Tessa Carla Blog's: ‘Whimsical, but Elegant’: Victorian Home in Maine Belongs in a Storybook

Thursday, 11 March 2021

‘Whimsical, but Elegant’: Victorian Home in Maine Belongs in a Storybook

An adorable Victorian home with tons of history is searching for a new owner to swoon over it. Located about 45 miles north of Portland, ME, the home is on the market for $399,000.

Built in 1876, the charming home on Lee Street, in the waterfront town of Wiscasset, ME, was part of a love story.

The current owner and her late husband owned the home for at least 27 years and operated it as a bed-and-breakfast known as “High Note.”

“They lived a very romantic life there,” says the listing agent, Anna Charlotte.

He grew grapes and was an opera singer. She was a seamstress with a lot of hobbies. Together, they operated the inn, until he died unexpectedly.

Exterior of home in Wiscasset, ME
Greg Warren

The home has either three or four bedrooms, depending on how it’s configured. No matter how many bedrooms it holds, it spans 3,700 square feet with a three-story tower, just like the home of one of the listing agent’s favorite fictional characters.

“The minute I walked into this house, I thought, ‘Oh my, if Pippi had been American, she would have lived in Maine at 26 Lee Street,’” says Charlotte. “This house is like the bigger version of Pippi Longstocking’s house in Sweden. It’s just very whimsical, but elegant at the same time.”

The house is filled with pops of bold color throughout, with fireplaces as the focal point in many rooms. It could use a bit of cosmetic work and perhaps a revamp of the kitchen as well.

Charlotte says that what was once the original kitchen now serves as a small parlor.

The current kitchen was added as part of a 1980s remodel and doesn’t quite jibe with the vibe of the home.

“It’s not true to the style,” she says. “It’s ’80s windows, ’80s cabinets, and it’s a galley kitchen.”

The bedrooms are large and share a bathroom with a quirky sunken tub. The tub sits level with the floor and looks as if it could be very difficult to get in and out of.

“There was a tall man that lived in the house. If you look at it, you will see that the staircase goes up, so he kept hitting his head on the attic staircase, and that’s why he sunk it down,” Charlotte explains with a laugh. “I haven’t gotten out of it, but certainly wouldn’t want to get in it.”

The main house connects to a carriage house with a studio apartment above it. It’s where the current owners lived while they kept the main house as an inn.

The home sits on 2 acres, and the distinctive turret provides a perfect place to read and take in the views. There’s also a shed, which Charlotte says could house horses or chickens.

In just a short time on the market, the home has already received several offers, but the owner has not accepted one as of yet.

Charlotte believes that whoever buys it will probably turn it into a private residence again.

“You can feel the history in it without a doubt,” she says.