According to historical records, our farmhouse was built in 1891. The builder was likely the Osborn family who lived in this area at the time. According to one family friend, James Peltzer, Jr (called Junior by his friends and neighbors) purchased the house in the 1950’s from his aunt and uncle after living in the upstairs of the home with his wife as newlyweds. We won’t disclose the exact numbers, but let’s just say that by today’s standards, he got a great deal! The aunt was an Osborn- likely the daughter of the original owner/builder of the home. As far as we can tell, we are the first non-family to own the farm and farmhouse.
The exact dates and times of renovations on the house are impossible to nail down. At some point, part of the front porch that wraps the house (seen above) was enclosed to add a dining room and a second bedroom on the second floor. The back addition also seen here was extended to add what was likely the first semi-modern kitchen and bathroom. The house predates modern electricity and indoor plumbing, so both of those had to be added. Directly off the back porch even today the foundation of the (likely) original creamery can still be found. As far as we can tell, the well we use today is the original well always used on the property.
Renovations on the Farmhouse, for us, began immediately. We literally drove from the title company, after signing the closing documents, to the farmhouse to begin tearing down a wall. We began by adding a more modern kitchen, a laundry room, and updating and expanding the downstairs bathroom. The renovation fun has just began! We still have a very long way to go. We have also added a split air A/C system (that’s right, for 115 years, this house had no A/C) and a large grid of solar panels to produce our own electricity. We also added a modern septic system and upgraded our water well.