FOR SALE – The Israel Demeritt House is a two-story, center-chimney, timber-frame dwelling, 40’ x 32’ with attached cape ell, 40’ x 21’. NH state historian, Jim Garvin, reports that it “is the best example so far identified in Durham of a two-story, center chimney house in the federal style.” Out of seven original fireplaces, three are incorporated within fully-joined raised panel walls. The remaining four mantels showcase the craftsmanship of Nathaniel Demeritt, the original builder, with reeded moldings derived from Asher Benjamin‘s A Country Builder’s Assistant (Demeritt’s own copy is housed at the New Hampshire Historical Society). Original crown moldings, chair-rail and casing are unique and have been preserved in nearly every room. The house also retains all original sash and corresponding pocket shutters. There are six bedrooms and room for two full bathrooms. The summer kitchen, 20’x 23’, is large enough to accommodate modern amenities with minimal retrofit of historic features. The house is dismantled, documented and preserved in its entirety.

Read our series, “The O’Kane Notebook,” on dismantling the building and the craftsmanship revealed in the process. Read James Garvin’s report on the history of the building and its residents.  His application for National Register status reads like some of the best narrative non-fiction. Review some basic elevations and tagging drawings.

All house and ell parts are tagged, labeled, and mapped in four trailers. This includes all house parts, granite capstones, chimney and hearth brick. This also includes extensive documentation on house and ell, all photographs, and all tagging and layout drawings. This does not include delivery due to the variability of location (transportation details discussed below). Because we hope that the house will go to a client who can appreciate its historic value, we are selling the materials of the building, the artifacts themselves and their associated documentation, at cost. We are eager to work with a client who cares about preservation. We documented the dismantling process so the building could be resurrected by other builders, but if the new location is within our range, we would be thrilled to rebuild.

Along with the house and ell parts, we are selling a carriage house frame that was dismantled on the property. The only remaining original pieces of the carriage house are its timber frame. This includes all carriage house parts, tagged and labeled, as well as all documentation, photographs, and tagging and layout drawings.

Transport of all materials would be the cost of four flatbed trailers for the frame materials, flooring, front stairs, slate, granite and brick and 1 box trailer for the trim, windows and doors. We recommend that the box trailer with the trim, doors and windows be sent to the Olde Bostonian for repair before continuing on to its final destination. The Olde Bostonian would strip all trim and strip, repair, prime, and re-glaze all windows. Their estimate is included in ours, below.

The price for Preservation Timber Framing to rebuild the house and ell, with a concrete foundation capped with granite, a slate roof and one chimney, is available upon request. Please contact Emilee Bolduc,  (207) 698 1695.

Peruse all of John Butler’s stunning photos of each interior and exterior wall, with trim carefully itemized and outlined, below:

As of September 2021, this building is still for sale. Please contact Emilee with any questions.