1 of 14
Randl Bye
2 of 14
Randl Bye
3 of 14
Randl Bye
4 of 14
Randl Bye
5 of 14
Randl Bye
6 of 14
Randl Bye
7 of 14
Randl Bye
8 of 14
Randl Bye
9 of 14
Randl Bye
10 of 14
Randl Bye
11 of 14
Randl Bye
12 of 14
Randl Bye
13 of 14
Randl Bye
14 of 14
Randl Bye
by Beth S. Buxbaum
Originally built to be a village creamery in the late 1800s, this centuries-old property has a storied past. During its 133 years on this slice of land in Bedminster, the homestead has seen few changes, but has had many owners and operators. Most recently, the property was transformed into the new residence of Nathan and Kara King. Even before they were married, Nathan and Kara knew they wanted a historic property for their first home together, and they searched for almost two years to find one.
Of course it helps that Nathan’s father is Brett King, owner and operator of Brett King Builders, and not only that but Nathan himself is the Operations Manager: Vice-President of Brett King Builders. So, renovation became a family affair from start to finish. Brett, his wife Kim and Nathan and Kara did all of the renovation, from design and layout, to the selection of all the materials and the construction. Besides the renovation, they researched its origins beginning with the property’s first owners.
The Kilmer Creamery was established by brothers Jacob and William Kilmer in 1887. Information gleaned from an original newspaper clip, dated from April of 1887, stated that “Mr. Jacob Kilmer and his brother William have purchased land from Titus A. Snyder and will build a creamery thereon the coming summer.” The village creamery was established on the lower level, while the upper levels of the house were to be living quarters. The name of the creamery was later changed to the North Branch Creamery, referring to its position on the Perkiomen River which runs through this property. Nathan talks about how the property was on the market for four years. “Many buyers were concerned with the stream that runs through the land,” he adds, “but we loved the charm of the stream and the land.”
In their research they found that creameries were typically built alongside rivers, to carry away the by-products of the butter production. Kara adds that it is rumored that the stream, at one point, was re-directed through the lower level of the creamery to service the creamery. Historical records indicate that the Kilmer Creamery was a prime example of cooperative agriculture. Kara’s information explains that neighbors would bring their butter milk to this building to be weighed and purchased, and then they made a cut of the profits after the butter was sold. Another historical anecdote was that they also made apple butter and apple cider from their own apples for their patrons as they waited. Believed to have been in operation until the start of the 20th century, the village creamery was joined by other small village creameries who fought to survive when competing with the large commercial dairy producers. Eventually the cooperative was dissolved, with the last mention of it functioning as a working creamery in the late 1920s. This is just one of many interesting facts that Kara and Nathan unearthed about the property after the creamery was shut down.
Some of its storied past includes the fact that it was the site of the biggest moonshine bust in Bucks County in April of 1932. This happened during the era of prohibition, and it was noted that almost 500 gallons of whisky moonshine were in the process of being produced. For years after the creamery closed and accounts note that the property was a summer home. In the 1920s the property was used solely as a residence for renters. Kara also uncovered that the property was a working horse farm, with a large circular corral across the stream, and a wooden fence surrounding the entire property. She explained that in the seller’s disclosure paperwork, the previous owner informed them that there are several horses buried on this property. They have yet to discover any evidence of that. Other uncovered documents indicated there was once a fruit orchard in the back field with dozens of varieties of apple and fruit trees. In the 1940s the property was called Maple Circle because it was so overgrown with trees. Kara says that it is interesting how there isn’t a trace of any of that now and wonders how an entire orchard can disappear?
At one time there were many other outbuildings on this property, including a large barn, an ice shed, a chicken coop and a monster hog stable. Records indicate that all were either taken down or destroyed before Nathan and Kara bought the property. In the 1940s, an unattended cigarette of the owner’s grown son caused the former barn, which sat where the current driveway is located, to burn to the ground. After all of its many uses, the property did eventually become a family residence in the 1960s, according to records Kara found. She also adds that from her research she believes there were 5 or 6 owners.
As the newest owners, Nathan and Kara purchased the property in 2017. Working with Brett and Kim, they began to draw up the plans for the project. One item that needed immediate attention was dealing with the close proximity of the creek. “Extensive waterproofing was completed and natural drains were installed under the concrete floor in the basement to ensure there would be no future water issues on the lowest level,” Nathan explains. They replaced all the windows and doors and created a new entryway. The existing home was designed with the front door leading directly into the basement. “This was one of the main features that we added to the home because there was a need for a front entryway,” Nathan explains. On the far left of the home they constructed an addition to the original 1887 building. “The addition was added to give the house a clear main entrance into the home, with a front porch, that now leads directly into the main level of the house,” says Nathan. This addition provided space to add a laundry room, mud room and powder room. “This new entryway is a welcome addition because we now have a very clear and inviting entry,” Kara adds. When it functioned as a village creamery, it was probably more convenient to have the entrance directly into the basement operation. Interesting that no future owners modified the home with a new entryway.
Standing in this land for 133 years, the structure was in fairly good condition. They found few major structural changes, except for one addition they believe to have been done in the 1960s, when it was a single family residence. And the house remained today as it was in the 1960s.
The Kings wanted to preserve the history of the structure. “We knew this was going to be a complete overhaul,” Nathan says. He remarks that there wasn’t much to work with, except keeping the stone and the walls. Nate also comments that they wanted to incorporate natural wood throughout the house. White oak flooring was installed throughout the main level of the house. Wherever possible they added natural wood materials to the renovated spaces or used repurposed wood and wood beams to honor the history of the property.
“When we bought the property the main level was made up of a lot of little rooms,” Kara continues. The living space was dark and chopped up with clusters of rooms. “We basically gutted the entire house,” Nathan adds, “and looked at this as a blank slate.” Beginning with the main level, they removed the original center load-bearing wall and installed steel beams to bolster the structure. “This changed the footprint of the entire downstairs for a true open concept feel,” Nathan remarks. What was once five small rooms was transformed into a newly appointed kitchen, living room, and dining room. Adding to the open feel is the wall of windows and sliding doors to a patio, bringing in natural light. With the open floor concept and all the added light, the main floor was totally redefined.
In the kitchen, the countertops and sink were designed and crafted from a quartzite material. For the center island, they crafted the top from a massive slab of wood and finished the island with a blue base. For the kitchen cabinets, Nathan explains they were inspired by a Shaker styling, with a twist from the traditional. "We built the cabinets with a slight 15 degree bevel on the doors and drawers, adding a unique and timeless spin to a Shaker style door,” Nate explains. Additionally, they built the shelves from American walnut with live edges. With the design and craftsmanship, selection of woods and color tones, the renovated kitchen is a balanced blend.
In the dining room area, flowing from the kitchen and family room, the staircase to the second level was reconstructed. “The stairwell was enlarged and opened up to the 2nd floor to bring in morning light from the front of the house,” Kara notes. They rebuilt the staircase using reclaimed red oak beams for stair treads and black powder coated rod-railing. Nathan points out that the “handrail was fabricated and crafted out of original rafters taken from the existing creamery rafters.” A unique and interesting feature was the addition of a sliding barn door, along a back wall, creating an unique visual separation to the room beyond. “This barn door was hand crafted from 2 inches thick spalted maple weighing approximately 250lbs,” he continues.
The second level master suite was redone by adding three large dormers to the back of the house to create an expansive master suite with a sitting room. In this space they repurposed materials from other areas of the house. Original rafters were used as decorative ceiling beams within the sitting room, which leads to a balcony overlooking the stream. In the master bathroom a custom vanity was built with white oak and reclaimed white oak accent rails, finished with mahogany wooden pulls. A reclaimed beam was installed above the vanity to create a ledge for the mirrors over each sink. “We installed an authentic reclaimed claw-foot tub adding a genuine vintage feel,” Kara adds. In this space’s renovation they incorporated reclaimed wood and wood beams to infuse a touch of rustic, while conserving materials and preserving the history of the property.
With the property’s history, it really all began in the basement. “Our intent was to preserve as much of the original basement as possible,” Nathan adds, “and redefine the space to still feel old.” In this lower level they were working with raw space pretty much as it was during the creamery years. This was an unbelievable makeover. During the renovation they found remnants of machinery from the original creamery, like the butter processor. Remnants of the original stone wall, made from local field stone, were also evident. The stone walls were covered with 120-year-old horse hair plaster. “We removed the horse hair plaster and cleaned and re-pointed the stone to show off the 133 year old stone,” he explains. Also original to the space was the load-bearing beam that was kept in place and exposed within basement. After completing the waterproofing and natural drains, they poured a new concrete floor in the basement. For a finishing touch, they antiqued and polished the concrete floor, to act as the finished floor for the lowest level of the creamery. Now, what was once a creamery, is a cozy family room surrounded by original stone walls and imaginings of what it once was.
With vision and an appreciation for the charm and history of buildings from the past, the purchase and renovation of this property was a dream come true for Nathan and Kara. Nathan believes that you can redefine or restore a house, but it was the land, the property and what took place here all those many years ago that cannot be created.
Beth S. Buxbaum is a freelance writer from the Philadelphia area.
.