Housing
This section of the BDN aims to help readers understand Maine’s housing crisis, the volatile real estate market and the public policy behind them. Read more Housing coverage here.
This East Machias home holding one-of-a-kind murals was built 30 years before Maine became a state.
Nestled on three acres off Jacksonville Road, this 3-bedroom, 1-bathroom cape-style home is for sale for $279,000. It was built in 1790 and served as the East Machias Country Club in the 1800s, according to Peter Larlham, the seller.
Larlham and his wife, Suzanne, bought the 1,700-square-foot home roughly four years ago before seeing the property in-person. The couple spend most of their time in Rhode Island and use the house as their summer getaway, but it can be lived in year-round.
The couple is interested in post-and-beam homes, which drew their attention to the property. When they learned another buyer was interested in the property, they decided to put in an offer on it sight unseen, he said.
“We eventually came up and realized it was everything we wanted,” Larlham said.
The couple spent the last few years making small repairs to the property each summer, but none diminished the home’s history. It has wide floorboards and two wood-burning fireplaces, as well as two staircases that lead to separate bedrooms on the second floor and french doors that open onto a large back porch.
While the family still loves the house, Larlham said they decided to sell it because of how far away it is from their primary residence.
“The house has been wonderful, but we’re both 76 and at a point where we don’t want to drive 7½ [hours] multiple times a year,” Larlham said. “I’m also an artist and looking for a gallery in Maine to exhibit my work that’s a little closer to home, maybe in the Portland area or Freeport or Wells.
The home has been listed a few times in recent years with varying asking prices — some as high as $310,000. It hit the market again earlier this month for $279,000. That’s significantly higher than the median value of a home in East Machias, which Zillow placed just above $200,000 as of last month.
Larlham uses the house as a studio while there, but the previous owner painted the murals that decorate many walls in the home, he said. The paintings, which depict trees, rolling coastal fields and villages, are done in the style of Rufus Porter, an artist and inventor from Bridgton.
The home is a roughly 15-minute drive from downtown Machias and Jaspar Beach, or 20 minutes from Rogue Bluffs State Park, but the property itself is quiet, Larlham said.
“It’s got a lot of potential for anyone who wants to invest some money in it, or just keep it just the way it is,” Larlham said.