CUMBERLAND CENTER – Before the War of 1812, a 70-ton ship was constructed on this site, and hauled by oxen to the water in Yarmouth. It was in 1835 that the home was built, for Rufus Sweetser of the prominent Sweetser family. And then in 1998-99, the charming, antique, clapboard-and shingle Cape was re-created by one of Maine’s best-known and most accomplished home designers.

Expanded to 2,442 square feet, thoroughly modernized for contemporary comfort, with a stunning interior worthy of a glossy magazine feature, today the property is offered for sale at $495,000.

Sitting prettily and privately on a 1.25-acre lot with gardens and gravel drive and a huge, fenced and nicely screened side yard, the home adheres to the classic “big house, little house, back house, barn” pattern, with adroit structural modifications. The attached barn’s main level is a workshop, warmed by a Hot Dawg heater; upstairs is a full studio/office with exposed beams, a 16-pane transom window augmenting skylight brightness, and an attached full bath – so this level could also serve as an in-law/guest suite. (Limited in-home business is another possibility.)

Off the angled “mud” room/passageway connecting home and barn is a carpeted, pine-paneled-cathedral-ceilinged family room, whose full-view doors open to a deck/patio and hot tub. A few steps on is the open-concept heart of the home. Around the exposed brick of the imposing center chimney and wood-burning fireplace are a delightful reading nook, living area, eat-in table space, and a gorgeous gourmet kitchen featuring a slate sink; stainless Fisher Paykel appliances and Viking professional gas range; butcher block work island and counters, and a cool built-in chest that is original to the home. Floors are wide pumpkin pine, baseboards cast-iron.

The adjacent formal dining room is another work of art, a harmonious combination of graceful stenciling and distressed finishes. Across the hall, the first-floor master suite has a pair of walk-in closets with built-ins, and bath with cast-iron clawfoot tub. Upstairs are two more bedrooms, and bath; downstairs is a fine if unfinished 1835 basement. Heat is four-zone, with natural gas now available thanks to a new line.

The home is listed for sale by Lynn Hallett and Whitney Harvey of Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International Realty.

For more information or to arrange a private viewing: 780-8900; lhallett@legacysir.com, 671-8187; wharvey@legacysir.com, 671-2360.

Thanks to the Yarmouth Historical Society for background information.

Price: $495,000
Built: 1835
Rooms/bedrooms: 13/6
Baths: Four
Square feet: 2,442
Parking: For several vehicles
Lot size: 1.25 acres
Taxes: $6,300

Produced by the Marketing Department of the Maine Sunday Telegram, the Home of the Week is provided at no cost. HOW suggestions: jrolfe@pressherald.com.

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