This stately Greek Revival, built in 1830, was once owned by Massachusetts Civil War Governor John Andrew. Abraham Lincoln’s friend and cousin, he authorized freed slaves to serve in the Union army (remember the movie Glory?). The house, which Andrew called “the home of my heart,” remained in his family until 1929.
The current owners undertook a full renovation of the historic property in 2010 and are now selling it for $2.975 million. Take a look!
MSNBC reports: “Much of the 5-bed, 4.5-bath home’s original character, like its pumpkin pine flooring, marble fireplaces, and ceiling medallions and molding, were maintained in the remodel.”
The family room has a Something’s Gotta Give vibe with the blue and white-striped rug:
Some rooms–like this bedroom–are a little bare. How would you decorate them?
There are 5 bedrooms and 4.5 baths.
Love the gray cabinets.
The interiors don’t look like they belong to an historic house from the early 1800s, do they? The rooms look new. Which I suppose they are, since the house underwent such an extensive renovation.
The mudroom:
It sits on several acres outside Boston in Hingham and has 6,300 square feet of living space. There’s an apple orchard, 3-car detached garage, boat house, and barn on the property, too.
Like it? For more photos and information about the house, check the article on MSNBC’s Bottom Line and the For Sale by Owner listing on Zillow. (Thanks to Nancy for telling me about it!)
On Sundays I Feature Interesting Houses For Sale:
- A Victorian Cottage in Pasadena
- A Hamptons-Style Home on Bainbridge Island
- Julia Morgan’s Charming Redwood Grove House
- See ‘em all!
I’ve been removing the small private ads from my blog this year, and it’s fitting that CalFinder is the last one left. They were the first to advertise with me, and I want to thank them for being such a long-time supporter of my blog. If you need to find a reliable local contractor for a home improvement project, they can help!
{ 38 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow, I’m game! I’d spend a whole bunch of time putting historically accurate hardware throughout the house, but otherwise it seems nearly perfect. You think they’d cut their price by a few million? Or maybe keep it on the market until we win the lottery?
Can’t hurt to ask, right? Ha.
This is absolutely breathtaking, though I’ll admit the words “pumpkin pine flooring” distracted me with hunger for my favorite dessert…
I think it’s a travesty that they made the kitchen, family room, and bathrooms so modern. They could belong to a 2012 house. That makes me very sad for the house. But then I’m a purist who doesn’t like many modern conveniences. Or if I had them in this house, I’m hide them so as not to destroy the historic character of the house. No way would I live in this house.
I have swooned my dying swoon…I love it and think they did an impeccable job. My husband and I have always wanted to move to the Boston area, now where to find a few extra million…..
What a beautiful home! The more modern areas of the house such as the kitchen and family room, appear to be part of an addition which certainly makes the much more livable by today’s standards. It’s the perfect combination of historical charm and modern convenience.
This could easily be the House of My Heart too! I would like to move it to a little warmer climate, like maybe Virginia though!
It is just too beautiful!
It is a lovely remodel… but it just doesn’t feel like a Civil War era home anymore! It’s clean, modern, comfortable, but the history seems to have all been eliminated. Not that I wouldn’t live there if I could afford it!
GORGEOUS! Just needs some curtains
………..granted, I do agree its lost a lot of what makes it a ‘Civil War era’ home. It has a beautiful Colonialism, which I love, but perhaps a really old fashioned tub or wood burning stove or quilts hanging on the walls or something would give it a bit more historic charm. But I love it!
Sad, such an important historic house met that fate. Why don’t people that want new houses, just buy new houses?
Pumpkin pine flooring? Other than the entry and the bedroom, which looks like historic flooring, most of it resembles my 90s golden oak. Maybe I need to put a new spin on my dated floors…pumpkin oak!
very nicely done! i really liked it — still an old house but with great updated features – the outside and inside are just finennneeee in my book! and i actually like the very plain bedroom –even though it needs a LITTLE more stuff in it, sometimes i think we think we have to fill up every inch of space with something.
It has all that New England charm that I love.
i would still buy it. love greek revival and craftsman. you could put antiques and historical paint colors and drapes if you are picky. gorgeous. gorgeous. gorgeous.
My heart is definitely with this home! My all time favorite architectural style? Why Greek Revival, of course! I love these images – thanks so much for sharing! – Jalon
What a beautiful house, both the interior and the outdoors! The only thing I’d change is the black marble fireplace/mantle in the first photo – it’s a bit dark for such a brightly detailed room… I would use detailed woodworking to match the rest of the room. Really love all the porches, too!
I’m pretty sure that the black marble mantel is original to the house, and by the looks of the travesty of “renovation” that’s gone on in this house, that mantel is one of the few original things left in the house!
What a shame to take a beautiful historic house and make it contemporary and bland. Buy something from 1975 and renovate. But don’t renovate history, preserve it! What they’ve done here is heart-breaking. In a newer house, it would be fine, but considering what they had to have wrecked to achieve this, it’s in the poorest possible taste. Adding a quilt and a clawfoot tub will not give it back the centuries of character, charm, grace, and patina that are gone forever.
Another Lauren here and I agree with every word that this Lauren wrote — well said!
I agree wholeheartedly with you Lauren.
Yep. And it’s bland.
Add me to the list of people who wholeheartedly agree with Lauren. She’s right; it’s truly heart-breaking that they’ve destroyed the character of a historic home.
Greek Revivial is my favorite American architecture style. I do agree with the commenters who said the renovation has interfered with its old house character. Maybe that’s just the photos? I am hoping it’s more authentically old when you see it in real life.
I feel sorry for this home and all that was done to it to make it modernized. If Andrew Jackson were alive today, think how sad he would feel if he stepped inside his own home? I can imagine he would be in tears. I wish people that lived in historic homes would preserve them. Not make them their style.
I agree with most of the folks who’ve commented…I think its lovely, but its been scrubbed too clean of the things that make it a historical home…astonishing lovely for the “new” house it appears to be..
I would be so happy forever in this house
Wow, so gorgeous, but it needs some fabrics. I would like to see some toile in there . I guess they cleared it out to sell it. Love all the windows.
The only way that I could support such a character changing renovation would be if they added something interesting, had a real eye for something beautiful and unique that would make it special for the coming centuries. But this is just a generic example of current high-end taste (executed beautifully, I’ll give them that) and nothing special in and of itself. This house will forever after be dated 2012 style, until someone comes along and rips all that out and changes it again.
Very beautiful, but also from a historical point of view looks like it should come with one of those wrappers you find on motel toilets that say “sanitized for your protection”.
It would be interesting to see a before photo, couldn’t find one, but did find the marble fireplaces are original, which should give a hint at how different the interior once looked. Also…reportedly, Governor Andrew spoke ?f th? property ?? “th? home ?f h?? heart” which is sad as I’m sure it’s much different now, though I do really like what they did in the kitchen/family room (love both) — and I see from what I could find the kitchen was redone several times so likely needed help.
This would make a great 5 things you’d want to change post.
First thing I’d do is give it some decent detailed paint – maybe even consider old style painted murals in front parlor areas, not sure I could live one day with that beige and 2) get rid of all the Pottery Barn looking stuff 3) rugs/drapes are in desperate need 4) also, and I know this is just my personal taste, but I dislike multi-colored slate floors and running bond pattern tile floors – here with the added bonus of light grout, is not a fav when more historic choices are an option. Actually I don’t like the mudroom at all, it looks like kindergarten cubbies to me but I’m sure functions well for families/snow so I’ll abstain. 5) Add a pop of history such as some gas lighted fixtures (saw some today on tv/Paula Deen’s home and fell in love with them).
All in all, it’s really a beautiful home, I’d take it in a heartbeat and with a good interior design plan could be greatly improved. Lots of life could be breathed back into the place with a bit of rework.
This house is so beautiful and in the area where I grew up. Lovely town! I do love the simplicity of the way it looks in the photos. Weird, the older, I get the less I want around me, but I sure could be happy in that home!
Such a handsome house with great bones – but I agree with all of you who write that it feels a bit sad, somehow, like it all dressed up and then didn’t know what to do. It has no soul. I wonder (and worry) what the story is.
Wow, I just told my husband we need to move Hingham. Got love New England’s variety of houses, both in style and time period!
Well, I have to weigh in and agree with the folks who think the renovation was too generic and over the top. That said, though … the photo of the back of the house looks like a new addition; can’t help but wonder if that part (the new part) houses the family room and kitchen/breakfast area? That would explain a lot. Given the home’s date and historical significance, however, it’s a shame that there wasn’t more homage paid to keeping the character of the house in mind before and during the renovation. Sadly, there are fewer tradesmen in the industry who have the ability to tie yesteryear’s and today’s current lifestyles together.
4.5 baths? And I love the idea of a separate mudroom! $3m price tag seems fair, it’s stunning – although I don’t think I’ll be affording another close to that any time soon!
The outside of this house is swoon-worthy. I love the character of it. The inside is lovely but generic in many ways. I could see someone buying this house and pouring a lot of money and love into it, to turn it into a showpiece with color, texture, and character that befits this gorgeous house. The bones are all there. You don’t need to rip out walls or fix structural issues… looks like it just needs dimension now. This is way out of our price range, but, oh, to dream…
LOVE this house…it’s beautiful. My little home is a measly 1500 square feet, so I think I would get lost with over $6000!
I agree with those who commented on the house’s “soul-less” stripping–the interior suggests a McMansion which could be anywhere suburban. Really sad.
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