Houzz TV: See How Early Settlers Lived in This Restored Pilgrim House
Doug Towle considers old homes his children. The lifelong bachelor has spent much of his adult life restoring antique buildings, including one of his most recent: a 1665 Pilgrim house that had been in the same Billerica, Massachusetts, family for 12 generations. The house had to be moved, so Towle carefully documented and disassembled the structure, then spent the next three and a half years restoring it.
He dug up some 35,000 bricks that were buried outside of 18th-century homes, knocked on strangers’ doors in search of vintage glass and straightened 100 salvaged handmade rosette nails every night before bed. “I don’t have any children and grandchildren,” says Towle, who’s vice president of marketing at Globe Firefighter Suits. “It’s a legacy thing.”
History-wise... I think my mouth hung open, as I read. Style-wise... I don't think I've ever seen such a painstaking restoration that looks actually livable. What a fabulous, fabulous job.
Thanks for sharing, and many congratulations. Have another cocktail, Mr Towle - they obviously work. :)
Beautiful restoration; thank you SO much for sharing!
I would love to see the converted tavern, too.
I went to a Calvinist school (founded 1552) and was brought up around gateleg tables and all things C17th. Gatelegs were designed, I believe, to prevent one enjoying either one's food (because one can't sitt square to the table) or one's neighbour - the members prevent a hand idling over a thigh or a foot kissing a foot.
It's no fun gathering dirty cutlery in buckets ("Piggens"), I can tell you, and there are better ways of looking after crockery than in a wicker basket. It may look picturesque, but try it!
Then the ladderback rush-seated chairs give one haemorrhoids, and gowns and stomachers moulder in the bottom of kists and tallboys, sometimes joined by the occasional bride, lost whilt playing hide-and-seek on her wedding-night and only discovered in 1885 (see "The Mistletoe Bough".)
I hope the gentleman has put 7 gables on his house and checked that it does not accommodate judicial psychopaths in long wigs nor the shade of an unmarried mother plying her embroidery. Gives a new meaning to "A red-letter day."
I ate a meal composed of pot barley and pumpkin the other day, with sage leaves from my garden. It was absolutely disgusting - sufficiently so to be a paternal pilgrim penance for Lent. I do hope Mr T eats wholesome 17th c food in his mansion, but I fear it is all pleasures of the flesh with him. Alack a day!
In every room the smells were absorbed deep into the walls creating the most humbling
pleasure imaginable. I can see how that one night and the smell of the wood was a turning point for Doug.
In the front room at Granddaddys the wood absorbed the smell of the wood fires, the leather sofa, pipes, grandaddies work hat, decades old quilts and mattresses, and the hardworking bodies of grandmommy and granddaddy themselves who slept in the front room.
The kitchen maintained a fragrance that was beyond anything you will every find in a home built today. The entire room was an olfactory garden of loveliness. The smell of well water was there, and strong sweet soap where the girls all gathered to wash in the evening. Blended with buttery biscuits, lemon meringue pies, crispy fat back, greens, cornbread and every good southern food prepared int that room and all was well with life. Even the gas stove added a quality to the wood that could never be reproduced.
The side room where I slept held a combination of old quilts, fresh linens, feather pillows, ticking mattresses and an old armoire that held the few dresses my grandmommy had. The smell of old suitcases and trunks and the essence of every aunt, uncle and cousin who had visited and slept there had been absorbed into those walls. Combine that with a well water and soapy bath, nestle between the covers and lie still as you listen to grandaddy praying for a full hour in the front room. Never understanding even a word of his prayer, the lilting cadence of his voice would lull me into a dreamy sleep that I havent experienced since.
Oh, the smells of childhood bring comfort to my soul like no other memory I possess.
Would i Varnish them or leave them natural.
Are there places that I can take them to and have them dipped to make sure that they are insect free.
I also have the hardware for 2 Big Sliding Barn Doors. Where would I take them to have
the Metal Rollers, Clamps and Rails Dipped to get some of the rust off and clean enough
to use indoors. What clear finish would I use on the metal to make it look clean and
to preserve them.
John Rz
@VCH0920---- A small disagreement---the "Colonial Period" might be said to have lasted til AFTER the "War of 1812" when we had to re-fight the British all over again.
I too grew up in a house much the same age as this and I am deeply appreciative of the work and care that has gone into this. The rugs---well---not many have survived and the ones that did are much too fragile to be used muchless walked on. We tend to think that the rugs of that period were dull and made from cast off clothing--and some were---but a lot were brought back from Persia and would have been bright and Oriental in design-much like these. And the rugs that would be hand knotted as those were would cost today more than the house does. I do like the correct use of the small rugs on the tables tho!
I am going to be in this town in a few weeks---I would LOVE to know how to go see the School House!
Also==I have not seen the film but I went to the link for more pics---well worth the time to go see more of this place!!!!!
I would love to see some more typical items in this house---to preserve them if nothing else---things like looms and other craft and trade items; spinning and dying was a huge part of life in these times.
Some of those plants in the kitchen and garden would have been used for dyes and cures. Quilting and pickling and processing of other food stuffs; all of the tools needed for life in a place without access to almost any form of pre-made items. It was a long way back to England and these people had to make almost everything they had not brought with them.
HOUZZ---Someone should go and take some pics of the house in England that is rumored to have the hull of the MAYFLOWER upended as the roof!
WANT
We were so much better off when kids learned in these small schoolhouses!!!!! The older kids helped the younger ones and the teacher had such a small group she got to know each kid---and if you had a hard time with something (and thy learned MUCH more at a YOUNGER age than kids now do!) then the subject would come around again the next year while you were STILL in the class---
We have many of our older school houses here in Upstate NY and altho lots have been re-used as houses some have been preserved as museums etc---after all these were NOT the property of the town they were on land owned by some one who lent it TO the District---I have had the pleasure of attending as a student (on the Island of Jamaica) a one room school house and as a parent I have been thrilled to have done "One Room School Days" with my kids and women who actually TAUGHT and went to school in these SAME buildings! In our tiny town if you wanted to go to High School some pf the students needed to either board out in Town or take the train daily---an elderly woman who went to school in the Shushan NY one room school house and went on the train to Salem NY was later the School Mistress there came and taught for a day in that same building. Now part of the Shushan Covered Bridge Museum.
PS the Amish still use these buildings as schools--and we now have an Amish settlement here!
Can't wait til June when I hope to go see this schoolhouse!
We are on the extreme Eastern border of NY touching Vermont. Far North! Gorgeous area----to the West is Lake George and the Adirondacks; North is Lake Champlain and Burlington VT; and just a bit North of THAT is Montreal! To the East we have the Green Mountains and Bennington Vt and the Battlefield--and of course we are within a 45 minute drive of Saratoga and the racecourse--and of course the National Cemetery and Battlefield Park--one of the reasons we don't all speak with a British accent today!
The one room schoolhouses here were in operation (some of them) up until the 1950's. In our actual school today we have a very old map with all of them marked on it. Our school---Salem Washington Academy---is one of the oldest schools in the country as it started out as a private school. In our town you can see all the "stages" of school--several one room buildings including the Porter School that is open as a Nature Center; one on my road that is a private house; the Shushan (Shushan is part of Salem) one room and the several versions of the Private Washington Academy --the old building now part of a house; the earlier version of the Public school is now apartments; and the "modern" school dating back to the 30's---some of the rooms have elaborate fireplaces and a former student donated themed leaded stained glass windows for all of the original buildings rooms. When the school expanded when my kids were attending the community refused to allow the expansion unless the new wing followed the design and decoration of the older section.
The "rule" was that the youngest kids could not walk more than one hour to get to school. And some of the clusters of hamlets led to one school for just a few farms and tradespeople. So--we had a LOT of school houses! I can think of enough that ---along with our beautiful covered bridges---someone should put together a tour route! If you are interested in more info you can contact me using my ebay store---deadhead9.
No doubt, from some of the comments I've read, there are those who would think I've gotten carried away with my appreciation of this man and his achievements. I was particularly staggered by a so-called "Pro" who viewed this Ideabook and whose only comment had to do with the dust created by hanging herbs and baskets. I would recommend that should this "Pro" ever visit the Sistine Chapel that he/she should be sure to bring a broom to tackle the dust on the floor!
Personally I would forgo a dream vacation to spend a day or two with this man visiting this site and listening to his story of how he created this work of "outstanding skill, workmanship and artistry" (Definition of 'masterpiece')!
"I am totally overwhelmed by all those who have taken their time to write. It have proven to be an ego builder beyond my wildest imagination. I honestly had no idea that so many would have such appreciation. The comments have truly motivated me to “keep on”. Huge thanks."
-- Doug Towle
I have to also say that the photography by John W. Hession in this article is wonderful and really brings the rooms to life. Thanks for a great article. Definitely my favoroite Houzz article so far!
I am hoping you can explain to me how to achieve a smoked finish on the plaster. Thanks so much for your time,
s. french
Thank you so much for sharing. I wish I were there to see it in person, and if I make it "home" next summer, I will surely make a promise to myself to at least make it inside the school house and at least the outside of the rest of the beautiful buildings.
Always a New Englander !!
I managed to get to see this amazing homestead altho it did not look as if the School house was open. The house and setting are just gorgeous---the Town has managed to purchase the land across the street that holds old "Retting Ponds"---this was part of the process of turning flax into linen. The flax would be harvested and then "Retted" or rotted so the tough outside of the plant would come off. This was done using large shallow ponds. I understand the smell was horrific. Then the flax would be dried and "hackled" ---this involved using a tool with LONG pointed spikes and smacking the bundle of flax over these to "break" the fiber into a useable form to be spun. After spinning and weaving the linen would be staked out to bleach on "tenterhooks" on the grass--a few inches above as there is something about the grass itself that helps this along. So--when some one says you are on "Tenterhooks": that means you are nervous and twitchy---much like these thin wire hooks!
I understand that seeing entire acres of this fabric spread out is a rather awesome sight.
After this came the making of clothing---everything from napkins and diapers to underwear and gowns. ALL made entirely by hand. I have two hundred year old linen that looks as good today as it did when new. Amazing to see the various thread thickness of different cloth--some was either made by a beginner or perhaps it was not intended to be fine cloth.
I will be back in Gilmanton next June---maybe the School House will be open then! I would LOVE to see "Olde Time School Days": as field trips here---I would def bring my grandkids!
And---Mr. Towle---I am available for adoption ANYTIME--and I come with kids AND grandkids one of whom is shaping up as a fine historian!
I hope it lasts forever!
wonderful home....thanks!!
I would love to spend time in houses like this!
this post warrants a second look later today on my laptop where I can relish the photos in much larger format
this is my dream house. How beautiful.
Another 5 Star story on Houzz. Would much rather read this type then the stiff designer homes that most of us cant afford or can't live in with our lifestyle. Thanks for this wonderful story again
thank you!
so amazing! wow
I inherited a family farm which still has original farmhouse built in late 1800's. It has been uninhabited since 1950's so its probably too far gone. Clearly Mr Towle has the resources and desire to complete the restoration of these old homes; motivation & desire being the key components. I love reading about individuals like Mr Towle who buck trends and the easy paths. It is an inspiration.
Guy's a genius.
This should be in the state's hands! It should be for everyone to enjoy now and in the future!
Oh Wow!!!! How exciting, this has been my favorite house in Houzz!!! I have looked at the photos in the article many times over. I am so glad to finally see it in video, because it adds so much more depth to it all. I'd love to see it in person, but know I will never get off this farm long enough to do so. Drat!
So, this was a real treat!
My little farm cottage restoration looks like a cakewalk compared to this huge endeavor. I'm in awe.
Spence and crew, you did an awesome job of capturing it's beauty. I am in love with the beautiful wood interiors and the carpets throughout, the painted floor, the pewter, the floor cloths, just all the little finishing touches of details everywhere.
Doug, you have created a true masterpiece of history and quality and design. You were so respectful of all the historic features. I cant get over it or the fact that my favorite Houzz article became a video. I have to go watch it again!
Connie from Missouri
so beautiful home ...
So wonderful. A masterpiece. A beautiful legacy. A beautiful man.
Towle says, “I don’t have any children and grandchildren,”...
It's pretty clear that Towle's legacy is evidenced by the passion and meticulous efforts to preserve, with great integrity, the structures of our nation's culture and heritage. Well done, sir.
What an inspiring treat! May we have Chapter two now and learn more about the history on how you found this place, before and after pictures, and did you find any little treasures while you were remodeling, oh just everything: more, More, MORE!!!
This is a wonderful restoration. Mr Towle has done his homework. I live 18 minutes from Plymouth,MA and Plimoth Plantation homes are fully restored "Pilgrim" homes. You'd be hard pressed to find a red clay brick or a house of this size in the plantation. This home is more what you'd find in Sturbridge, MA. It is truly lovely and I am envious of Mr. Towle's hobby of restoring old homes with such history. I have toured a restored home in my town of Bridgewater, MA with the same architectural features as this home. Perhaps there is a famous historical architect waiting to be named. Or maybe our ancestors just knew how to build a good, solid home. Thank you for this video. It's a testament to Americana.
Fabulous! Are there plans to do some historically accurate gardens? A four square herb garden or kitchen garden? I would love to see the pond restored with native plantings (it looks a bit like a crater). Overall, a beautiful legacy for generations to come. Bravo, sir.
A wonderful place to see. What a beautiful and skillful job he's done. He's as much a treasure as his home.
Fascinating!
It is refreshing to see someone who wants to preserve old structures rather than tear them down.
Oh, love this gorgeous home! And the schoolhouse - thank you Mr. Towle for your passion and dedication to re-creation of a period you so love. And thank you for sharing with us. I agree with someone who said I would give up a trip abroad to spend a day on your land listening to you tell stories of the past and what you have preserved!
Mr. Towle, you are one of my heroes! Do you give tours of this house in person? I live in Vermont, and would certainly love to come see and learn from you.
Wow! Beautiful restoration. . . thank you Mr. Towle for keeping our National design, architectural and cultural heritage alive for us and our future generations.
What a beautiful gift for all of us. I would love to see this in person and crawl into one of those lovely beds. I have family that was in America when these structures were built
Thank you Doug.
Johnnie from Texas
I grew up in the historic home of my small town (Los Altos, CA) - it was the original farmhouse dated back to the early 1900's. My family restored it, keeping the shape, style and some of the old details to maintain the historic value for the town. Our neighbor's home is the watershed - now that was a cool house! Thanks Houzz for putting together yet another beautiful video!
Great video thank you for posting.
A beautiful restoration. My husband's family home was partly similar, having been built in then 1740's. The first one on the site was burned down by the indians. There were indian shutters in the family home to keep out the arrows.
There is no way to protect these from extinction in spite the popular belief that preservation laws prevent them being knocked down. Designating buildings on the Federal, State, and Local level as historical does NOT prevent them being knocked down. They only stay up until the money runs out, after that they are blighted and considered functionally obsolete. There are no good enough laws to protect history. What we need in our laws is incentives to preserve and protect historical home. Having preserved a few houses, most recently a 1728 home, I can tell you it's near impossible, without great wealth and a trust in perpetuity to keep these homes from being knocked down. There is EXTREME pressure to raze these building and put up a modern useful home. We NEED real Laws and local incentives such as tax abatement or tax freezes to preserve the FEW homes left from the 17th & 18th Century that define what we now call the american dream: The ability for a common person to own the land and build a home for their future generations where no monarch/ or land lord could take away.
Mark Yurkiw
Fairfield County, Connecticut, USA
(where the American dream began)
This is so fantastic. Thank you Doug for keeping America's history for others to enjoy.
Magnificent!!
This is one of the best things I’ve seen on Houzz. Love it!
Wow!!! Well done Mr. Towle! Thank you for sharing!
Absolutely gorgeous! The love shows. I do believe it would be more accurately described as a Puritan house, rather than a Pilgrim house, though. It was likely built by a wealthy Puritan 45 years after the Pilgrims. The original Pilgrims had likely mostly died out by the time this was built.
This was truly a happy story about respecting what came before us. So often I see people paint, and destroy beautiful wood and something inside myself wants to scream out......no don't do it. Mr. Towle feels the same way I do about respecting another man's workmanship. Honoring our unrelated relatives and what they built. I too have chosen to stay single. I also love cars and incorporate them into design the way he did with the barn. Corvette Cove on Airbnb was a fun one I did in my home. I respect Mr. Towle and like the care he takes to straighten nails. My soul lept inside me when I saw that part. God Bless Mr. Towle. Thanks for sharing.
Dear Mr Towle, In the 60s, these nails were still hand made in Western Ireland for the very small, local trade. Blacksmith Mr Martin of Leatherdane showed me how to make these and or the specialised horse shoe nails. The first job of any blacksmith's apprentice was to keep the coal fire going by operating the huge bellows and to learn to make nails, using a rhythmic tap-tap pop tap-tap pop to shape the nail. Two taps on the nail, pop or lightly bounce the hammer to one side of the anvil as you rotated the nail and tap tap the hot iron once again. I think tempering followed and I'm not sure, but the tempering water may have had vinegar added to it for some reason. The prudent blacksmiths had the forge backed on the interior wall of the cottage so that it warmed the stone house at the same time.
Fantastic video and accompanying story! Thank you to Mr. Towle for sharing his passion for American history and architecture.
I am from England, and understand the importance of things such as this. Wonderful legacy, which should be taken over as a museum for prosperity. It would help us, & future generations, stay grounded.
This was one of my favorite photo ideabooks, and it's even better as a video showing the enthusiasm and love Mr Towle has for his collections and creations. Thank you, Mr Towle!
What a lovely gentleman, Bravo Mr. Towle.
wonderful...thank you for sharing with us..
That was worth the time. Great work on his part and a wonderfully done video.
Thanks for sharing this story again. It is wonderful to see such a loving and sensitive restoration; this man clearly has a passion and wants to share it with everyone. Especially nice to see at Thanksgiving time. My ancestors were in the MA colony as early as 1630...so I like to fantasize that they lived in something like this house!
Absolutely wonderful.....thanks so much for sharing!
Love this article and the updated house. Would love to know the history of the homes origins. I'm curious who the family of 12 generations descended from. My ancestors where in Billerica before moving to New Hampshire and I always wondered what it would be like to live in that time.
Bless you, Doug Towle, for the research and commitment to restoring and preserving our history - and especially for sharing it with the "youngins"!
Gorgeous, just totally gorgeous. So glad he took the time and effort to keep this part of history alive.
Wonderful, thank you so much for sharing. I would love even longer video of the rooms, it is stunning.
I grew up in northern New England, where many of the old houses are still standing. Mr. Towle's restoration is a good dose of nostalgia for me. If you've never visited New England you're missing a real treat and treasure, Boston, Portsmouth NH, the Maine coast, Vermont's rolling hills, to name a few. I recommend visiting in late September when the trees are often brilliant. But make sure you visit some of the old homes while you are there. Portsmouth is particularly interesting with homes dating back to the 1700's and even one as far back as the 1600's (the Jackson House), all restored and open to the public. Hmm. Maybe I'll schedule a trip back myself. Thank you, Mr. Towle. Your home is beautiful and your efforts are admirable.
Outstanding...thank you.
Wileykeane, The beauty of this house is its ability to speak, I'm thrilled that it found someone who understood its language, what an accomplishment.
Thank you, thank you a hundred times over Mr. Towle for your contribution to history. Having lovingly restored a late 1700's stone farmhouse in PA, we feel your joy (and pain). I am deeply sad that my husband's and my time are coming to a close at our property but so thankful to have experienced our contribution to history just as you have done!
Wonderful to see the video! My mother grew up on a farm in Michigan. She was also one of 13 and went to a one room schoolhouse with her siblings. One of my uncles still lives in the original house on the farm and every year, for more years than I can't count, the family gets together there for the Labor Day picnic behind the house. My mother was able to fly out from California to join them two years ago.
If only families today held God's Word, the Bible, in such a central place of honor in their homes and it was read to the family and studied as the treasure that it is, our country would be as wonderful as it once was. God speaks to us still from His Word and we should listen by reading it. The best thing that happened to my mother's family (Dutch immigrants) is when they one by one came to Jesus as their Lord and Savior. This is the legacy of our family, for continuing generations now who have also responded to the gospel. Many current Biblical scholars still read and appreciate the writings of some of the pilgrim preachers and scholars. What a treasure! I hope that whoever buys the house will proclaim the truth of the gospel by which men, women and children are saved to eternal life, from eternal destruction. That would be the greatest legacy for that house. May God be praised!
@tigerlillly...You have voiced an unpopular position in our current world, and I applaud your courage in speaking the truth. Beauty and creativity such as we enjoy on Houzz is a wonderful gift from our Creator, but that can only fulfill in this life, at best, if at all. We are made for relationship with the One who made it and us. Thank you, and may our God continue to bless you!
Thank you Tigerlilly. As believers we are copmmanded by Jesus Christ to follow the Great Commission, Mathew 28:18-20.
SOMETIMES THE OLD, IS IN FACT THE BEST
Sometimes the old,
Is in fact the best.
Where
Everyone
Was
Truly blessed.
We now so,
Long for progress,
But what then
Used
To be,
Was often better,
Than
Now
What is,
For it had
His-tor-y.
Just love this gem,I could live there and would enjoy waking up to that home everyday.
I'd like to know how these old homes are heated today. I live in a 1840 stone house. We use oil and wood stove. The temperature varies in different rooms. We've insulated as much as possible but are limited. We have original windows with storms. They don't appear to be drafty. Would replacing them with modern windows help? We like the wood look.
Wow. What a legacy Mr. Towle.
Huge respect and admiration.
And thanks for this exceptionally beautiful video.
A talented labor of love! More, more, more of these type of videos, HOUZZ!
Gorgeous and so beautifully restored. In this day and age when the majority want new,its great to find someone who appreciates "OLD". I grew up in a house in England built in the 15th century that my father restored ,my memories are full of magic and ghosts!!!
There aren't enough superlatives to do justice to Mr. Towle's work! Thank you, sir.
makes me remind off myself, working on my second house 1888 restoration ... great work...
I must correct you. The connector between the Billerica house and the barn is not an ell, it's a wing, although it's not even that since it's connected to the next building. An ell would be perpendicular to the ridge pole. I grew up in a 17th C house in Middleton MA and my mother, despite my resistance, managed to instill in me an appreciation for antiquity and preservation. And, yes, she straightened and reused old nails.
I grew up in a 17th century house in Middleton MA. One criticism I have about this house is the fireplace brickwork. Never would the bricks have been grouted with white grout nor would they have retained their square edges, but modern masons apparently haven't looked at authentic early fireplaces. If they had, they'd have noticed that the corners of the bricks were rounded off, a "casualty" of daily use coupled with softer bricks. My mother literally stood over the mason who was proudly doing the brickwork in the lean-to and taught him how to replicate a fireplace that looked as though it had been built in the 17th century. She was an authority on early American antiquities and a stickler for detail. She'd immediately have noticed that the beams in the Billerica house weren't chamfered, indicating that they weren't intended to be exposed; rather, they'd have been hidden beneath the lath and plaster ceiling.
This is exceptional! Thank you, Mr. Towle, for caring so much for our legacy and the painstaking attention to detail our ancestors took, which you so obviously have inherited. This is a lovely restoration. Congratulations and thank you!
The house is wonderful and I have commented before about it's absolute awesome detail. But all in all.....It is the man that saw the vision that interests me. I have had everything in my life and nothing is more important than a friend that has a soul that honors those that came before him. I would be honored to be his friend.
Angel Lady Diane
Hailing from the midwest and then the south, I had never heard of Billerica, MA at all until I started working on my Ancestry...many of my ancestors made their homes in Billerica, so that caught me attention immediately. It wasn't difficult imagining that this was their home, though I am absolutely amazed at the level of comfort the home afforded in what I imagined to be a most difficult period. I would so love to spend a few days in a home such as this one. Special man, amazing dedication and unbelievably valuable lesson for us all here. Who said Houzz was just a bunch of "decorating pictures"? This is an amazing post, thank you!
It is good to keep our history alive as much as possible. Amazing story and restoration. This was not only a project, but a lot of love went behind this.
Great narrative. Such a warm feeling. Timeless.
amazing!
Really impressive, and a labor of love. I especially like the school, as it brings back memories of my Dad working on a term paper about one room school houses when I was a little kid. We traveled all over northern Maine to visit one room school houses that were still in use back then (late 1960's). I also remember a National Geographic article about a town in Maine that turned out for a high school graduation; the first one in several years - two students!
This is awesome. Beautiful! Thank you for keeping our history alive!
What a LOVELY and ''Groovy'' presentation! It is plain to see how dedicated you are to what you have done and enjoy to do! I have straightened many nails also!
Oh my goodness -- when I saw the picture, I knew I'd driven by this house before! And then, sure enough, it's in Gilmanton. Stunning property.
Gorgeous!
What a lovely restoration, and a great use of color!
What an absolute joy to see the pictures of the restoration....amazing!
Thank you so much for graciously sharing this beautiful gift with us!
Be still my heart. Love it all. Thank you for sharing your gift with us. I've saved the video to watch over and over, whenever I need a pick-me-up. This is my happy place.
All you folks who are gobsmacked by older homes really need to come to New England. Every other house is old! It's the new ones that stand out like sore thumbs. Of course, we live and them so they look nothing like Mr Towle's phenomenal historical recreation, but we do have some truly fantastic houses that are maintained by historical societies and the like.
To the person who posted about living in an 1800's home with uneven heat, old windows and storms, I bit the bullet years ago and removed the lovely wavy glass windows and put replacements in. Can't tell you how luxurious those double panes feel by comparison. And without the hideous metal storms I can actually see out! But, alas, I too have uneven heat despite the new windows, heating systems & insulation. It's in the teens today (rare for Thanksgiving to feel like mid February!) and I am running a space heater in the crawlspace to keeps pipes from freezing. Such is the charm of older houses!
Was wondering if the Towle property is intended to be a summer one or if it does have central heating. Will have to check that listing.
Everything is so exquisitely preserved, yet the home remains cozy. Wonderful restoration, just beautiful.
What a Beautiful home resoration you have done! It brings back many memories of when I grew up in Ct. at my Dads home and Grandfathers. Now its a Bed and Breakfast there. It looks so much like it...If only I could have done that to bring it back to life! I would give anything to move back to New England! I do miss the stone walls....Someday we will take a drive up that way to see your home! Blessings to you!
A true jewel!
Such a lovely restoration! Kudos to Mr. Towle for his perseverance and dedication. Being a New England native, I really appreciate the historical authenticity of this venture. We do need to be mindful that this is the home of a very wealthy Pilgrim, not at all representative of the very small dwellings with meager furnishings where the less affluent raised their families.
Great story and beautiful photographs! We really enjoyed this video.
While the structure of the rooms may be original, it is quite misleading to imply that when the original owners/residents lived there, it was as lavishly packed with furniture as it is now. My ancestors go back to the earliest days of Hingham, Massachusetts, and descendants of our first American ancestors still live in a house built there in 1664 (not their original home; they arrived in America during the 1630s). I know from history in general and family history that the homes of the earliest settlers were by NO MEANS filled with carved furniture, oriental carpets and so on. It would have been prohibitively expensive to import such items at a time when the people had to work almost unrelentingly to get in enough food to see them through the winters. Further, as our family historical accounts (passed on diaries and letters) indicate, there was always the danger of attack from Native Americans who would come in 'Indian Summer' (a thaw after the first frost, signalling the time to slaughter pigs and lay in winter supplies) and burn homes and take plunder. To fill one's house with expensive furniture when every autumn you risked having your house burnt down would have been senseless.
According to accounts in my family history (one of my ancestors was one of the 'proprietors' of Hingham; he was on friendly terms with the local natives), the 'garrison house' was where everyone would go to huddle together when an attack from local Indian tribes was rumored or threatened. (For his part, he made his own house into a garrison in 1675, which he defended along with his adult sons.) It's impossible to imagine a house crowded with women, children and the elderly AND all that expensive furniture. The furniture may well have come from those times, but that any - still less most - families had all that stuff is very questionable.
I just have strong doubts that any individual family lived in such luxury as we see in that restored garrison house. People who come away with the idea that 'this is how everyone lived in the 1600s in colonial America' are very probably completely misinformed.
Thank you for your hard work to preserve our history!
Thank you for this story and thank you Mr. Towel!
Mr. Towel should check out Land & Sea on cbc season 10 I believe. A man in Newfoundland (Cananda) has done similar and his one room school house is also very fascinating. I own an antique gatelegg table which i had stripped and restored about 33 yrs ago. I love the twisted rope carving that is worked into the wide lip that supports the 2 part square table top.
Beautiful pictures and story. An amazing restoration. Thank you for sharing.
Amazing,, just Amazing ❤️
I too wondered about the lavish conservation with the oriental carpets and intricately carved furniture. The explanation above in the comments explains the conundrum. There's something about empty rooms that makes breathing easier. Even so, this house is a masterpiece. Mr. Towle's aesthetic emphasizes comfort and beauty and I can imagine waking up to this on a cold winter's morning. It must have been tough deciding what kind of lights to put in a house from the 1600's. If the house were more minimal and bare I might be tempted to contrast the age with a modernist light fixture. It would take years to decide as I'm sure the decisions by Mr. Towle were made organically. I adore Mr. Towle's choice of stove in the kitchen. It looks like a Viking. It's modern and purposeful but it blends in beautifully with the rest of the kitchen. This was an inspiring story and I would be honored to one day take a tour of this incredible home.
Play. Pause. Replay. Pause. Re-Replay. It's not the house itself or even the extraordinary restoration, it's the contagious enthusiasm which convinces you you could do the same thing, give or take a hundred hand-made nails.....
Thank you for sharing your passion with all of us and generations to come.
This is the best Houzz article I've seen yet. I am in awe. I can't stop watching this and have shared it with so many people who too have fallen in love with this house and it's story. Thank you so much for sharing this. It has reignited my passion for restoration and an appreciation for true craftsmanship. Bravo!
Thank you, Houzz, for creating a video in which the background music remains in the background. Sometimes the music is incessant, frantic and works on the nerves so much so, that it is difficult to hear the story; I abandon the article, weary from trying to hear the words and concentrate on the feature. This is wonderful. I hope to see more of this type of calm, informative production. Excellent article. Thank you, Mr. Towle for sharing.
How did he get permission to move this historic home from Billerica, MA... If I read this correctly the home was originally in Billerica. I would think it would have been protected under an historic district designation.
Where can I see the video? I have read all the comments and can wait to see this house.
I found it! At first, I couldn’t open the story - I went back and I was able to looked at the photos, ending this amazing tour with the video: what a treat! Thank you Mr. Towle for your love of restoring historical houses, and to Houzz for finding this jewel.
thank you so much for saving these homes and so much of our history.
America needs more men like Mr. Towle. He understands true value and brought out the intrinsic beauty in this whole project. Inspiring story! Thank you.
Absolutely Amazing !!! ... my kind of Colonial home !!! ... built 2000 homes between 1976 and 1992 but never like the distinctive Colonial Mr. Towle calls the 1665 Pilgrim house !!!
I just can't get enough of this story. It is just a pleasure to listen to Mr. Towle speak of it. I return to each room and pause to take in more of its wonder. Thank you again for this video. The work is humbling.
Wonderful to know that there are still people out there willing to restore houses with this level of history and craftsmanship. My husband and I have returned three Victorian homes to their former glory doing all the work ourselves despite raising a family and having full time employ. We get tired some days, but knowing we're bringing something back that was loved and lived in for generations spurs us onward. Thank you so much for the article.
Mr. Wiggins has beautiful taste! The interiors are warm and inviting.
I am not one to watch these types of shows, though I have always loved architecture and design, but got drawn into this after watching a few on NYC architecture. I really admire your passion for restoring these historic homes, but what really struck me was the fact that you straighten a hundred nails each night. Do yo really do that? What is the surface on which you straighten them? As a poet, it was a powerful image, that has inspired a poem on which I am working.