After five years of renovation, The Wessington House in Edenton, N.C. is ready for its close-up.
“It is an absolutely astonishing house,” says Richard Douglas of New York City and Charlottesville, Va. In 2008, he and his wife closed on the 15,000 square-foot home, a late Georgian with Italianate overtones built in the late 1850s.
“If it had been in Charlottesville, it would have been renovated four times already, with another zero on its price tag,” he says.
Local history attributes the home to a Dr. Warren of Edenton, who built it essentially as dowry house for his daughter, to assure that she had a good marriage.
“Then it was sold to the Graham family, who lived in it for 122 years, until we bought it five years ago,” he says.
The home’s a block away from the Albemarle Sound, with easy water views during the right seasons, from its first, second and third floors.
There’s an English basement, topped by family living quarters on the first floor. Bedrooms are on the second level, with the third floor originally reserved as living quarter for governesses and chamber maids.
“When it was built, it was occupied by 15 to 20 people – seven members of the family and 10 to 12 servants,” he says. “In a modern setting, it would be like a conference hotel.”
They took out all the electricity, water and heat, dug out the basement completely and installed thermal heat. They moved the original smokehouse to create equipment space outside. Then they installed an elevator big enough to serve as workhorse for a house its size.
“I’ve always wanted to do this type of renovation,” he says. “In a way we did the 150,000-miles service on it.”
Soon enough, the couple will open it up for entertaining and community events, in the manner to which it’s become accustomed over the years.
“The central hallway is 600 square feet,” he says. “When we closed on it, the owner had her birthday party and 150 people came, and it wasn’t crowded at all. It’s a very public house, and it accommodates a lot of people.”
In other words, it’s just right for Edenton, N.C.
For more information on The Wessington House, go to www.WessingtonPLLC.com
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