York Town News
Preserving the past for the future:
York couple gives an old house a new lease on life
By Jennifer L. Saunders
Bob and Doreen Cutts have a mission for the future: saving one example of York's past. Above, the pair is pictured with the 18th-century Colonial they are in the process of moving from its original foundation to another portion of the land on Route 1 where it was built with an eye toward creating a special new business for residents and visitors alike.
YORK - For well over two centuries, the little house on a small hill has stood overlooking the northward approach of a roadway that would become the busy Route 1 in modern times.
In its early days, this quaint little house served as home to a family - just two rooms and a loft.
In this modern era of building bigger and bigger homes, it is - like the Old York Historical Society's Ramsdell House on Lindsay Road, a rare example of a working family's home from centuries past.
And, thanks to two local residents who can trace their familial ties back to the decades even before the house was built, this little house on Route 1 will be saved for future generations to see.
Bob and Doreen Cutts have purchased the three-acre Route 1 parcel, located just south of Whipoorwill, and the historic home - which dates from the 1700s, according to information gathered by the Old York Historical Society, but was renovated in a style more in keeping with the mid-1800s.
Beginning on Monday, the house began its journey into the 21st century - literally - as it was lifted from its foundation to be moved back from the road to a new foundation. There, it will form the centerpiece of what Bob and Doreen hope will become a special destination for York residents and visitors alike: a retail business or restaurant with a unique link to the past in the form of a restored historic house.
Taking some time on Friday, Bob and Doreen described their decision to purchase the property and save the house. Sitting in their York Cape - designed and built by Bob in the Colonial style, they were filled with enthusiasm for the project.
"It's very exciting," Doreen said.
Bob said he has watched the house from its perch in a field alongside Route 1 while it was up for sale for several years.
"I've always liked it," Bob said, adding with a smile, "I'm partial to Colonials, as you can tell."
R. L. Chase of Wells, a moving company, arrived Monday morning to begin the process. Then, by noon on Tuesday, the house had begun its slide from its original cellar hole to its new foundation. In time, with town approval, Bob said he hopes to add a replica of a New England barn to provide additional space for the shop or shops he would like to see housed at the site.
Both Bob and Doreen envision their project as a place that will become a destination for families: perhaps with paths to a stream that abuts the property, or an outdoor area where children and grandparents can share an ice cream cone or a morning snack on what will recreate the feel and look of a 19th-century farm.
"It has to look like an old Maine farm," Bob said, adding he has received great help from Old York Curator Tom Johnson and from local resident and Old York Research Librarian Ginny Spiller on the history of the Matthews home. "Ideally, what it will look like is a New England farm connected to a commercial use."
And, he pointed out, farms generally had barns and outbuildings, so recreating that look will be an enjoyable and creative process.
One wall of the house and its staircase are among the original features, Bob said, though much of the house was renovated in the mid-1800s. He said his goal is to recreate the home in that era - saving the original items he can, and augmenting them with period pieces such as glass for the windows to match the older glass currently in place.
"I want a place where young families can go," Bob said. "You've got to have places in town where a grandparent can take their grandchildren."
Doreen agreed.
"We want people to take strolls through the property," she said.
In renovating the house, Bob acknowledged that much of the character that residents love about towns like York can be lost due to code requirements - such as the charming turned stairs hidden behind a door leading from the two-room base of the house to what would have been an attic loft used for sleeping. Those details will need to be worked out as the project moves forward, as certain levels of renovation require bringing buildings into modern code standards not always in keeping with the character of the past.
While Bob and Doreen both acknowledged there is much to be done, including the project review process, they are very hopeful and optimistic about the future of the old house.
The house's history dates to the Matthews family - one member of which was a captain in the Revolutionary War.
Most recently, it was owned by the Caswell family.
Once Bob and Doreen have town approval for their project and, hopefully, open a business such as a small café or ice cream shop on the property, they already have the name for it.
"It's definitely going to be called Caswell Farm," Bob said. "Without their help, we wouldn't be able to do it."
Next week, The Independent will take a closer look at the history of the little house that will become Caswell Farm, including a glimpse inside this rare example of a common family home of the 1700s.
