This 1880s Queen Anne in Thompson, CT has a secret…
She is actually a c. 1810 Federal style house hiding behind a fancy new dress. The restrained Federal style house with its five-bay façade got an up-to-date make over in the 1880s with the addition of the round tower, projecting bay and pedimented gable, wrap-around porch, double front doors, and scalloped shingle siding on the second story.
The fancy new wrapper did not extend far beyond the façade, as the lower photo shows. The gable end of the house got a new bay window on the first floor and new two-over-two windows on the second floor, but still is very clearly an earlier house. The clapboard siding and nine-over-six windows in the attic are original and clearly point to an early 19th century construction date.
Few historic buildings stand today exactly as they were built, and many have had substantial changes in the past. This house is a great example.
Chapter 2 of “Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners” explores how to spot and understand these changes to help you identify what features of a house are character-defining and worthy of preservation.
The award-winning and best-selling 720 page hardcover book contains more than 2,000 photos and drawings and is available in bookstores nationwide and through online retailers.
Signed and personalized copies can be ordered from the author in the shop on this page, https://yourhistorichouse.com/shop/.
Bookstores can order copies from W.W. Norton.
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