Staging the Daniel Lummus House

There has been much activity going on at the
Daniel Lummus House in the pas t month, hence, not a lot of postings until progress was underway. Two large dumpsters arrived last month at the property to clean-out years of unwanted debris. The house was not ready to show agents since it was difficult to walk inside the house and on the property.

After the clean-out peeps left, I went to carefully inspect the property. To my surprise I found it was still in a state of disarray. I hired a cleaning woman to come in and finalize the cleaning.

Now the listing is almost over two months old and ready to finally be put on the Multiple Listing Service.

I contacted the Ipswich Historical Society and asked for additional information on Daniel Lummus and the genealogy hoping to find out more information on the house and land itself. Not much else to tell, but according to "Ipswich, in the Massachusetts Bay Colony," a godly reference it seems to most geneological ancestors of Ipswich, the original parcel of land included 9 acres. The parcel of land was originally a grant to one of the King of England's Govenors, Mr. Thomas Dudley, Esq.

"Given and granted to Thomas Dudley Esq. in October, 1635," "one parcell of ground containing about nine acres lyeing between Goodman Cross on the West and a lott intended to Mr. Broadstreet on the East. "..."The house-lot was the largest ever granted by the Town and its size alone would identify it with the Dudley lot."

Over the years the land passed from the Hubbard family and then eventually by way of "administrators to Captain Stacy, William Baker and John Staniford to Jonathan Lummus Sen., June 18, 1712. Lummus bequeathed his lands to his son Jonathan by his will, approved Aug. 17, 1728....He bequeathed his sone Daniel a "small piece of land out of my homestead adjoining to his homestead, to make him a convenient way to his barn, and so to extend from the northerly end of his homestead, until it come out to the cross fence as it now stands..."

The barn, although somewhat dilapitated, still stands to this day on the property and serves as an essential footprint for the new owner to rebuild a structure for specific use stated by the Town's zoning and planning boards. When people ask why it was not torn down, it is important to note that if it had been demolished, the Town would not recognize the footprint and therefore could not be grandfathered as such.

Cummings Architects Review...

I am pleased to present a Review of the Daniel Lummus House by Matthew Cummings, Cummings Architects in Ipswich. The following will give a prospective antique lover the quality and details of this period home...particularly those who are looking for a prime opportunity to own and hopefully restore a piece of Ipswich's history. As you may recall in my earlier posting, Daniel Lummus came over on the Hannah and settled on High Street which at the time was the location for many tradesmen during the early 1700's. Daniel Lummus was a cabinet maker and to this day there is significant remaining craftmenship in the home that Lummus built. Read the following:

Cummings Architects llc
87 Central St. Ipswich, MA 01938
Phone/fax (978) 356-5026
mat@cummingsarchitects.com


Date: 1 November 2005

Re: Daniel Lummus/1730-50 House


To whom it may concern,

This assessment is approximate only and is not in any way a detailed description of exact physical conditions and/or the historical background of the structure. A site walk was provided by Mathew Cummings with limited time spent and with no physical documentation taken. All information represented in this assessment requires a more thorough site review in order to confirm its contents and should by no means be used as an official, legally binding evaluation of the property.


Date of site visit: 1 October 2004

Name of Structure: Daniel Lummus House

Date Built: 1730-50, second period

Others who attended: Tim Perkins

History: Not included

* Conditions below are described in relationship to other second period homes of similar dates found within Ipswich. As an example, excellent refers to excellent condition for a historic home of a related age and does not refer to today’s building codes or standards.

Conditions of Structure Main Home

NIL
Deteriorated
Adequate
Good
Excellent
Structure



X

Foundation



X

Exterior Details

X


X
Interior Details


X
X
X
Windows

X

X

Chimney working f.p. ?
unknown




Chimney covered f.p.
unknown





Structure: The structure is reasonably intact. The roof is in excellent shape. The attic and second floor seem to be in good shape although the second floor was not visible. The first floor was in good shape and needed little work compared to most homes of its age in Ipswich.

Foundation: The foundation of the original home is in good condition.

Exterior Details: The exterior details have been repaired and/or replaced sporadically. Those areas that have been worked on have been done with reasonable care within the standards of expectations of most Ipswich residences. Not enough time was spent to verify if any original trims are remaining. It is not uncommon to find original rake trim, window trim or bed molding .

Interior Details: The staircase’s details do not seem original to 1730 but it is still historic. The right second floor has original wall paneling around the existing fireplace dating to 1730 +/- and is historically significant. The lower front room has a hidden fireplace behind a partition wall. Its condition is unknown. Original 1730 doors, trim, and hardware can be used as templates for duplication in other areas.

Windows: Not enough time was spent on these, however the original windows do seem to be in place and their openings and some trim remain.

Chimneys: There are two chimneys with fire places. The brick work that is visible looks in reasonable condition. A closer look with a mason must be done to understand the quality of the remaining brick and the condition of the working fireplaces.

Overall: The base of the main home is in good condition compared to other historic homes of the same age. The interior finishes and layout have been compromised but is not beyond repair. The main home has a very good base for restoration without significant costs to any buyer due to the good condition of the structure itself. The interior layout and the interior trim are also restorable with enough existing remnants of details to use as templates.

Conditions of Structure Right Ell

NIL
Deteriorated
Adequate
Good
Excellent
Structure


X


Foundation
X




Exterior Details


X


Interior Details


X


Windows


X
















Structure: The structure is in generally good condition compared to others of the same age. The first floor framing may be to close to grade or possibly even sitting upon the earth itself which is common and may compromise the floor structure.

Foundation: This seems to be of the rubble type and possibly deteriorating.

Exterior Details: The exterior details are entirely intact but need care.

Interior Details: Original doors and trim are throughout. Low ceilings and juxtaposition rooms are common for this era and are apparent.

Windows: The windows may be original but further review is required.

Overall: This portion of the home is in overall good condition. It may be used for utility areas such as kitchen, mudroom, garage area at front connected to it, etc. Work may need to occur to some extent at the first floor with excavation and foundation work to resolve any first floor issues.


Conditions of Structure Rear Ell

NIL
Deteriorated
Adequate
Good
Excellent
Structure


X


Foundation
X




Exterior Details

X



Interior Details
X

X


Windows

X

















Structure: This structure was not built to be a permanent building. Regardless, the good construction quality provided by its builder(s) has allowed it to last until today. If saved, it requires a thorough review of its structural elements. It is possible that the structure(s) may not be able to be saved.

Foundation: The foundation is sporadic. What does exist does not meet today’s expectations and a new or rebuilt foundation is required.

Exterior Details: The exterior details are sporadic and at times deteriorated. The exterior details for this structure are easy to replace and are generally not costly.

Interior Details: An existing outhouse and bead board was found. Further review may reveal a better story to this structure explaining how the previous owners lived.

Windows: More review is required.

Overall: The footprint of this structure is important to save allowing future work to occur as per zoning. The existing structure may be reused with ingenuity as a shed, outside/ inside space connected to the rear yard with an amazing outcome if well thought out.

Overall thoughts of the entire home and its property:
Cummings Architects has become one of the premier architecture firms sought out for projects exactly of this type. We have worked on many homes on High Street in Ipswich, and have experienced almost all possible conditions for homes of this age. The Daniel Lummus House, overall, is in good condition compared to others requiring restoration. The structure of the main home is in better condition than most prior to restoration and does have some trim and details remaining to use as templates. Two chimneys with fireplaces (verify conditions) still remain. The second floor right front room holds original paneling, possibly built by the original owner, which today is priceless and sought after, and is surely deserving of covenants for preservation. The property is large and misused. Better land use by excavating the immediate earth adjacent to the home will preserve the existing home and provide a wonderful exterior space for family use or any gathering activities. A small garden wall separating this lower exterior space from an upper level yard space would allow for very large open gatherings. The Daniel Lummus House has the possibility to become a jewel piece as a completely restored, significantly historic home. With such a historic home, modern amenities and a large usable property in a desirable community, it could also be a wise long term financial investment.


Mathew D. Cummings AIA
Registered Architect
87 Central Street
Ipswich, Ma

The Daniel Lummus House circa 1730

Trying to get enough factual information to put together a one-page presentation sheet on this property before marketing it...

The National Register of First and Second Period Historic Ipswich Homes cites the Daniel Lummus House as: "2-story, end-gable house, wood frame with clapboards, central chimney. 5 bay symmetrical facade, parallel, gable-roffed facade on east. NR Pg. 57 & 80

In a time when our country was first establishing its independence, Danniel Lummus and his family came over from England on the "Hannah" in the early 1700's. The reference book Ipswich, in the Massachusetts Bay Colony is peppered with several entries regarding Mr. Lummus although nothing terribly relevant to my search. It appears he was a cabinet maker and as one of the first to colonize in Ipswich held his place of employment on High Street at the current location 39-41 High Street, which was then 41 High Street. There is no mention of a fire in these books which was a bit frustrating...I was hoping to get the skinny on why there is a first period wall on the second floor.

Still waiting to meet with the Historical Society to obtain additional information...

Meanwhile, I have strongly recommended to the owner to contract someone to haul out all the debris and remnants of the previous tenant in the 41 side of the residence...this person lived there for about 50 years...

alright...I just went onto salemdeeds.com and check this out:

A certain parcel of land with the Southeasterly part of a dwelling house thereon situate on the Northeasterly side of High Street in said Ipswich and bounded and described as follows, to wit:- Beginning at the Southerly corner thereof on said High Street by land now or formerly of Chester 3. Patch; thence running Northeasterly by said Patch land 144 feet more or less to a corner; thence running Southeasterly by said Patch land 43 feet more or less to a corner; thence running Northeasterly by said Patch land 57 feet to land now or formerly of the Inhabitants of Ipswich; thence running Northwesterly by said Inhabitants of Ipswich land 77 feet 3 inches more or less to a stone; thence running Southwesterly to the back part of said house and through said house, through the center of the chimney and in a straight line through the front hallway and front door to said High Street; and thence running Southeasterly by said High Street 39 feet 6 inches to said Patch land and the point of beginning.Together with the right to use in common with the owners of the Northwesterly part of said house, and their heirs and assigns, the chimney, the front hall and the cellar; also a right of way particularly defined and set forth in mortgage of Charles V. Hills et ux to Ipswich Cooperative Bank dated July 11, 1929, and recorded with Essex South District Registry of Deeds, Book 2813, Page 47.But this conveyance is made, however, subject to the right of the owners of theNorthwesterly half of said house, and their heirs and assigns, to use the rooms on theSoutheasterly side of the boundary line dividing said house as particularly defined and setforth in said mortgage.Subject to encumbrances of record.For my title, see deed from Margarette R. Hills, a/k/a Margaret R. Hills, to Henry F. Hills and Robert D. Hills, dated December 12, 1951, recorded in Essex South Registry of Deeds, Salem, at Book 3865, Page 498.

Okay...this means there was a family feud somewhere down the line and that there are essentially 2 single family homes in one dwelling. This potentially could be great news for developer/owner to convert back to a single family dwelling OR have an accessory apartment on the premises.

Next, need to research the Margaret Hills deed. More tomorrow...

First and Second Period Homes in Ipswich

I am excited about a new listing I picked up because it is one of the oldest homes in Ipswich. The Daniel Lummus House is on High Street and is situated on 2 lots with a single family and an outbuilding that may have been a barn at one time. I had a local architect who is a member of the historical society come to review some of the period details in the house, since some of the walls had been covered over time with plaster. We found some exciting details behind the plaster on the second floor. There appears to be not only 2nd period walls but 1st period walls as well. This meant more research. At the town library I went to the "Bible of First and Second Period Homes" The Massachusetts Bay Colony. I'm reviewing this information now and it potentially could lead me to another house down the street where parts of the John Lummus House (first period) may have been moved to the Daniel Lummus house. This seems to occur frequently on the High Street row due to many fires during that time. The place has been unkept and not cared for for many years...it will be someone special who loves to restore antiques that will take this beauty under their wing.

More later...

Lisa-Marie Cashman-LeGere, REALTOR
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Ipswich, Massachusetts

Does staging matter?

When working with sellers in the initial stages, I often inform them that the first impression when a buyer walks into their home is one of the most important telling features. If the property is unkept and lacking a certain flow where someone is able to envision themselves in the home or even the environment outside the home, then you may have lost a possible sale.

Things to remember when getting ready to put your house on the market:

1. Clean the house of clutter.
2. Take stock of your staging inventory. Note what furniture needs to be rearranged or moved in order to create a sense of flow and openess. If you don't have an eye for it, hire someone who does. The little bit you spend up-front will go a long way at the closing table. You'll get top dollar.
3. Take note of those little fix-it projects you've been meaning to do and get it done prior to going on market. When the home inspection time comes, you'll have less negotiating coming from the buyer which means more money in your pocket at the closing.

Ipswich Still Holds Intrigue

With all the current pundits fortelling the coming of the housing bubble, it is interesting to note that in Ipswich alone sales are holding strong. According to the recent statistics from the MLS "Total Sold Market Statistics" report (Multiple Listing Service), single family homes and condominiums combined in Ipswich are still fetching a 96 % average Sale Price: Listing Price Ratio. The lowest price is $225,000; highest price is $1.26 million; median price is $549,000; and the average price is $581,844. The total market volume from April-October 2005 is $38,401,750.