What’s old is new again

Modern living meets historic charm at the newly restored 61 School Street. Photo by Timothy P. Bailey

Minglewood Homes revitalizes a historic home in Chatham’s Old Village

There’s an inherent charm to an older, historic house—the past is ever present. You can imagine all of the life that’s been lived in a house built 100, 200 years ago, and all of the different people that once called that house home. Every room, every wall, every piece of flooring tells a story—the story of what that house was, and what it is today.

Timothy Smith, owner of Minglewood Homes, appreciates that history he sees in the older Cape houses his firm renovates. “That’s what makes Cape Cod so unique,” he says of these homes. One such home the firm recently restored is a property in the National Historic Register, located at 61 School Street in Chatham’s Old Village. Built circa 1858, the house was first owned by James Olsen and his wife, Emily, who were keepers of the town’s almshouse.

In 2015, two cousins inherited ownership after years of having the property in their family. The men approached Minglewood Homes to restore the dilapidated, overgrown property, consisting of a two-story main house, a guest cottage and a detached garage. Frankly, Smith says, “It was in deplorable condition. The house was very run down, with little maintenance done on it for 75 years or so. There wasn’t even a working kitchen anymore.”