From The Archives

History comes to life at Hollow Brook Farm, where a circa 1806 main house is sited on over 16 acres. As the farm’s appealing centerpiece, the main house includes vintage details such as wide plank knotty pine flooring, a walk-in stone fireplace, many original deep-set windows and hand hewn ceiling beams. The property consists mainly of mostly open and level pasture land as well as some woodlands and wetlands, making it an ideal equestrian farm. Several barns and outbuildings—including a three-car garage/carriage house with two-bedroom apartment above-- dot the acreage. Major improvements have been made to the farm over the years. The home’s clapboard exterior was recently re-sided, and the stucco was restored to its former glory. Front and back porches invite relaxation, with their sweeping views of the distant countryside. Picturesque scenery such as two ponds, a running stream, wood fencing, towering evergreens and rolling vistas add to the peaceful serenity of Hollow Brook Farm. One of the home’s most authentic Early American spaces is the “keeping room,” which is presently used as a dining room. This spacious room is detailed with original knotty pine wide board flooring, original windows and beams, a stone walk-in fireplace with stone hearth and wood mantle, and built-in bookcases and cupboards. Two built-in hutches accent the living room, where decorative ceiling beams, crown moldings and a double door entry are other noteworthy details. Dual sets of sliding French doors lead to an outdoor flagstone patio in the slate-floored sunroom. A center hallway connects the living and keeping rooms to the country kitchen. Here, oak flooring and cabinets, a partial butcher block counter and breakfast bar, stainless steel appliances and skylight blend together beautifully. Nearby is a pine-floored laundry room, a full bath, and service entrance. The main floor also includes a downstairs bedroom and an office. On the second floor, a spacious master bedroom has a full bath. Two more bedrooms on this level share another full bath. The separate carriage house is designed with a three-car garage and work area including a laundry room, work shop and storage/utility room on its first floor. Above is a two bedroom, two bath apartment with a full kitchen and living room. A three-stall barn offers a feed room and loft, and a run-in barn has cabinets and a saddle rack area.

A sheep shed and a garden shed complete the outbuildings on this farmland-assessed property, which also provides three fenced paddocks. While this home has numerous prized details from another era, many of the mechanical systems are decidedly 21st century. Central air conditioning, a security system with motion detectors and select wired doors, a water neutralizer, electrostatic air filter and humidifier all add to the comfort and enjoyment of this historic home.

The natural splendor of Tewksbury’s prized rolling hills offers serene beauty that has been undiminished by the passing centuries. This bucolic atmosphere is surprisingly close to a network of highways and interstates leading to Manhattan, Philadelphia or many of the area’s business campuses.