The nuts and bolts
2 bedrooms
1 bathrooms
2.42 acres
House proud
Built in the 1830s and recorded in numerous historic documents, this barn once belonged to Henry Lewis Fleet, a prominent farmer and horse breeder in late 19th-century Southold. The farm estate—known as “Poole’s Neck” and one of largest in the area—was famous for its potatoes, cauliflower and stallions.
What’s the plan?
As renovated, this property presents two opportunities. The single-story annex is the former tack room and over the years was used for equipment storage before its conversion into a chic two-bedroom living space. The kitchen and living room share an open format, unified by hand-hewn exposed ceiling beams, wide-plank flooring and finishes that evoke the barn’s rustic origins. A hallway provides separation between the bedrooms and bathroom, and the common areas. Both are windowed and carry through the prevalent white-washed rustic theme.
(Photo credit: Jeremy Garretson)
The attached original barn is a handsome, two-story wood-frame structure with a windowed cupola. Two sets of stairs lead to an open mezzanine. Keeping original details such as the rafters, beams and brick floors, it’s been restored into a seasonal, flexible space with large windows for semi-outdoor dining and entertaining. An upstairs open space has plumbing and an antique claw-foot bathtub. The framed barn represents an opportunity for numerous uses says Kristy Naddell, the Douglas Elliman agent who is co-listing the property with Thomas Uhlinger.
“The people who have been very interested in the property have done barn conversions and are drawn to this, interested in maintaining the history,” Naddell says. She recalled a project similar in nature just down the road: a historic Methodist church purchased and converted into an single family home. She and Uhlinger represented that sale as well.
(Photo credit: Jeremy Garretson)
What’s cooking?
The kitchen features country-style white cabinetry, with an island separating it from the living space. The L-shaped island seats three and has a porcelain farm sink. The kitchen has been updated with stainless steel appliances.
What else?
The property is lined with mature Skip Laurel and 16-foot Leyland hedges, borders preserved farmland and overlooks the Wickham Apple Orchard with open views.
“It is the idyllic North Fork country lifestyle,” Naddell says, adding the property includes English-style cutting garden with mature hydrangeas. “When you get behind the hedges, you forget where you are – you are lost.”
Key updates made 15 years ago include a new roof, foundation restoration, new cesspools and upgraded electrical systems. There is an outdoor shower.
One cool thing
Farmer Fleet was known for his stable of horses, recorded in the 1882 History of Suffolk County as a “very superior stock of young horses” that sold at prices up to “several thousands of dollars.” His stallion “Fleet’s Hambletonian,” named for the legendary trotter and the eponymous race, trotted in 2:29 (the distance for the Hambletonian race is 1 mile).
(Photo credit: Jeremy Garretson)
Agent’s callout
“This is a one of a kind, iconic North Fork property that is already in move-in condition, but a renovation of the barn will make this a modern version of the historic space,” Naddell says, adding that whomever undertakes the endeavor, “will have a rare and unique home.”
Location, location, location
This historic property is less than a mile from the center of Cutchogue. Nearby are Wickham Creek, Haywater Cove and Dave Allison Park, Cutchogue-New Suffolk Park District. The nearby historic campus of Cutchogue Village Green offers examples of historic architecture similar in construction to the Fleet farm.
Details
The home at 29500 Main Road lists for $2,250,000 and the details can be seen here.
