Emily and I bought Hawthorn, also known as the Claude Rains House in June of 2021. It was a combination of feeling cramped with five kids and two adults working from home in a townhouse and pure and utter falling in love with a historic home. Was it a stretch? absolutely. Was it Worth it? Absolutely. Does it sometimes feel like a questionable decision on our part? Absolutely. Would we change anything? Not one little bit.

The history of the house is something we’ll dig into — the oldest deed we can find is from the Sharples family, and it looks like it might have been referred to as the Philip Sharples house in some documentation. The oldest deed we can find says it was part of property given to Nathan Sharples by William Sharples by will in 1812. More to discover. The old newspaper clippings and the ownership in the mid 20th century by Claude Rains adds to the history of the home.

For us though, this is home. It’s a wonderful space, full of charm and wonder. The kids adore running about the floors, making forts in the rooms, exploring the crevices. For Emily and I are enjoying having our own offices and staring out the old windows with smiles. It seems waking up here and seeking to preserve this space is what we were called to do. In the meantime, we’ve enjoyed celebrating the space with our friends, families, neighbors, and town.

Over the coming posts, we’ll likely share a bunch of the history, our trials and tribulations, what we’ve enjoyed, and our questions. There is much left to learn. If you have questions, please ask. We look forward to answering them. In the meantime, welcome to Hawthorn, we’re glad to see you.