The Tuttle Property

Before construction began on the new Town Hall, the town acquired an adjoining piece of property to allow a better design of the parking area while preserving the wetland on the east side. The Tuttle property, known by the name of the former owner, of course, includes a house and barn. Our delay deciding what to do with the buildings is partly deliberate. And partly our failure to get the grant we applied for to renovate the house, a lack of response to our offer to sell (or give) the house to someone who would move it, or restore and occupy it on leased land.

All this time, there's been a certain quiet interest in stabilizing the barn, the original part of which is much older than the house - very early 19th century. So yesterday Henry and I headed out with Mr Riddle from Woodford Bros., Inc. to consider the feasibility of restoring the barn.

First I was distracted by the resident turkey flock. I often see them from my office window looking Northeast. But here they are at the edge of the parking lot. Many of them are out of view. I honestly think there were fifty.

They weren't that happy with my effort to get closer.


Back to the barn.
Some influential people are getting restless with the dilapidated look of the barn. These twentieth century additions on the side facing the town hall are pretty awful.

But the view from the west of the original part of the barn is an indication of what it might look like restored. I know. I know. It doesn't look that much better. But use your imagination.

The concrete block will have to go, of course.

But the beams and the pegged mortise and tenons will be great features.



I'm picturing a barn dance.

And better weather.

What do you think?




We can talk about the house, too. Not as much historic value. Needs a lot of work. But under that asbestos siding is chestnut. The upstairs rooms still have the wide board pine floors. Underneath the whole thing is a solid hand built stone foundation.

Any ideas?