MENDON — Prospective home buyers in the Blackstone Valley have a rare opportunity to own a national landmark, as one of the region’s most historic homes has hit the market.
The unique home, at 111 Providence St. in Mendon, has been listed for $1,999,900 by Lee Cohen, of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Evolution Properties. It contains five bedrooms, three full baths and two half baths over 6,100 square feet.
Built in 1824, the Greek Revival-style home was originally owned by Nathan Aldrich, a Quaker and descendant of George Aldrich, one of Mendon’s founding fathers. The home is architecturally unique to the region due to its granite exterior, crafted by Quaker stonemasons using granite from local quarries. The granite was formed into what are called dressed blocks.
“They say there’s not many houses like this, made of stone because it’s typically Quaker-style,” Cohen said. “That’s why when he came here he said he wanted to build the biggest stone house in the area in Worcester County.”
Once part of a 170-acre dairy farm, the property was operated by Aldrich and his family until his death in 1866. The home then passed through various family members before being purchased in 1891 by Catherine Regina Seabury, who used the property as a retreat for the Women’s Mutual Improvement Society. She named the property Resthaven, inspired by the serene, comforting presence of the stone house.
Property is listed as a national landmark
For 10 summers, Seabury welcomed female factory workers to Resthaven, offering them refuge and providing an attic bedroom that remained intact until the property’s most recent owners renovated the space. Seabury’s nephews also built a chapel in 1889, using rocks gathered from the property. The chapel remains on the property to this day, but is in need of full renovation, Cohen said.
After her work at St. Agnes’ School in Albany, New York, Seabury opened a school at Resthaven in 1912. She taught young girls a range of academic subjects, along with Bible study, Swedish gymnastics, singing lessons and other recreational activities. The school closed in 1918 during World War I and never reopened.
In 1940, the property was purchased by Dr. Joseph Ashkins, a prominent local surgeon, who restored the property into a single-family home where his family lived for several decades.
Because of its extensive history, the property has been deemed a national landmark. But because it’s not a statewide landmark, owners do not need permission to make changes to the property, Cohen said.
Current owners completed extensive renovations
The sellers have owned the home since 2008, and have done extensive renovations to update it to modern standards. Improvements include a new roof, siding, upgraded fixtures, bathroom renovations and new flooring. They also removed the original dormitory-style beds in the attic from Seabury’s era, converting the 1,400 square feet into a gym and office.
The chapel was also subject to a partial renovation after its structure was found to be near collapse.
Today, the home sits on 4.9 acres and features an in-ground pool, a carriage-house shed and a running brook at the back of the property.
“In the summer, when the brook’s running high, kids and adults can go and refresh down there,” Cohen said. “It’s a great place for kids to go down and explore.”
Cohen said the home was listed in July but has not yet found the right buyer.
“It just takes a unique buyer who wants an antique home of this size,” she said.
