FLORIDA — Buying a historic home, like one listed for sale in Florida, offers a chance to own a piece of history and embrace the stories of generations of people who have lived in what are often beautifully crafted homes.
Value isn’t just measured by the sale price, though. Homes that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and similar state registries have cultural, environmental, social, educational, aesthetic and historical values.
An analysis of such properties by the Place Economics, a Washington, D.C., real estate firm that specializes in the analysis of the impact of historic preservation, concluded after studying such properties in multiple states that, in most cases, historic property values appreciate significantly faster than the market as a whole.
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In other cases, they appreciate at rates equivalent to the market in the worst case.
“Simply put,” the analysis said, “local historic districts enhance property values.”
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Such homes, especially those that are centuries old, can come with a costly list of repairs and maintenance. And when properties are listed on state and national historic registers, owners often face limitations on what they can do.
This week in How Much House, we feature historic properties in Florida, Connecticut and New Jersey.
Florida | $1,070,000
58 Saragossa St., St. Augustine
Listed by: Kate Mitchell | Century 21 Saltwater Property Group
Square feet: 2,536
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 3 (2 full)
Year built: 1918
This historic treasure that has witnessed countless baptisms, weddings and funerals has been transformed into a single-family residence that retains its distinctive ceilings, pointed windows and flat steeple.
Once St. Augustine’s Memorial Lutheran Church, it was built between 1918 and 1930 and divided into two distinct areas: the church and the annex. The latter, a concrete block suite, feels like an urban pied-à-terre with a courtyard and beautifully-designed landscaping.
The great room boasts soaring cathedral ceilings, original woodwork and gracefully aged hardwood floors. The loft bedroom, once the gallery housing church bells and music, maintains its original structure.
The property was updated in 2022 with a new metal roof, upgraded plumbing and electric, and other improvements. Zoned for nightly rentals, the house is nestled immediately west of the St. Augustine National Historic Landmark District. Peek inside for more photos.
Connecticut | $509,900
58 Bellevue Place, New London
Listed by: Stephen Girouard | Shutters & Sails, LLC
Square feet: 2,926
Acreage: 0.19 acre
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 2 (both full)
Year built: 1902
This unique Queen Ann Spanish Victorian Revival home has had a string of notable residents, from the architect Dudley St. Clair Donnelly, who bought the land where it sits in 1897 and finished building it in 1902.
In 1909, the home changed hands. Dr. Edward H. Angle, “the father of American orthodontics,” bought the home in 1909. He so admired it that when he moved to California in 1916, he asked Dudley to build him a similar home on a street with the same name in California.
Dudley designed multiple buildings in New London County, including the Tyler House at Eastern Point Beach, Groton Library, Groton Congregational Church, and the original New London Ship and Engine Co.
This home features many of the elements on which Dudley built his reputation — a covered wraparound porch, unique trim, original brick columns with stucco and a granite foundation throughout. The home retains original fireplaces, gorgeous stained-glass windows and other details.
The original high-ceiling basement has the potential to be finished like any other space in the house, and is already plumbed and zoned for a full bathroom and shower. Peek inside for more photos.
New Jersey | $695,000
3097 Route 9, Seaville
Listed by: Burton Wilkins | Goldcoast Sotheby’s International Realty
Square feet: (Unavailable)
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 3 (2 full)
Year built: 1695
The 17th century Reeves-Iszard-Godfrey House is thought to be one of the oldest and most important homes in the country and is listed on both state and national historic registers. The original home was built in 1695 and expanded in 1800, and moved to the current location in 1962.
The restoration overseen by the Albrecht blend historic elements with modern conveniences using materials that match the period of the home. The huge summer beams, decorative gunstock posts and wide plank wood floors add character to the home.
The first floor features a large eat-in kitchen with brick flooring and a counter island with a range and range hood. It opens to a covered rear porch that includes a half bath, laundry area and utility room. Also on the first floor, located in the original part of the house built in 1695, are a dining room with a huge brick cooking fireplace and a spacious living room that also has a fireplace.
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An addition around 1800 expanded the first and second floors of the home to include a combination den, library and sitting room with a spiral staircase leading to the second-floor primary suite with a full bath, double vanity and tub and shower.
The main stairway from the dining room leads to an additional pair of bedrooms and sitting room, that share a second full bath with a tub and shower.
The main house is heated with oil hot water baseboard heat and has central air conditioning. Just across the driveway from the house is a newer large two-story barn and a three-bay garage with a storage area and utility room that houses the heating system and well pump for the main house. The second floor houses an expansive workshop.
A small, 18th century one-room cottage with a brick fireplace and second-floor bedroom is also included in the sale. It was dismantled at its previous location and reconstructed at the current site for use when the Albecht family operated a Christmas tree farm.
The entire property can be used as a vacation home, rental property or year-round residence. Peek inside for more photos.
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