Summer Street Historic Restoration

Manchester-by-the-Sea

New Renovation

450 Summer Street in Manchester by the Sea was designed by predominant Boston architect Peabody & Stearns and was constructed in 1906 for the nephew of Andrew Carnegie.  The three story home is built with striking gable ends, numerous porches, a porte-cochere and is perched overlooking an enormous lawn with views of the marsh and Atlantic ocean.

Large, green, three-story house with multiple chimneys, surrounded by manicured lawn, hedges, and mature trees under a partly cloudy sky.

A Storied Estate with Historic Character

The home originally featured a main living area together with maids quarters and a carriage house which still exists as a neighboring home.  Over time, the building went through different ownerships and uses and the maids quarters were converted to an accessory dwelling.  

When we came to acquire the property in 2017, it was in a general state of disrepair.  Systems were ancient and regular maintenance had gone deferred, but the setting of the house on almost 3 acres and having most of its Victorian area details in-tact made it a perfect candidate for our restoration and modernization.

The gameplan would be to gut rooms where practical or necessary, and otherwise restore and modernize.  We would leave no rooms untouched, with renovations including both the entire basement and attic.

Aerial view of a large house with a circular driveway and manicured lawn, surrounded by dense trees and other homes in a suburban wooded area.
Aerial view of a house with a gray roof surrounded by trees, a large green lawn, a driveway, and a small garden area on one side.
Aerial view of a large house surrounded by trees, with a trampoline on the lawn, overlooking a body of water and small islands in the distance.
Aerial view of a large, two-story house surrounded by trees with a neatly mowed lawn in the foreground under a partly cloudy sky.
Large, well-maintained green lawn with a house in the background, surrounded by tall trees under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds.
Large house with multiple chimneys sits at the back of a well-manicured, expansive green lawn, surrounded by trees under a clear blue sky.
A large green Victorian-style house with a covered driveway, surrounded by trees and landscaped greenery under a clear blue sky.
Two-story house with green siding, dark trim, red double garage doors, and climbing ivy, surrounded by trimmed bushes and trees.
Covered porch with wood ceiling and hanging lights, featuring arched openings and green shingled walls overlooking a cobblestone driveway and greenery outside.
Wooden porch swing hanging from a covered porch with green shingled walls, overlooking a lush green yard and trees on a sunny day.
A green-paneled game room with a pool table, three-light fixture, fireplace, model sailboat by the window, and framed artwork above the mantel.
View from stone steps overlooking a well-manicured green lawn surrounded by trees and shrubs under a partly cloudy sky.
A paved patio with a hot tub overlooks a large, well-maintained lawn and trees, with string lights hanging overhead on a sunny day.
A fenced garden enclosure sits on a large, grassy lawn surrounded by trees and shrubs under a partly cloudy sky.
A fenced garden with black lattice panels, featuring multiple raised metal beds filled with green plants on a gravel pathway under a clear sky.
Small stone shed with glass doors surrounded by dense green bushes and trees, situated at the edge of a neatly mowed grassy lawn.
A large, neatly mowed grassy lawn bordered by tall trees under a blue sky with light clouds.
A paved driveway curves through a landscaped area with green grass and tall trees on a sunny day.

Reimagining the Layout for Modern Living

The layout of the main house was good, other than the kitchen which was very much compartmentalized into its own room at the back of the house. To fix this, we decided to move the kitchen front and center in our floorplan, flanked by the living room, dining area, pantry and a billiards room. Accomplishing this meant adding structural steel, but was well worth the effort.

The other primary structural endeavor was the staircase…it was a beautiful center staircase which was open top to bottom…nice on the eyes, but all of the openness meant that there was little supporting the stairs as they ascend. Compound this with the fact that a previous owner had installed a handicap elevator onto the staircase structure, which caused it to pull away from the wall and created a very noticeable pitch to the stairs. To remedy meant designing more steel supports in the field, this time a giant L bracket which added support to the sagging structure.

A staircase with a patterned carpet runner, white spindles, dark wood handrails, and a window on the landing, situated in a well-lit hallway with light-colored walls and wood flooring.
A spacious foyer with hardwood floors, patterned wallpaper, a carpeted staircase, a chandelier, and double doors with glass panels.
A home gym room with an exercise bike, weights, bench, a balance beam, colorful mats, a potted plant, and windows letting in natural light.
Spacious bedroom with a canopy bed, two armchairs by a fireplace, a ceiling fan, large windows, a patterned carpet, and a TV atop a dresser.
A small bathroom with red paneled walls, a wall-mounted mirror, a light fixture, a sink with exposed plumbing, and a small trash bin.
A close-up of a glass doorknob with a brass base on a white door, reflecting the interior of a room with light walls and an open blue door.
A kitchen with blue cabinets, wooden countertops, multiple small appliances, large windows with greenery outside, and a geometric light fixture on the ceiling.
A bedroom with a black metal bed frame, plaid bedding, red pillows, two nightstands with lamps, a dresser with a potted plant, and framed pictures on the walls.
A bright room with a daybed, patterned rug, wooden chair, dresser, hanging plant in the window, and framed certificates on the wall.
A bright bedroom with wood floors, a metal bed, blue dresser, fireplace, and open double doors leading to a balcony with a view of green trees.
A neatly arranged bedroom with a white bed, pink bedding, a mirrored wardrobe, a desk, and a green leafy accent wall behind the bed.
Bright bedroom with a single bed, California Republic flag on the wall, dresser, fireplace, large windows, and patterned rug on a wooden floor.
Bathroom with a white tiled bathtub and shower, a single sink vanity with a black countertop, a wall mirror, and a window letting in natural light.
A bathroom with a glass shower, white subway tiles, a toilet, a marble sink with a mirror, and gray wainscoting on the walls.
Modern kitchen with white cabinets, a wooden island with two stools, a round dining table with four chairs, and two vintage posters on the wall near large windows.

Restoring Craftsmanship and Modern Systems

The interior design gameplan was to preserve the original details, and recreate them as needed. We decided that all of the ceilings with the exception of the plaster coved ceiling in the billiards room would be replaced or blueboard and plastered over. This meant removing all of the crown moldings throughout and then replacing back or having reproduction pieces milled.

And oh ya, remember that handicap elevator that I mentioned….so that the user could exit the elevator to the hallway landing meant that the second and third floor landings were missing key pieces of curved railing. Our solution was to create and send a full sized template out to a shop with a CNC machine, where solid wood pieces were turned into new railing sections to replace the missing.

In terms of systems, all new electrical and plumbing systems were installed along with a 5 zone hydro-air HVAC system with two of the air handlers discretely hidden in hidden closets.

The property had its original #1 grade quarter sawn heart pine floors, which we were able to restore in most areas, and purchase re-milled vintage pieces from a Cambridge, MA vendor as needed.

Outside, we replaced about 75% of the cedar shakes, replaced all of the facias and soffits, replaced the windows with Marvin replacement style windows and added period touches including copper gutters and downspouts and real working vintage style shutters.

The end result is a home which maintains its 1906 appearance while enjoying all of the modern amenities of a new construction home.

A small room with a patterned sofa, a window, three geometric wall art pieces, a potted plant on a wooden console table, a rug, and a flat-screen TV.
A neatly made bed with patterned bedding is centered between two nightstands with lamps in a well-lit bedroom, featuring a desk, chair, and nature-themed decor.
Spacious bathroom with a freestanding tub, large windows, patterned tile floor, double vanity, and a glass-enclosed shower.
Bright home office with large wooden table, red chair, desk with printer, piano, artwork on walls, and large windows letting in natural light.
A mudroom with built-in cubbies, benches, coat hooks holding jackets and headphones, storage bins above, and a tile floor next to a white double door.
Modern living room with three sofas, colorful throw pillows, a wooden coffee table, a fireplace with a mounted TV, built-in bookshelves, and large windows.
A bright living room with three sofas, a wooden coffee table, two lamps, an armoire, and large windows overlooking a green yard. Dining area visible through a wide doorway.
A modern laundry room with white cabinets, a washing machine, dryer, sink, hanging rod with hangers, and a sorter with multiple laundry bins.
A dining room with a large wooden table, ten woven chairs, a rectangular pendant light, two windows, and a red glass-front cabinet.
A modern kitchen with a large island, three wooden barstools, light cabinetry, stainless steel appliances, and hardwood flooring.
Spacious kitchen and dining area with a wooden table, woven chairs, red barstools, white cabinets, subway tile backsplash, and two large pendant lights.
A green-paneled game room with a pool table, three-light fixture, fireplace, model sailboat by the window, and framed artwork above the mantel.