SANDERS HOUSE

Originally built in 1860, the home's owner, Sam Sanders, used a catalog or pattern kit to construct his house. "It's much like the Sears catalog houses of today," explained principal-in-charge Jeff Johnston. "Back in 1860, there were a few millwork companies in the Northeast selling these home kits. You would buy the lumber; they would have the pieces stenciled, give you simple instructions, and ship it to you in rough lengths of wood. It would be up to you, the owner, to build the foundation for it and put the pieces together." While working on the property, our design team noted letters and numbers on pieces of the home’s framework. And, of course, one with Sanders’ name that could have been either his signature or a receipt noting this was the package for Samuel Sanders. 

To maintain the integrity of the home, we worked diligently to retain as many of the original features as possible while reimagining it into a community gathering place for neighborhood residents.