The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Historic waterfront home
Westbrook property includes long stretch of private beach
Sitting on nearly an acre of seaside land, this historic home comes with a long stretch of private beach.
Libby Waldron, listing agent for Coldwell Banker estimated the beach was about 160 feet long.
“The thing I love the best about [this property] is the amount of land it has because that’s special,” Waldron said. “It’s a big long stretch of waterfront.”
Richard and Ann Lucus purchased the home in 1995 and have spent summers there ever since. By then their three children were grown but already fond of summers at the beach and would often join their parents there. In recent years the grandkids – now numbered at 11 – have been coming along too.
Town records have the home listed as having been built in 1928 but according to a neighborhood historian, it was actually built between 1900 and 1910, Richard said.
In 1938, the large water facing front porch was enclosed and surrounded by windows.
“It’s almost like sitting in a cruise ship, you’re sitting out there looking out at the water,” Richard said.
Over the years, the Lucases have made some upgrades, including to the kitchen, but they chose not to winterize, preferring to use the home in summer only.
“It’s strictly a summer cottage, we’ve chosen to leave it that way,” Richard said.
With what Ann described as “big wonderful” rooms, the spacious house is great for entertaining, including with overnight guests.
“We used to have quite a few parties,” Ann said. “There’s plenty of room for people to stay over.”
She recalled one time when six of their friends stayed for 10 days. One couple forgot about a summerhouse they had rented in Massachusetts.
“They were having such a good time they forgot to go,” Ann said.
Dinner for 18 to 22 people was served on a long table on the porch or dining room and guests would flow from room to room, enjoy the view from the patio or sit on picnic tables on the beach.
Every Fourth of July the Lucuses would watch fireworks.
One of Ann’s favorite party memories was when her son brought a friend who worked at a fish market and went to Boston to pick up fish while a neighbor with a boat went on the water to catch big fish and they all enjoyed the feast.
“I can still remember everybody was so happy and had such a great time,” Ann said.
The kitchen has a small attached room, with a sink and counters, and a walk-in pantry. The living room has a floor-toceiling fireplace and the master bedroom looks out on the water.
“You can hear the water at night when it’s coming in,” Ann said. “You can hear the changing of the tides.”
There are direct water views from three other bedrooms.
Of the seven bedrooms, three have half baths and there are enclosed outdoor showers and dressing rooms to clean up after a day at the beach.
One bedroom has a small balcony with a Dutch door and a view of a cherry tree in the yard.
The home has a full walk-up attic.
“You stand up in it and it’s like a ballroom,” Waldron said.
Ann said she would miss seeing neighborhood children dropping lobster traps in the water, watching her son-in-law fishing from the beach and so many “things all entangled with the kids.”
“I’ll miss waking up and hearing the water lapping in,” she said. “I’ll miss waking up and seeing the beautiful water. I’ll miss the fact that you can say, ‘Oh yes come stay over.’”