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Beautiful, historic Wilton antique is in a prime location

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An antique colonial in the heart of Wilton, 33 Lovers Lane has been beautifully maintained and updated, without losing any of the 1809-era charm and character. The four-bedroom home is listed for $899,000.
An antique colonial in the heart of Wilton, 33 Lovers Lane has been beautifully maintained and updated, without losing any of the 1809-era charm and character. The four-bedroom home is listed for $899,000.William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty

WILTON — Lorrie Hill and her family have had long love affair with the antique colonial at 33 Lovers Lane in Wilton.

“We purchased the property in September 2016, but had actually bid on the house several years before and did not get it at that time,” Hill recalled. “We have always admired the charm of the inside and all the stone walls on the outside. The location was the icing on the cake.”

The lot spans 1.03 acres and sits off a cul-de-sac near Mervin Meadows.

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The house debuted in 1809 and is the stuff of Wilton historic lore. It was featured in the 2004 Robert H. Russell title, Wilton Connecticut — Three Centuries of People, Places and Progress.

“Our home once housed a school run by a Miss Curley and later housed the Wilton Academy, a co-educational academy founded by Hawley Olmstead. I love to think that it has a history of learning associated with it,” Hill said.

The home’s history is chronicled in details like some of the original hardwood flooring.

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“I love the patina of the older floors and the varying sizes of the boards,” Hill said. “Some boards are even over 18-inches wide.”

During their tenure here, the Hills made a number of improvements to the house. They considered it a labor of love.

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Details

Address: 33 Lovers Lane, Wilton

Price: $899,000

Number of Rooms: 10

Features: Built in 1809, this antique colonial has been well maintained and beautifully updated, with 3,258 square feet of living space, four bedrooms, two full baths and a powder room. The 1.03-acre property sits on a cul-de-sac, within walking distance to parks, schools and town. An attached garage has two bays.

Schools: Cider Mill School, Miller-Driscoll, Middlebrook School, Wilton High

“We consider ourselves caretakers of this home and have tried to continue the tradition of past owners, of improving it without destroying its charm,” Hill explained. “Although we have made many changes, my favorite improvement is the change to the main fireplace. Shortly after moving in, we removed two huge mismatched and tired stoves that filled each side of the double-sided fireplace and had our chimney company put in a new damper, so we can now enjoy fires from both the living room and dining room.”

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They also took out white tile that lined the kitchen floor and refinished the hardwood floors there and in the adjacent dining room. “We also had the family room floors painted to add a touch of ‘farmhouse,’ which we love,” Hill noted.

The kitchen was freshly renovated within the past year, and the homeowner is particularly proud of the result.

“I removed the granite that was on the back counters, to add more warmth to the space and also changed out the backsplash, added a new small window and some custom cabinetry, and painted the cabinets white,” she recalled.

“One of the nicest features in my kitchen is the extra-wide space between the island and the back counters, which makes it always feel spacious, even when there are many cooks at work,” Hill said.

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As with any well-loved home, this one has its designated rooms that tend to be the most popular.

“We actually have two centers of gravity here,” Hill said. “In the winter, we like to be in the living room, with the fire and the warmth of the oldest part of the house. Once the weather changes, we find that we gravitate to the family room for the light that the oversized windows bring.”

The family room is another jewel of the floor plan. It has a vaulted, planked ceiling with exposed beams, and a built-in that works well for a digital display.

Even the smallest of details can be practical. For example, Hill cited a cabinet next to the laundry, built by previous owners, which she has used to store linens and to place decorative seasonal items to beauty the space.

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This home has four bedrooms, and one of those rooms is located on the garden level. It has a fireplace of its own, which has enabled the owners to leverage it as a home office, instead. The master suite has soaring vaulted ceilings, multiple built-ins and a dressing room. The master suite’s bathroom blends contemporary conveniences (like a separate shower and double vanity sinks) with vintage chic, exemplified in its claw-foot tub.

“I’m lucky to say that our family has owned four houses in Wilton — in north Wilton, south Wilton and the Town Center,” Hill said. “I have enjoyed each area for what it has to offer and cannot say enough about our town and its wonderful residents. What’s special to me about living on Lovers Lane is that it’s the first house we’ve had where I actually don’t need a car.”

The property is located within walking distance to Wilton’s town center, local schools, the train station and the Norwalk River Valley Trail.

Listing agent: Barbara Reiss, William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, Ridgefield Brokerage; (203) 438-9531, ext. 358 office; (203) 526-9323 cell; breiss@wpsir.com

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