Restoring a 1720 Cape Ann Gambrel

After an extensive renovation, a timber-framed relic of the Revolutionary War era emerged with comfortable new spaces that showcase elements of its 300-year history while thoughtfully integrating a design for contemporary living.

For 24 months, working alongside the von Oehsen’s and the This Old House crew, the BNA team came up with a design for a new one-story, open-plan ell that includes kitchen, dining, and family room areas with windows that look out to the Ipswich River. Twenty million viewers from around the country were able to tune in for 12 weeks and watch the whole process unfold in real time.

BNA’s main goal was to honor the home’s unique, historic beauty and to create functional and aesthetically pleasant living spaces for the 21st century. That meant making room to host four adult children, extended family, and friends, as well as home offices for working remotely.

For the original house, the guiding principle was to maintain the integrity of its 1720 structure. Fortunately, the original timber frame was sound; exposed oak and pine timbers form the framing, with oak pegs still holding the mortise-and-tenon joinery in place. To highlight those bones, the team opted to gut walls, ceilings, cabinets, fireplaces, and woodstoves that had been added over the centuries, to reveal as much of the original craftsmanship as possible.

Today, the first-floor den is the most authentic room in the old house, featuring exposed gunstock posts—narrow at the bottom and flared at the top—original pine floorboards, and a summer beam that is part of the 1720 timber frame.

The second floor of the 1720 structure holds two bedrooms, as it always has, now upgraded with a shared full bath and ready to welcome guests. To complement exposed timbers, salvaged wood was made into built-in desks —big enough for a laptop—in the bedroom window wells created by the gambrel dormers. Late First Period timber framing and original floorboards remain in all the second-floor rooms.  

The expanded house spans the centuries: The original 1720 gambrel roof structure connects to a new one-level ell that leads to a two – story gabled structure reminiscent of a barn with a complimentary “broken-back” roof covering the garage extension. The interior wow factor is a cathedral ceiling in the ell which features 300-year-old boards from the old ell’s attic roof sheathing and rafters.

A timber-framed one-story ell, originally built as part of the 1720 main house, was beyond saving due to the deteriorated condition of a second-story addition from the 1870s. Ben described the addition as "dreadful," citing both structural and aesthetic shortcomings. Removing the ell, which previously housed a cramped kitchen, a low-ceilinged dining room, and sagging second-floor bedrooms, presented an opportunity to reimagine the first-floor layout. The newly rebuilt one-story ell now features an open-plan design that seamlessly integrates the kitchen, dining, and family areas. This transformation creates a cohesive, versatile space perfect for intimate family gatherings or entertaining larger groups.

Today, the main entry to the home is at the end of a brick path from the street where guests step into the ell’s gathering space. The design features of the ell also include a stairway vertically connecting the walk – out basement, main floor and second floor. A coat room, laundry, three – quarter bath and rear enclosed sunroom are placed between the new primary living spaces and the new garage and workshop. A back porch sits in the corner where the ell meets the garage, French doors access the kitchen, and sliders open into the sunroom.

At the second floor of the barn element is an office for owner Helen, the primary bathroom, closets with a secondary laundry and the primary sleeping space. This bedroom is afforded a fine view of the Ipswich River.  

The homeowners’ vision for the house extended to the entire two-acre riverside site, where outdoor spaces include a brick patio with a water view and wildflowers. The terrace comes with a conversation piece: a view of the 18th century cistern used to collect rainwater. A new driveway and walkway to the primary entry in the ell, with native plantings lining the way. A stone retaining wall near the new door was built at seating height for extra functionality. A stormwater-management system, featuring two 2,500-gallon underground cisterns, collects runoff from the roof’s gutters, which are used to irrigate the landscaping. Every aspect of this plan was approved by the Ipswich Conservation Commission with great results: the combination of native plants, outdoor living spaces, and an earth – friendly stormwater irrigation system make the home and site truly unique.

Pondering all the history that happened here, the von Oehsen’s take pride in the fact that their home is one of the country’s oldest—designated as a First Period house—and was once owned by a Revolutionary War officer and landmarked as the Nathaniel Hodgkins House. As has been the case for more than three centuries on this site, a timeless house stands for a current-day family to live, work, and enjoy the beauty of the Ipswich River and the comforts of a creatively designed and well-built home.
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“To be able to preserve this house and learn about its history has been truly exciting for us.”
– The von Oehsens

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“One of the best parts of producing a This Old House series is the collaboration among the architect, the homeowners, and the general contractor.
Ben and his team were always available to make sure we had a good understanding of the design and materials on the plans.”
- Sara Ferguson, senior series producer for This Old House

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“It was a lifetime achievement to work with This Old House and have BNA’s work be featured in its 44th season.”
- Ben Nutter, principal architect of Benjamin Nutter Architects

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