A New Chapter for the Hadley House

By repositioning a mid-19th-century home on its lot and renovating the interior spaces, a spectacular modern home emerges.

The venerable house on Main Street in Wenham, Massachusetts, wasn’t finished telling its story. That’s what developer Jeff Novack believed when he purchased the property in 2021 and assembled a crackerjack team to restore the historic structure sited on nearly four acres of land.

Originally built in the mid-19th century, the Second Empire building was in poor condition. The landmark home, familiarly known as “Hadley House,” is named after Frank Hadley, who left the property to his daughter, Phoebe Hadley, who then lived in the home with her husband, Dr. John Robinson, a Civil War surgeon. When Novack acquired it, the house sat perpendicular to the road so the front door faced the neighbors; a side wall was only a couple dozen feet from the busy thoroughfare. Though it flaunted elements of historical importance, like a regal mansard roof, the home clearly needed some serious TLC.

That’s where the teams at Novack Properties, SeaGlass Architects, and Jackson’s General Carpentry came in, together setting out to reimagine the home for the 21st century. After consulting historical documents and photos, the property was meticulously redesigned to capture its historic personality outside but with interior spaces suited to today’s lifestyle.

After discovering an old map showing the home’s long axis facing the street and set back from the road, the decision was made to relocate the home on the property, raising the home off its original foundation to accomplish it. The house was lifted, turned 90 degrees to face the street, and situated on a new concrete foundation set back 40 feet on the property. Not only did the move stabilize the building, but it also brought about a more harmonious relationship between it and the land.

For Eric Gjerde of SeaGlass Architects, one goal was to reclaim the authentic exterior detailing. Craftspeople were able to replicate the detail of the clapboard siding just as it was in the past. A new covered porch, based on a design uncovered in a historical document, features Victorian Folk gingerbread detailing, period-appropriate corbels, and a frieze. Adding these decorative details to the facade of the carriage house required approval from the Wenham Historic District Commission.