IMPROVING pedigree and efficiency

“This house was plank-framed—a method typical only in southern Rhode Island in the early-18th century,” Brian Cooper says. “During frame repair and reconstruction, the frame was converted to an 18th-century stud construction to allow for mortise-and-tenon hurricane braces, meeting coastal requirements. The stud frame also created a three-inch wall cavity for the introduction of modern insulation and wiring. Now, this is a smart house that’s up to code and has geothermal heating and cooling systems.” The old house, in ruinous condition, got such period upgrades as wood quoins at corners and new dormers.