Country living farm house

Description

After years of thoughtful design, meticulous craftsmanship, and a deep respect for its history, this 206-year-old farmhouse blends modern comfort with timeless character on a peaceful country property overlooking the Brooktondale landscape in Brooktondale. Expansive views, a spacious backyard, and generous outdoor living areas create an ideal setting for relaxation and entertaining. The expansive deck offers comfortable seating and a gas grill, overlooking a thriving native pollinator garden that provides seasonal color throughout the year and is professionally maintained. A large ceramic planter is filled with culinary herbs available for guest use. The kitchen is designed for both everyday living and serious cooking, featuring a highly functional layout and a full complement of carefully selected appliances suitable for everything from simple meals to more elaborate preparation. Year-round comfort is provided by energy-efficient air-source heat pumps offering heating and cooling. All three bedrooms receive a continuous supply of fresh, filtered outdoor air, creating a bright and healthy indoor environment. The primary bedroom includes a private bathroom and a balcony with views over the rolling hills and valleys of Brooktondale. Two additional bedrooms share a full bathroom with a tub and shower, while a first-floor three-quarter bathroom includes a walk-in shower. Throughout the home, original doors, windows, trim, wide-plank flooring, and period hardware have been preserved, maintaining a strong connection to its historic character. The home is fully furnished and includes high-speed internet and television, electricity, natural gas for the kitchen range, ADT security and fire monitoring, professional lawn care, snow removal, recycling service, garbage pick up and bi-weekly professional cleaning. Storage and use of the adjacent barn and garage are also available. Located within the Ithaca City School District, the property is approximately seven minutes from downtown Ithaca and five minutes from Cornell University, offering convenient access to dining, shopping, cultural attractions, and outdoor recreation. During the renovation, we uncovered an extraordinary piece of the home's past—a beautifully handwritten diary hidden within the walls. Written with elegant pen and ink, the journal offered a vivid glimpse into everyday life more than a century ago. Each day before class, one of my students would read the diary entry written on that same calendar date exactly 103 years earlier. Hearing the thoughts and experiences of someone who had lived in this very home on that same day, more than a century before, created an unforgettable connection between past and present. It was both fascinating and haunting, and often gave us chills. Throughout the restoration, preserving the home's original craftsmanship remained a guiding principle. Original doors, hardware, trim, and flooring were carefully restored whenever possible. The collaboration between generations—the families who once called this farmhouse home, my students who helped imagine its future, and the craftsmanship that brought it all together—transformed this project into much more than a renovation. It became an extraordinary educational experience and a meaningful tribute to the enduring history of this remarkable home.