1894 Reborn: Saving a small Victorian
Tear down or restore? Some historic homes are of notable significance, but many are not. In the case of 64 Fair Street, the history was hard to verify. According to the Wallingford Historic Society, this home was relocated in the early 1900s from its original location in the center of town, where it was built in 1894. It had apparently been a rectory for the church, but when a larger one was built, it was moved to its current spot to house extended family for the frontage home on Fair Street.
When we found it, tucked in the middle of a residential block, just one street in from quaint Main Street and all its shops and restaurants, it had been neglected for a long time. Bringing it back to life required structural reinforcement, new plumbing and electrical, insulation, a new roof, siding and porch restoration, a new kitchen, bathrooms, a deck and landscaping. We were able to painstakingly salvage most of the original hardwood floor and piece in historic lumber salvaged from other projects where needed. It was a house worth saving and it shows.