The two-story colonial on riverside drive sits on a lot that reaches to the Mascoma River about 200 yards upstream from the Packard Covered Bridge. Built in the 1830s, it is now one of the oldest houses in Lebanon. Before Ed Kerrigan and Roger Clarkson bought it as an investment in 2004, it looked every bit its age. The exterior was run down to say the least, and except for three shallow fireplaces, there was no heating system-- nor was there any plumbing or electricity. For years, raccoons and squirrels had nested and burrowed throughout the addition's second floor.

This "demolition by amateurs," as Kerrigan and Clarkson called it, along with the wear and tear of time, had caused significant damage to the house as well as the barn and garage.

The investors turned to a friend for advice. "We had a lot of Saturday morning breakfasts with Larry Ufford (the president of Trumbull-Nelson)," said Clarkson. "And it was Larry who saw the potential of exposing the old chestnut beams and turning the second floor of the addition into a 22-by-18 foot master bedroom suite (enlarged with construction of a shed dormer).

"Larry's imagination made all the difference," Clarkson continued. "He got into the project to the point that I'm convinced he thought he slept in the house in an earlier life, back in the days when, we're told, it was an inn."

"We approached the project on a time and materials basis," said Ufford. "Ed was his own project manager and handled all the subcontractors."

After Trumbull-Nelson crews gutted about 10 dumpsters worth of debris that couldn't be salvaged from the house, the renovation began. Trumbull- Nelson, collaborating with a handful of subcontractors, refurbished what was old and replaced everything else, from the new standing seam roof (installed by HP roofing of White river Junction) to the new septic system (installed by D.R. Key Corporation of Lebanon).

"we did everything we could to ensure the property retained its place in time and history."

  Inside the house, Trumbull-Nelson workers tore down a wall between the original house and an addition that came later, and they also removed a narrow stairway to the second floor (built-in custom cabinets now occupy the space). They stripped and painted the original plaster walls in the front rooms and milled all of the new trim to match the old.

The first floor of the addition, formerly a warren of small rooms, was opened into a 25-by-15 foot kitchen. The Trumbull-Nelson team also cleared space for, and constructed, two and a half bathrooms (there had been only one bathroom in the old house).

Blodgett's Sash and Door of Lebanon installed new appliances and classic cabinetry and fixtures in both the kitchen and bathrooms. They also provided the new (yet traditional-looking) 12-over-12 and 8-over-8 foot pane windows and made new four-panel doors to replace those that couldn't be saved.

"it's a classic house. It would have been a crime to tear it down." - Ed Kerrigan

Despite the fact that the front foundation isn't accessible and that there is only a small crawl space beneath the house, Partridge Family Heating of Canaan employed creative ductwork en route to successfully installing new plumbing and state-of-the-art heating and A/C.

The result of all this work, which began with Kerrigan and Clarkson's vision, is a beautiful old post-and-beam house made new and filled with modern amenities to make for comfortable living. The first floor of the house includes a living room, dining room, kitchen, and family room; the second floor features a master bedroom suite plus three bedrooms. Adjacent to the house is an old barn newly converted into a two-car garage, and an old garage that will soon be converted into a workshop and/or storage place.

"We did everything we could to ensure the property retained its place in time and history," said Clarkson, "right down to the doorbell (a mechanical pull that rings a small bell) and the hidden cabinets built above the fireplace in the living room."