EAST HARDWICK – Public-private partnerships suggest a solution to Vermont’s perennial housing issues in the Northeast Kingdom. One partnership has produced three new apartments for local residents while preserving an antique Greek Revival building at 64 Main St. in East Hardwick Village.
Erich Stephens stands at the rear of his renovated apartment building in East Hardwick.
Owners Erich Stephens and Tricia Cammerer have a soft spot for historic houses. “Over the years,” Stephens told the Gazette, “we have been buying and renovating houses into apartments. We enjoy helping people and saving old buildings. More than restoring an historic building, we wanted to contribute to our local community and make investments that could perhaps improve other’s lives. Housing is a fundamental human need, and even small projects like this can have a big impact on someone’s life.”
It’s been a family project with Cammerer running the back office and Stephens acting as general contractor. As of this date, the three apartments have all been rented and the occupants have moved in.
Saving this old house presented many challenges. Stephens made the offer to purchase the property just before the pandemic. During the lockdown, Stephens couldn’t get much done and as soon as the lockdown was over construction workers were overloaded. Ezra Stark was selected as the builder/contractor, but wasn’t able to give a fixed quote as the price of materials continued to go up.
After the work started, there were two very big surprises: the septic and the foundation. An engineered septic was needed and the large extension of the house had to be demolished and rebuilt on a completely new foundation. Stephens commented that “in the end, this wasn’t the most brilliant business decision, but hopefully it will be a good long-term investment.”
Locally known as the Hunt House, the building was constructed between 1851 and 1863 and until recently played an important role in the life of East Hardwick as a store, boarding house or apartments.
The possible earliest occupant was from the Child’s Business Directory of 1877: Child’s lists Edgar Hunt and H.A. Babbit as general merchants and dealers in furniture and stoves. At that time the building sat near the mills on the Lamoille River and in the center of the business area of the village. Today it is conveniently located near the post office and the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail.
Many of the original features, including an attached barn, were no longer present when Stephens purchased the property. Of what was left, he preserved as much as was feasible. Using an old photo as a guide for restoring the facade, and working with the state historic office, windows were replaced with new energy efficient ones, but with historically accurate 2-over-2 panes. Windows that were not of the original size and shape were removed as were the decorative shutters. Exterior trim was replaced with a period-correct design and colors, pieces that were saved from the demolished extension were reused. The historic siding on the old part of the building was saved. Only one original door was found and it was refinished along with its original hardware. Where possible, the antique heart pine flooring was restored and where not possible, it was replicated with newer floor boards. The original stairs and banister were refinished. Granite blocks that were found under the porches and buried in the front yard were repurposed as a landscape wall.
The renovated front of the building in East Hardwick features energy-efficient 2-over-2 windows.
The building now has three rental units. The upstairs unit is a light and airy space having a large kitchen and pantry that is part of a great room for living and dining. It has two bedrooms, a large bath, a laundry room, coat closet and a small bonus room as well as a private balcony overlooking Main Street. It is accessed using the original staircase of the house and has the original floors in the great room. Downstairs there are two one-bedroom units: both are entered from the back of the property and one has an accessible entry. The two units share a front porch, have laundry rooms with a combination washer-dryer, beautiful wood floors, and new kitchens and baths. One of them includes a bay window in the great room and both are designed to make efficient use of the space.
Since Stephens is a consultant in the field of renewable energy project development, he installed energy efficient appliances, windows and insulation and used heat pumps to supply both heat and air-conditioning.
The kitchen at the renovated apartment is filled with energy-effienced appliances.
Stephens also worked with the village community and chose local contractors whenever possible. The septic system was designed so that the owners of McFeeter’s Store, located next door, will also have septic access. This will allow them to restore the upstairs to a usable apartment. During the project Stephens met many neighbors and joined the East Hardwick Fire District as a trustee. He commented that the village is “a very neighborly community.”
Ezra Stark of Stark Construction, the builder on the project, resides on Stannard Mountain Road and has been working in construction in the area for the last six to seven years. He said, “It was just really a pleasure to work on a historic building. It’s something I don’t get to do very often. It was gratifying to see a shining star put back into East Hardwick.”
