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By Beth S Buxbaum
Family and friends have enjoyed this country estate for more than 300 years. The estate, once know as River Wood was a summer home only a few hundred yards from the river in Upper Makefield
The history of this estate intrigued Cidney and Justin Gastaldello. Living in a ranch house just behind this property since 2009, they’ve seen glimpses of this striking property and the family who lived here. Cidney says, “We were never actually in the house, but we knew we loved it.”
They always admired this home and dreamt of one day owning it. “We used to have conversations over the fence with the owner, George Shows.” explains Cidney. “At one point we told him that if he ever sells the house, we would like to buy it.” Several years ago, they had not seen George for a few months and were concerned. What they found out was that George’s mental health declined and his family was talking about putting the house on the market. As fate would have it, George had a moment of clarity and remembered that Cidney and Justin wanted to buy the house.
This was an unexpected turn of events and they were excited with the prospect of owning this home. In 2015 Cidney and Justin put in a bid without seeing the inside of the house. Not really knowing the house’s value, their first bid was rejected for being too low. They upped their bid and the house of their dreams was theirs. Before settlement, they snuck into the property several times to see what they had just purchased. “It was a time capsule,” said Cidney. So much was uncared for and very little was updated. “It was tired,” Cidney reveals, “and it was sad and neglected.” The house was dark and dusty when they took possession. By the condition of the house it was evident that George was unable to really care for the property. After a careful and thorough assessment, Cidney and Justin knew how they wanted to transform their new home. While modernizing and expanding, they wanted to bring the house back to its original grandeur.
As they began their stewardship, they heard many stories and literally dug up evidence of the house’s past. On this land, an original structure was built in the early 1700s. In 1863 the home was expanded to add more living space. Evidence and tales swirled as they continued to delve into the house’s history. At one point, during their explorations in the basement they found tunnels and a trap door in the dining room. Neighbors shared accounts that this house used part of the underground-railroad. With some conjecture they envisioned that the slaves coming up from the north along the river used this house as a stop on the underground system. For the majority of the homestead’s past it was owned by the same family for more than a century. “We found out that it was owned by George Justice, a wealthy man from Philadelphia beginning in the mid 1800s,” adds Cidney. The estate was a summer home for his family and friends. Justice passed down the home to his daughters and the house stayed in the family for generations. One family friend who spent a lot of time at the estate was William Keeney, a pharmacist and amateur photographer. Keeney documented the time he spent at the house with his two daughters, the Justices and other families and friends.
Cidney and Justin procured Keeney’s pictorial history from the Chester County Historical Society. “Keeney’s primary residence was in Chester County which is why his photos ended up there,” Cidney explains. All the pictures tell a story, filling in many questions and painting a detailed account of the people who summered at River Wood. There are photos, dated as far back as 1894 and as current as 1940, with captioned references to Camp Oconeo. Cidney and Justin believe this is most likely what they were calling the country estate during that period. This collection of photos capturing the essence of the estate as a summer retreat, hosted by Justice and enjoyed by Keeney and the Suplees. Many were group shots on the front porch, views of the front of the house and the tree-lined lane leading up to the house. Activities captured in these photos include swimming in the Delaware, horseback riding, riding in a horse and buggy and canoeing. This pictorial documentation of the homestead allowed Cidney and Justin to envision the estate’s persona during a piece of its history.
Understanding the estate’s glory days helped Cidney and Justin as they began their restoration. “We wanted to bring the house back to its original state, but even better,” Cidney explains. As a reference point, the old photos were helpful in replicating a lot of the architectural elements of the house. This was also helpful as a marker of the house’s early footprint. What they discovered as they began the renovation was that changes were made over the years to modernize the living space. Also, after a fire in 1940, there were structural changes that covered up or changed the original architectural elements, like adding dropped ceilings and covering up the fireplace. Structurally sound, this homestead was in need of repairs and upgrades. As a contractor and owner of the AGB Group, Justin had a sense of what needed to be done. “We did not begin any renovation until 2018,” continues Cidney. Justin decided that the first project was to repair the exterior. “Much of the wood and parts of the structure were rotted,” Justin explained. “We brought the exterior structure down to the studs, added insulation and a new exterior of healthy plank siding,” he adds.
Once the exterior was completed they began their interior projects. One focus was to open up and modernize part of the original 1700s and 1863 structures. “It was a massive project,” adds Cidney, “we even had a project manager.” For an entire year Cidney, Justin and their two teenage sons used her craft room as a make-shift kitchen and dining area while the renovation was taking place. The former footprint of the downstairs living space, which including the kitchen, dining room and family room, was chopped up into smaller rooms.
“We gutted everything from the back door to the 1700’s section of the house,” Justin adds. Cidney says “the former kitchen was a dark space with head-to-toe knotty pine accented with Mercer tiles, brick laminate floors and a one-burner stove.” Removing walls and raising the ceiling created one open space with an airy flow and more natural light. When this work began they discovered the electrical system had not been modernized. Some accounts have established that during much of the homestead’s early period there was no electricity, running water or bathrooms. “When we began the renovation we had to disconnect the plumbing and move it to raise the ceiling,” explains Justin. Layers of old flooring were removed and replaced with repurposed wide width pine from an old barn. Structural appointments were in place and the expansion was accomplished. Now it was time for the makeover.
Working with Jeff Hogge, a local artisan specializing in restorations and cabinetry, they redesigned this living area. “I am very creative and had a good idea of what I wanted,” Cidney explains. “We actually used a lot of the old photos of the house to restore the interior architectural details,” adds Cidney. In a collaborative partnership, Cidney described what she envisioned and Jeff drew her ideas. “We gave him a lot of creative freedom,” explains Cidney. “I wanted the dining room and kitchen to have the feel of an old time French pastry shop,” she continues. They wanted to replicate some of the architectural details of the original living space, but with a flourish.
Jeff Hogge masterfully designed all the woodwork and trim. Curved arches, rosettes, intricate dentil molding and a coffered ceiling defined this transformation. Counter tops and the island top were accented with a soft gray and white Calcutta marble. This marble complemented the crisp, white cabinetry. Jeff designed an intricately sculpted oven hood with an arch, crisp-lined trim and rosettes. Cidney requested that Jeff use Mercury glass inserts in the cabinets. “I wanted the glass in the cabinets to give the appearance of an older glass,” Cidney adds. Floors were pulled up and replaced with repurposed wide-width pine wood from an old barn. In the back of this space, Jeff built a cabinet over what was once a defunct fireplace. To the right is a stairway to what was believed to have been the servants’ quarters. Beyond this space is the 1700 portion of the house, which they repurposed as a mud and laundry room. Jeff designed and installed built-in cabinets and storage closets and painted all the woodwork a dark navy.
On the other side of the kitchen is the newly created formal dining area. Jeff designed and built a wall unit, painted in a soft light aqua shade, accented with architectural details replicating and honoring the original period. This stunning wall piece now displays Cidneys’ extensive collection of English china. To complete this expansion, Justin built an addition to create a morning room off of the formal dining room. Surrounded by windows, this space is their informal eating area where they enjoy views of their landscape. The kitchen and dining room area were the focus of this restoration. There are several rooms in the 1863 section of the house that have not been refurbished, including the living room and library. Cidney has some ideas about how she would like to redesign the library, but for now they are just enjoying the new living space that has been created.
As a family that enjoys cooking and eating meals together, the expansion has provided them with an efficient and inviting space to gather. Reflecting on the house’s past has been an interesting journey for Cidney and Justin. Appointments and details honor that past while illuminating the present. With a vision, a talented craftsman and a collection of historic photos this grand old estate is alive again.
Beth S. Buxbaum is a freelance writer from the Philadelphia area.