Issues → May/June 2008 → Home & Garden →

House for Sale: East Haddam, Connecticut

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The fairly small but modern kitchen is at one end of this room, and a door next to it opens to the dining room, also with original ceiling beams. The living room, past the original entrance hallway, features another fireplace and, over it, a three-foot patch where Jim and Heather recently -- and very carefully -- peeled back the contemporary wallpaper to reveal a section of a beautiful, hand-painted mural, depicting weeping willows, large leaves, and even what appears to be a pheasant. It could be the work of the famous itinerant painter Moses Eaton Jr. (1796 -- 1886), Jim said, and if so, would have considerable value. He and Heather stopped peeling at the point they did for fear of causing damage. New owners, we'd guess, might hire a professional to reveal the rest.

After climbing the wooden stairs off the entry hall to the second floor, we understood why Jim and Heather said this was a house particularly suited for having guests. Not only do the three bedrooms up there have individual electric thermostats, but, more important, each also has its own bathroom (plus there's a powder room on the main level, too). It seems that a previous owner, industrialist Vivien Kellems (1896 -- 1975), who became famous for fighting the IRS all her life, raised the second-floor roof, installed the bathrooms, and divided what had been known as the "panic room" -- the place where people hid from Indians -- into the current three bedrooms. (She also added the 1970 wing.) "Perhaps she was thinking of making the house into a B&B," Jim speculated.

At that point we decided not to inspect the attic -- or the cellar, for that matter -- but instead to go outside and walk along the edge of the fields to the woods at the far end and then over to the water. We wanted to see that pond up close, so that's exactly what we did, and we were surprised at the size. It's bigger than it seemed when viewed from the house, and might be a great source of drinking water for horses (that is, if you had horses).

Meandering back across the fields to say our goodbyes to Jim, who was raking leaves off the terrace, and Heather, relaxing in a comfortable chair nearby, we thought to ourselves that, yes, at that price this Connecticut horse farm was a pretty fair bargain -- and, you know, well worth getting lost for.

Even without horses.

For details: Contact Jim McGroarty at: 860-873-8557 or 914-715-0899 (cell); a1740house@yahoo.com

The GOODSPEED OPERA HOUSE opened April 11 this year with the musical "Happy Days," which runs through June 29. Ticket prices: $26 -- $68. 6 Main St. (Rte. 82), East Haddam, CT. For schedules and information, contact: 860-873-8668; goodspeed.org