A piece of American history is up for grabs in Greenlawn, Long Island.
Laura and Robert Dunne are parting ways with their beloved 18th-century home—a frame house built in the 1770s by a soldier who fought under George Washington during the American Revolution.
And after nearly four decades of painstaking restoration, the couple has listed the property for $1.24 million.
“It’s the ultimate antique,” Laura, a retired Chase Bank executive, told the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the historic offering.
The Dunnes bought the 3,000-square-foot, three-bedroom home in 1989 for $236,000. Over the years, they transformed it into a living museum, sourcing period furniture and salvaged materials to preserve its colonial charm.
Original wooden floorboards and hand-hewn ceiling beams still decorate the interior, while additions such as a walk-in fireplace and oven were built from brick and mantels from demolished 18th-century New England homes.
Laura's childhood fascination with early American life sparked the couple's passion for restoration.
“I dreamed of cooking on the open stove, making candles, tending a garden and learning about herbs,” she remembers.
Decades later, she made this dream come true and regularly used the stove and oven to cook. Originally built by Revolutionary War soldier Morris Bartow, the home was not always in its current location.
It was moved in the 1940s after sitting empty on a nearby farm for years. The farmer had agreed to sell the house only if it was moved, Laura said. Locals know the house well, not only because of its age but also because of the stories within its walls.
Laura fondly recalled a time when the property became an unexpected landmark during a road rally.
“I was out in the garden and suddenly a few bikes and a few cars came by and they all stopped in front of my house.”
Visitors included Bartow's descendants and even a woman who was born in the house in 1911.
“She visited me in 2009 shortly before she died,” Laura said. “She brought pictures of her childhood into the house.”
A Bartow descendant who traveled from Florida was so touched by the visit that he said to Laura, “You have made my life better by inviting me here. This is my story.”
Although the Dunnes are very attached to home, they are ready to move on. They have purchased another historic property in New England where they plan to continue their passion for restoration.
Laura admitted she was “unhappy” to be leaving home, but added that they had always wanted to try New England.
According to Realtor.com, this historic Greenlawn estate is now considered one of the most expensive listings in the area, with a median home price of $777,000 as of November.
William Tarantola of Howard Hanna Coach Realtors holds the listing.