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(Photo courtesy of Image Habitat/Jim Harrison)

This picture-perfect Queen Anne Victorian offers spacious and gracious living in the historic hamlet of Laurel. 

 

(Photo courtesy of Image Habitat/Jim Harrison)

The nuts and bolts

4 bedrooms

3 bathroom

3,178 square feet

1 acre

House proud

Built in 1879, this three-story Queen Anne-style Victorian home with a turret has been thoughtfully updated to include modern conveniences, but kept its original finishings and character. 

The details are “very tasteful and almost minimal for a Victorian,” says Janet Bidwell, the Douglas Elliman agent listing the home. “The land and the home has been in the family nearly since it was built.” Known as the “Penny Homestead,” so named for its original owners, it was passed down to other family members through the years. The current owner is a descendent of another original North Fork family and has stewarded the house through meticulous maintenance and careful period-sensitive renovations. 

(Photo courtesy of Image Habitat/Jim Harrison)

“I tried to keep as much as I could, using period-inspired tile on the floors, but lots of modern touches so it didn’t feel stuffy, and felt updated,” says Leanne Luce, a fashion-industry professional who owns and renovated the house. 

 

What’s the plan?

The home is entered through an elegant covered porch with decorative lattice work on the supports and leaded windows. To the left of the foyer are the family and sitting rooms that lead to a full bath and a utility room. The family room has a gas fireplace, floor-to-ceiling windows, decorative leading and built-in bookshelves; the sitting room is currently used as a home office/studio/workspace. Turning right from the front foyer through a glass-paned door is the 239-square-foot living room with a tiled fireplace and its original mantle, and the turret offering another 96 square feet of usable space. The dining room is just beyond through a wide doorway with decorative finishes, a stained glass window, small glass built-in cabinets, and leads into the kitchen. Through the kitchen at the back is a 107-square-foot, three-season sunroom with multi-paned glass windows overlooking the back yard. 

Four bedrooms on the second floor have access to two full bathrooms, one of which has a large glass shower and a soaking tub. The primary bedroom includes the turret space, and two walk-in-closets. At the back of the house is a second eat-in kitchen sitting area, a retro-styled refrigerator, and its own staircase and exterior entrance. 

The full basement is unfinished with both inside and outside entrance, and in addition to the  610 square feet of open space, includes the utility room and two storage areas. The attic is unfinished, but is standing-height, has exposed wood beams and ample light from the windows.

(Photo courtesy of Image Habitat/Jim Harrison)

What’s cooking?

The 188-square-foot eat-in kitchen on the main level has a butler’s pantry and access to the screened porch. The Energy Star stainless-steel appliances have been updated, and the fresh white subway-tiled walls provide a contrast to the dove-gray cabinetry with a new white Formica countertop. The windowed butler’s pantry offers additional storage, a large porcelain prep sink and open shelving. 

What else?

The large backyard includes two outbuildings, one of which is 240 square feet with a chimney, and Bidwell speculates it was an outdoor kitchen at one time. Should a new owner install a swimming pool, she suggests the building could be converted to a pool house. 

Amenities and more

  • The property overlooks 60-plus acres of preserved farmland.
  • There are three fireplaces in the home, one of which is wood-burning. 
  • The upstairs is laid out so that the kitchen, bathroom and bedroom can be used as an independent guest suite.

One cool thing (or two) 

Throughout the house, the original and intricate parquet and inlaid maple and walnut wood floors have been refinished and are, unto themselves, a work of art and design. Even the bathroom floors, as renovated, were designed in intricate tiled patterns. The original owner was a woodworker, says Bidwell, who hand-crafted the floors piece by piece. 

 

Agent’s callout 

“This is a grand living space with high ceilings and I think anyone looking for an antique home would love this house,” Bidwell says, adding the layout and intact character make it perfect for a classic bed & breakfast.

Location, location, location

The home is nearly equidistant—about one mile—between the hamlet of Laurel and Jamesport, historic towns on the North Fork. Brushs Point, on the Peconic Bay is 1.9 miles away, and the house is on the same road as several wineries on the North Fork wine route. Of interest nearby are farm stands, Hallock State Park Preserve and the historic Jamesport Meeting House, the oldest public building in the East End.

Details

This classic Victorian home at 1982 Main Road lists for $1,200,000 and the details can be seen here

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