Historic Homecoming

This West Virginia riverside farmhouse was built in 1815, passed down through generations of the same family, sold due to financial constraints and has now come back into the family to get another lease on life.

- LAUREN HOFER

Set in a beautiful location on the Potomac River in Hedgesville, West Virginia, is a magnificent stone farmhouse. Originally constructed around 1815, the farm and farmhouse have been in the same family for most of its history. "It was inherited by my dad and his two siblings, and ultimately they decided that they couldn't keep it up," says homeowner Diann Martin. "It was just too expensive to operate a dairy farm in this part of the country."

It was a great loss for Diann, who had spent much of her childhood visiting family at the property. "I spent a lot of summer months growing up here, so it was very special to me," she says. The house and surrounding acres were sold to a developer, but in 2015, she and her husband, Joe, got some exciting news. "We found out the farmhouse and approximately 18 acres were available through a foreclosure auction," Diann says. "We were fortunate to bring it back into the family."

TIPS FOR RESTORING A HISTORIC HOME

You never know exactly what you'll find when you jump into a historic restoration. Here are three top tips from preservation architect Seth Ballard of Ballard+Mensua Architecture.

1. DON'T SKIP THE DEMO. It's almost impossible with a historic restoration to avoid doing significant demo. "With the mess you make trying to put modern wiring and plumbing into a historic house, this is usually necessary," Seth says. Remove the modern plaster and carpet to see what you find underneath.