104 South Water Street

Some houses are renovated. This one was reconsidered from the ground up. At 150 years old, this Vergennes home has the character you hope an old house kept, paired with the infrastructure you hope someone else already handled. Intentional, pragmatic, beautifully crafted. Nothing feels excessive. Everything feels considered. The kitchen is made for actual cooking: Fisher & Paykel appliances, dishwasher drawers, stainless plate countertop, generous storage, and awning windows opening to the front porch. From here, the house flows into the dining room and two living spaces, one anchored by a wood stove. Pine and hardwood floors, plaster walls, historic trim, and windows handcrafted by the homeowner give the rooms a texture that can't be manufactured. The mudroom earns its keep with laundry, closets, peg rails, and south-facing windows. Beyond it: deck, gravel patio, and 2.5 acres wrapped by Otter Creek and a small stream. There are gardens, berries, locust and maple trees, a pétanque court, swings, lawn, and a garden shed. Upstairs are three bedrooms and two baths, one with a tub and another with a walk-in rain shower, finished with Duravit, Hansgrohe, and California Faucets fixtures. Behind the beauty is serious work: new electrical and plumbing, city sewer connection, HRV, insulation, rebuilt foundation, radiant heat, chimney work, Western Hemlock siding, and extensive structural improvements. And you're in town. Bixby Library, Main Street, the city pool, and ice rink are about half a mile away. Lake Champlain, Middlebury, Charlotte, and Bristol are roughly 15 to 20 minutes by car. Historic without being precious, refined without being showy, and deeply connected to its landscape. A house meant to feel good for a very long time.