Old Soul COLONIAL

Get acquainted with New Hampshire residents who pay homage to a Colonial home’s legendary history by preserving its structural integrity while incorporating key design elements and decor that’s faithful to its roots.

When Donna Vizard and her husband, Jeff Castle, began house hunting in 2006, they weren’t necessarily looking to buy a historic home. But when Donna learned that a nearby 1740s dwelling was on the market, she was intrigued. “I have always been drawn to older homes,” she explains. “Once we saw it, I knew it was the one I wanted.”

Little did the couple know that their new old home in Plaistow, New Hampshire, was once a tavern called the Union House and that Founding Father George Washington once stopped in for a meal while passing through town. Legend also has it that the tavern was possibly a house of ill repute at one point. “The original structure was bigger,” Donna says. “But it was set on fire many, many times by what seemed to be some angry local residents; what remains is now our house.”

To make the home habitable for 21st-century living, Jeff and Donna gutted and renovated the interior to accurately capture an authentic primitive style that honors its Colonial origins. They tore out the carpeting and were pleased to discover large areas of preserved wide-plank pine flooring underneath, which

they repaired and refurbished. They also removed the low ceilings to expose gorgeous original hardwood beams. And in the kitchen, they added the necessary conveniences of a modern home alongside primitive-inspired cabinets and countertops and a tin backsplash.

In the living room, the couple used wood salvaged from other parts of the renovation to build an impressive tavern cage—a principal feature that sets the vibe for the entire space. “We wanted it to look like it had always been there,” Donna notes. Inside the cage, pewter platters and steins line the shelves next to old wine and beer bottles, vintage silverware and an old whiskey barrel—all the trappings of a proper Colonial-era American tavern.

In keeping with the theme, Donna painted the interior in conventional Colonial colors, including mustard yellow, gray and red, which she heightened with her favorite decorative wares, including wooden bowls and utensils, redware, baskets, wooden boxes and textiles. “When I got this house, I wanted to use everything that looked like it was from the time period,” Donna says of the decor. “I’m really an old soul.”

The Vizards’ tavern turned present-day home couldn’t be a more fitting dwelling for these lifelong antiques and primitives enthusiasts. Not only does it provide a place for the family to create new memories, but it also boasts interesting tales to tell from the past.

The Vizards’ home didn’t feature a real fireplace along this wall in the dining room, so the couple did the next best thing and installed a repurposed mantel with a painted primitive tray in place of a screen. Donna displays a matching collection of old wooden mortars and pestles of varying shapes and sizes across the mantel shelf to create visual interest.

Left: Once a wellknown tavern in Colonial New England, this circa-1740s dwelling in Plaistow, New Hampshire, is a quintessential example of a faithful primitive design both inside and out.

Above: With their home renovation behind them, Jeff, Donna and little Lou take every opportunity they can to appreciate the lush surroundings in their garden.