an air-to-water heat pump that will use the power of water for delivering heat and air conditioning through a space-efficient miniduct system. “The efficiency of this system is simply unbeatable,” says Richard. “This house was built at a time when indoor heating was just starting. It’s remarkable how far we have come since 1893.”
With the house situated on more than an acre of land, the homeowners are opting to install a solar field in the rear of the property, utilizing the available ground space to power a 16.5-kilowatt system. They would not have been able to mount a photovoltaic system on the house because of the hipped roof and widow’s walk.
A Landscape Rooted in Tradition
In the front yard, TOH landscape contractor Jenn Nawada found an ideal spot to plant a New England classic: a pair of apple trees. “This soil is absolutely perfect for growing apples, and you get not only a delicious fruit, you get beautiful blossoms,” says Jenn, who helped Emily and Ethan plant the trees.
Restoring Grandeur, Reviving Memories
As work continues, the family that fell for a house with history continues to be inspired. “It is so incredible to see the house’s grandeur restored compared to the fire-damaged condition at the start,” says Emily. Adds Dianne: “It has been a challenge, but we had a vision for the house, and it is wonderful to see it happen.”
