The Pond-Weed House, the oldest home in Darien, has come to market for $725,000.
Originally built in 1730, the home is also known as the “House under the Hill” for its location at 2591 Post Road, which is on the edge of town at the corner of Boston Post and Hollow Tree Ridge roads.
In its earliest days the home served as the first settlement and entrance to Darien and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978. The property has also served as a tavern and a blacksmith shop, as well as a residence.
The house was built near the Noroton River, the location of the town”™s earliest settlements, when the area was part of Stamford. The land was first bought in 1696 by Nathaniel Pond, “Blacksmith of Branford,” and later sold to Nathaniel Weed, also a blacksmith. It remained in the Weed family for nearly two centuries.
“I am honored to represent the sale of this historic home,” said listing agent Barb Hazelton of Houlihan Lawrence”™s Darien office. “As the oldest home in Darien, it has remained virtually untouched for almost two decades, ensuring that much of the original characteristics are still intact, which is remarkable in its own right.
“We are in the process of determining the best way to restore the property,” she added, “and will be actively listing it on the MLS but also through Preservation Connecticut and the Connecticut Registry.
“Our goal is to identify a buyer that appreciates and values the home while breathing new life into this remarkable antiquity,” Hazelton said.
Several months ago, the Museum of Darien hired an expert in early New England architecture to conduct an up-to-date study on the home. The home maintains original features like a rare post-and-beam structure combination and a vertical over horizontal door.
According to Houlihan Lawrence, The Pond-Weed House is an anomaly in the Darien housing market, where the median sale price in the second quarter of 2020 was $1.36 million.
