From saltbox to mansion in Westport

WESTPORT — The house at 33 Meeker Road once measured roughly 1,000 square feet. Built in 1790, according to town records, the saltbox Colonial was probably home to about six people, who no doubt got quite cozy in the small space.

They would have much more room today.

The Meeker Road house has been restored and expanded, and the modest original saltbox has been woven into a luxurious mansion that now totals 7,650 square feet, with six bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, six fireplaces and more than 2.5 acres of sprawling property.

It was renovated in 2015, and is listed at $2,992,000.

Its total transformation, from small antique to a lavish show home — now known as Union House — is something of a triumph, said listing agent Mar Jennings.

“In a world where we tear things down and forget the past, this is embracing it,” he said.

Having said that, just pieces of the original salt-box remain. Much what’s left of the old home is now a sitting room in the refurbished house. Jennings said the walls of the room are original, as is the room’s fireplace, and the exposed beams in the room. Other elements of the original structure have been reused in creative ways, he said. For instance, the paneling in the sitting room is made from wood from the original house.

There is also a 525-square-foot all-season bungalow, authorized for residency, which Jennings said was part of the old property.

These bits of the old salt-box, Jennings said, connect the past to the future. The future — or, at least, a very well-appointed present —can be glimpsed everywhere at 33 Meeker Road.

There is a large, modern, eat-in kitchen with a large island, marble countertops and other amenities. “This a real cook’s kitchen,” Jennings said.

There is a full finished basement and a walk-up attic, both of which have full bathrooms. There are high ceilings (12 feet high, in some places), lots of natural light, spacious rooms and everything else one might expect from a new, luxury home.

But the house’s antique roots are part of what sets it apart from many of the other high-end new homes in town, Jennings said.

“When people think of new construction, they think ‘cold,’ ” he said. “They think ‘50 Shades of Grey.’ ”

The Meeker Road house isn’t that at all, he said. It may be large, but there is also a sense of intimacy and a real connection to the region’s bygone days.

“This is casual luxury,” Jennings said.

Do you know of a house or apartment building with an interesting story? Contact acuda@ctpost.com.