1850 Historic Restoration: Magnolia Cottage On Historic Rope Walk Hill

Determined to save the landmark, this nearly 200-year-old New England cottage was reimagined to create an inviting and comfortable home. The renovation solved stairway code issues, introduced an open floor plan, provided proper headroom upstairs, and restored the charm that had been lost after two mid-century renovations.

Situated on a hill looking out over a harbor that was the original birthplace of the Navy, this renovation draws its inspiration from the other worker cottages of Rope Walk Hill—an area made famous for making rope cornage for the Nantucket whaling fleet and General Washington’s revolutionary warships.

This restoration represents an appropriate, but extremely creative solution to the challenge of working within a small footprint, intermixed with elements saved from the home, including exposed beams, reimaging the front door and the relocation of the peg-connected center stick.

This floor plan packs a punch; great site planning of a pre-existing, nonconforming 3,000-square-foot lot and thoughtful tucked-in parking contribute to the project’s success. The addition of a large deck overlooking the water and careful landscape design create both privacy as well as functionality in a manner that still allows neighborliness in this already established walkable community connecting main street to the waterfront.