Meticulously restored, modernized house offers comfort, river views in Old New Castle
The Strand is a unique address, a community of centuries-old red brick homes in a swath of Old New Castle that offers rare scenic views of the Delaware River.
Ironically, The Strand was known as Water Street until a blaze in a stable roared out of control into the Great Fire of 1824. Known as McCullough’s Row, the townhouses with addresses 27-33 on The Strand were built after the fire, just as Greek Revival architecture was beginning to edge out Federal Style.
Built in 1830, the two-and-a-half story townhouse at 27 The Strand reflects the vibe of its neighbors, with the paired, exterior louvered doors that are the 19th century equivalent of screened doors.
When Tina Kelly moved into the house in 2004, the house retained its louvered doors, original hardware and the cooking hearth in the basement, the traditional site for kitchens in a society that would not experience HGTV for another 175 years.
But it required an expansive renovation to take it to the next level.
“It has been preserved with original features, seamlessly blending the historic with the modern,” she says.
Craftsmen from Maryland went to work on precise, custom millwork and moldings. King of Prussia marble steps were installed at the front door with hand-forged cast iron railings. Outside and inside, historically accurate architectural hardware was stripped and re-conditioned.
An interior palette of soft yellows and blues was formulated by Donald Kaufman Color of New York City, a firm that specializes in blending pigments for clients based on their personalities and their home’s architecture.
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No worries about Kelly being relegated to the basement to cook. That fireplace now anchors a casual seating area.
A gifted baker, she prepares food in a state-of-the-art kitchen with a Wolf range, Sub-Zero refrigerator and Bosch dishwasher. The kitchen is open to a family room with French doors that lead to the garden.
In a nod to 21st-century living, the bathrooms have been redone throughout the home. A first-floor powder room, hard to find in an old house, was added. There’s central air conditioning and a gas furnace.
Lofty ceilings and wood floors are intact. Some original features have been creatively repurposed. The dumbwaiter in the dining room is now used for serving drinks.
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Throughout the house are architectural features harkening back centuries. An arched doorway with paneled millwork leads from the dining room to the kitchen. There are fireplaces in rooms on every floor, including the second-floor bathroom.
Up the original turned staircase is a guest bedroom, as well as a master suite that offers sweeping vistas of the river. There is an additional guest suite on the third floor, another scenic vantage point.
“The river is a never-ending parade of views,” she says.
Kelly has enjoyed her home and her neighborhood for almost 15 years. As she approaches retirement, she has decided it’s time to move on and has put the house on the market.
Marianne Caven, the listing agent, says the home’s location and the quality of the restoration make it appealing to history buffs who want to live in a house with heritage but don’t want to do the heavy lifting involved in preservation themselves.
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“They had the paint stripped inside and out, back to the base,” she says. “I don’t know of any other house in Old Castle where they have done that.”
The restoration was time-consuming, meticulous and expensive. Receipts and records are available to prospective buyers.
“It’s a showpiece of a house,” Caven says. “High drama, yet comfortable.”
WHY THE OWNER LOVES OLD NEW CASTLE: “Its sense of community. It really feels like a village, with book clubs and movie nights at the local library and year-round activities such as Art on the Green, a Day in Old New Castle and the Spirit of Christmas.”
HER FAVORITE PLACE(S) IN THE HOUSE: “The kitchen/river room. It is a real sanctuary with its light and river views. Second is the master bedroom with its fabulous sky and river views.”
WHAT SHE WILL MISS MOST: “The extreme comfort of this home and my wonderful neighbors.”
Delaware Spaces
27 The Strand, New Castle
LISTING PRICE: $549,000
SIZE: 2,150 square feet, three bedrooms, three and a half baths
LOT: 1,742 square feet
OUTDOOR FEATURES: Deck, garden, views of the Delaware River
BUILT: 1830
NOTEWORTHY: Meticulously restored, original hardware and cooking hearth in basement
CONTACT: Marianne Caven, Patterson-Schwartz, (302) 576-6848
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Eileen Smith Dallabrida is a Wilmington freelance writer and editor. Contact her at esmith@smithreports.com.