Progress with Preservation - Shannan Haupt
Ashley Evans
"Ambition for the home: Progress with preservation without ruthless destruction and disregard for impossible to replace has been the carrying theme for Shannan and Drew Haupt’s home since 1969, but the home’s story starts long before the 1900s. The home’s original rooms date back to the 1740s, with additions coming over the past 250 years.
As the couple have made this house their home that have been acutely aware of the responsibility to make changes with respect to the history, after all they will be just a chapter in a home that is nearly one hundred years older than the nation they reside in.
Shannan and Drew both grew up in North Carolina, were high school sweethearts and both grew up admiring the early settlements in their hometown. When the couple moved to New Jersey a decade ago they knew they wanted to have an old home. Settling into this old home fulfilled a lifelong dream of living in a historic house. The stories of the past captivated them.
“My favorite pastime is antiquing and thrifting for pieces that are unique and speak to my soul. Old things have better stories to tell and have my whole heart.” As the couple spent weekends browsing antique stores and pickup up finds they used it as an opportunity to explore New Jersey. On one trip, as they passed a rural community, surrounded by horse farms, and in many ways reminding them of North Carolina, they stumbled across the house they now call home. “I remember when we first visited this house it took my breath away. Walking through each room pulled you in more than the previous and each original feature stole a piece of my heart that day.”
“I love the 250 year old original wide plank yellow pine flooring still throughout the main body of the home, the exposed beams and floor boards above display the primitive structure as it has settled and contoured over the centuries, and the three fireplaces are just a few of my favorite features in this home.” The home is very primitive in its construction, nothing level, humble in its origins. Although there were some unfavorable modern updates made to some areas in the home, the major projects were done, the couple is slowly un-renovating the modern updates that were done in the kitchen, laundry, and bathrooms during a renovation flip and adding in more period appropriate fixtures.
“We have restored a few original warming cupboards that were almost lost to time hidden behind the walls from modern updates and drywalled over. I researched and found some old online listings with photos, that I can no longer find online, where I saw a tiny hint of a cupboard door ajar in the main bedroom next to the fireplace. I wondered if it could still be there and had to find out. The other original cupboard was pictured in the main living room. Giving those original cupboards back to the home has been one of our favorite restoration projects. Gaining back some irreplaceable history as well as restoring much needed storage space and charm back to the home.”
“Although there is much left to do and dream for this home it has already been so rewarding our time spent in this house. With each change trying to give the house back some things that were lost over the years using our combined skill sets, resources, vision, and time. Living among the history & untold stories, restoring old features to be enjoyed again, and creating new stories daily...has been one of the greatest joys that we experience daily in our historic home away from home."
