For a Fixer-Upper, This Machiasport Cutie Is Not Too Shabby
Loaded with charm, it requires relatively minor updates.
TEXT BY JULIE SENK
PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAN RAJTER
From our Winter 2022 issue
BACKSTORY
Emily and Alvah Hooper raised eight children in their circa 1930, 1,239-square-foot Machiasport home. Emily was descended from William Albee, one of the area’s first settlers, who fought in the Revolutionary War. Alvah was in the U.S. Coast Guard, but retired early after his boat capsized en route to Cutler’s Cross Island in a snowstorm. He washed ashore and was found injured and near death from hypothermia. The couple’s great-granddaughter, Donna Wood Michaud (whose husband is the current-owner’s real-estate agent), says her mother painted a vibrant picture of life in the Hoopers’ house — of “salt fish hung to dry in the back shed, salt pork sizzling on the wood-fired cookstove, dishes sparkling in the built-in china closet, and her grandfather carving models of wooden boats.”
SELLING POINTS
The Hoopers’ one-and-a-half-story vernacular dwelling, with a modest Italianate entry hood, has changed little since they resided there. Charming original features include beadboard kitchen cabinetry, the upstairs bath’s clawfoot tub, and the front door with arched windowpanes. Hardwood floors are found throughout, and the built-in china cabinet remains in the dining room, along with a tin ceiling with a decorative medallion. The upstairs windows offer glimpses of Bucks Harbor, and Jasper Beach is less than a mile away.
TO-DO LIST
The house has been well-cared for: the concrete foundation is in good shape, the boiler is in working order, and the roof is less than 10 years old. Plan to touch up the exterior trim and repair the front- and back-porch steps. Inside, the hardwood floors need refinishing and the carpet in the sitting room should go. The downstairs bath could use an overhaul and the clawfoot tub upstairs needs a good cleaning. The kitchen would benefit from new appliances.
Location: 1313 Port Road
Asking Price: $170,000
Agent: Joseph Dowling, 207-659-0437
