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DetailsThe property (2.09 Acres) and buildings (4) at 389 Skyline Ridge Rd were one of the first "Converted Barns" and featured in a 1960's publication. Though built very sturdily in the 1936 and initially converted in the 1950's a lot of subsequent add-ons needed interior and exterior time and attention .
Major renovations in paint, wood and masonry as depicted in the adjoining pages pick up a job started in the late 1990's as we bought the place from the previous family who had allowed it to decline in the early 1990's. It is evident that families in the 1970's and 1980's had done substantial improvements on various parts of the buildings.
The natural inclination of the area facing south yet adjoining 2 rivers marks the very southern tip of Litchfield County. Enjoying warmer winds in the winter and cooler in the summer than what is regularly reported even as close as a few miles away in the center of town. This rare spot is conveniently located to Brookfield, Southbury, New Milford and Roxbury and may well be the most rural and quiet spot in Connecticut within an hour of Manhattan. It goes to a dead end where Shpaug and Like Lilanohah (Housatanic River) meet There are no major roads to the West and South. In it's farming days since the late 1800's it was easy for farmers to loosen their livestock into the peninusla formed by the two rivers and the location of the barn was the picking point for the flocks and used to milk cattle, house equipment and a nursery for the young animals.
There are 4 buildings, the primary building is the main facility about 7,200 square ft of unique experiences and rooms.
The 2nd building is a cottage, recently renovated top to bottom with 2 stories, propane heat, dishwasher, 220 VAC on the shared septic, measuring 13 by 24 ft (624 Sq. Ft.) A small house in it's own right with many custom-designed cubbies and bookshelves.
The third building measures 73 ft by 16 ft, with upgraded 220 VAC service on both ends. The "studio" side is 35 ft by 16 ft (560 Sq Ft) lofted single room, painted with wood stove suitable for a year-round workshop, well lit with lights and windows.
Through the center of the 3rd building is a breezeway through to the back yard with large concrete ramp. To the left side of the building are the tractor garage, "center room", and two enclosed rooms for storage (One of the families bred cats thus one of them is called the "cat" room)
The forth building is simply a potting shed, great for yard equipment with 220 VAC fuses.
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The main building has had a lot done to it inside and out to update, modernize and harden it against the effects of winter. With the bad winter of 2011, a lot of the extra gutter came out. Now with a few strategic pieces the sight drop line for rain and snow means we no longer have the kind of buildup, doing what we like to call "drip free". There is no basement or crawl-way, the structure is built on a slab on solid concrete footings that have been recently patched and sealed.
Some of the major features and points include:
A recently renovated Kitchen with upgraded electrical service, Brazillian Walnut wide board hardwood floors, and real hardwood cabinets and counters. With two sinks, side by side fridge with ice-maker, 2 stoves, dishwasher, garbage drawers. The Brazillian Walnut hardwood floor extends into the adjoining dining room.
Dining Room, A large original style room that can entertain many guests, close adjoining the main kitchen and sporting a pellet stove.
Playroom, another large room with built in shelves and cabinets for games and puzzles as well as a floor to ceiling built-in for CD's and stereo equipment. The room has a lot of original style double paned wooden windows and receives a lot of morning sun.
West End room a large bedroom off to one side with adjoining full bath. It has lots of windows on three exposed sides receiving a lot of light.
Library with floor to ceiling built ins for books, this room has a large wooden bean arch from some previous renovation.
TV room on the lower end of the house has a wood burning stove and an adjoining 2nd kitchen with sink and electrical hookups.
The far end room at the end of the south wing was the original quarters for the human attendants of the building and has it's own entry, bathroom and three closets.
That's the first floor. Also a three car garage, with 2 of the doors on electrical openers. The "main" bathroom with closets and large capacity washer/dryer.
The lovely open slat style stairwell in the dining room goes to a head with two doors that opens up on the cathedral lofted main section upstairs area, that was used as a showroom in the 1960's hence the large panel exterior windows and a aluminum frame window in the center. Words fail to describe it but the whole thing is recently painted sheetrock and a "modern" look.
On one side are two walk through closets with large built-in cabinets and racks to house a lot of clothes, near that is additional doored storage space, there is a three side enclosure for books, 2 bathrooms, one with a whirlpool bath, in new condition a hallway with a map table built in with steel glide roller draws built from Ash tree that had once grown on the property. From there we go to various roomy attics over the west and south wings of the building, chocked full of storage enclosures.
In general the main building has been gone over again and again to upgrade and improve upon the original design. The Herculean effort of the original framers of this farm edifice.. Some of the main building is steel beam supported. We feel our own Herculean effort to modernize and harden this structure staying with it's original style to a point where it is ready to be lived in by you. We can say that plumbing, septic and electric have been worked on and upgraded during our 16 yr tenure. The whole complex is on a 200 Amp service, the main electrical cabinet has been upgraded to include modern components. The plumbing sports a large capacity water filtering system that can be back-washed weekly and provides nice soft drinkable water. The heating is pellet stove, plumbed for 4. 3 downstairs one upstairs, There is a wood burning stove into the fireplace flue of the downstairs TV room. Two fairly new 100,000 BTU air handler oil furnace units, if you want to heat with oil run off a 1,000 gal above ground tank. It has a remote auto-start generator (60 AMP 220 VAC service - Generac) with a fairly new car battery inside to start it.
The main building has a lot of windows. Many are original-style farm-look and recently renovated. Inside the main building most of the windows have stained hardwood clear plastic insulating frames, great for putting up in the winter, they let the light through but the thermal equivalent of a blanket. The soffets around the main building have winter/summer arrangements. The summer arrangement allows for additional venting that helps the central air conditioning in the 2nd floor use less electricty. The house can be put back into "Winter" mode, that is the soffets closed up with hard wood plugs, sized and numbered. The place will come closed up in "Winter Mode" but you can always open it up in the summer if so inclined.
In order to get the most of the building and properties. You have got to feel the desire to utilize it's spaces, which are considerable. The modernized in-law cottage is a great boost to it's value and there is a partially decked 34 ft by 17 ft "The largest Ester Williams Above Ground" Swimming Pool in the back yard with pump and hoses included. It needs a new liner and a couple bags of sand and can be put back into operating status by Nejame for under $1,000. Though appearing close to the road for easy car access, (no long hairpin driveway here) there is a ton of privacy around the sides and back. The property, surrounded by the Maywood estate, is quiet, the neighboring buildings are few and far in-between and mostly unoccupied.
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