PROPERTY PROFILE
A New Historic House in the Old Historic District
Craig Hawkins Jim Houghton The Maury People $4,265,000
Judith Chase Lane is a quaint and narrow way in the Old Historic District, a short walk from Main Street, between Fair and Pine Streets. It is so quiet and seldom-used that one could lie down in the middle of Judith Chase Lane and take a nap with little fear that one would be awoken and asked to move by a motorist. This is due to the rather circuitous way a car must approach Judith Chase Lane - from the rough cobbles of Main Street, to Pine Street and then down narrow Judith Chase Lane. Suffice it to say that this definitely is not a well-worn thoroughfare.

Imagine yourself entering through the front door of the home at One Judith Chase Lane to a grand foyer with views through to the back of the house. To your left is a sunny front parlor with a dramatic, richly stained, raised-panel wall with a period fireplace. The hearth itself features an intricate example of the scrimshander's art applied to the bricks above the fireplace opening. Back in the foyer, to your right is a dramatic staircase with a large, impressive hand-carved and turned newel post made from ancient stock.

At this point in the tour you will likely pause and privately marvel at the painstaking detail in, what you have assumed, is a careful, historic restoration of a centuries-old home. In fact, the house is all new, from its poured concrete foundations to the mahogany decking on the roof walk, although it features many of the elements one would find in an historic Nantucket home: wide pine floors attached with countersunk square iron nails, with some boards as wide as 22 inches; delicate scroll work decorating the stair ends on both the front and back stairways; period-style brickwork and an inset hearth on the two fireplaces; raised wood panel details in the front parlor and library and a delicate bead-detail on the window and door trim. The funky angles and varying sized windows suggest a home that has been built, redesigned and rebuilt to suit the prevailing lifestyles as eras come and go.

Then, after close inspection, you see that the house also features the modern conveniences that many of us simply cannot live without these days: four zones of HVAC control; a full basement ready for many uses, including conversion to a multi-media home theater; alarm system; recessed lighting; modern appliances; lawn irrigation and, two off-street parking spaces.

From the foyer, you walk straight back past the formal dining room on the right to the library on the left. Here you'll find well crafted, built-in shelves and plenty of natural light in the afternoon by which to read. Between the library and the front parlor is a hidden mahogany wet bar which is ideally situated for entertaining.

A few more steps toward the back of the home and you find yourself in what will be your family's favorite gathering place - a large, open space featuring a sitting area, an informal dining alcove and an expertly appointed kitchen. The kitchen is separated from the rest of the space by a long, thin island below and a bank of china cabinets above; the pass-through space in between is left open so that the cook need not feel isolated from family and guests. The kitchen's sink is set into the center of the island which is topped by a single, long, thick slab of figured white marble, finished with a decorative, ogee edge. The back-splash above the six-burner, stainless steel range, as well as the countertops which flank it, are made of the same fine marble.

The tour continues up the rear stairway to the master bedroom suite. The master bedroom itself is a lofty, airy space with a cathedral ceiling and exposed collar ties. The suite includes two. well-designed walk-in closets, as well as a master bath which features a claw-footed tub, a glassed-in shower and dual sinks separated by a marble make-up vanity.

The second floor also features two additional bedrooms, each with its own bath. And on the third floor, you'll find two more bedrooms sharing a full bath. From one of these rooms, you can climb the ship's ladder to the home's roof deck and take in views of the harbor and three of the nearby church steeples.

This amazing, historically-sensitive, 5-bedroom, 4-bath luxury home, on the quietest of streets, just steps from the shops and restaurants

of Main Street, is offered at $4,265,000. I