Life in Lisbon, Conn.
WITH RURAL SMALL-TOWN PERSONALITY, HISTORY AND AMENITIES, THE TOWN’S REAL ESTATE MARKET HAS PROPERTIES THAT QUICKLY COME AND GO
With rural small-town personality, history and amenities, the town’s real estate market has properties that quickly come and go
Imagine living in a rural Connecticut setting, near a town center that affords shopping, restaurants, a movie theater and a public library. Residents have access to a public boat launch on the river and a 59-acre public park, with tennis courts, sports fields and walking trails to explore.
This week, Welcome Home visits that community — the village of Lisbon, incorporated in 1786, with a population of 4,338 today and a median income of $86,833, according to town data.
The town of Lisbon encompasses just 16.26 square miles, nestled between the Quinebaug and Shetucket rivers. It has its place in history. It’s part of The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor — spanning 35 towns and 1,100 square miles from Connecticut to Massachusetts. Lisbon is also the site of the first railroad tunnel in the nation — the Taft Tunnel, built in 1837 and still in use today.
Lisbon is also home to the John Bishop House, an 1810-period home that was saved from demolition in the 1980s, restored and is now operated by the town as a museum; and Anshei Israel Synagogue, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. As you might also imagine, Lisbon has a number of antique homes, some that have been restored and renovated, passed down through genera
tions from owner to owner, from family to family. Lately, when they come to market, they don’t stay there long.
George and Heather Bassett — Team Bassett with the RE/ MAX Home Team — wear two professional hats. They’re Realtors, but they also have extensive experience renovating and “flipping” properties. That was the case for their latest project at 220 Kimball Road in Lisbon, a three-bedroom ranch.
“When we bought the house, it had been neglected for quite some time,” Heather Bassett explained. “Also, the floor plan was boxy and did not flow well. After some deliberation, we decided to take down the wall between the living room and kitchen, and take down the walls of the bedroom closest to the living room. We turned that into the dining area.
“There was a family room left of the kitchen that we walled off and made into the master suite,” she continued. “There is not much that hasn’t been touched in this house, or rearranged in some way. When we design our renovation projects, we picture ourselves living in the house. … We want it to flow, and we think about everyday living and entertaining, and what would work best. We are not afraid to take down walls or rearrange a floor plan — in this case, take out a bedroom and add a bedroom somewhere else.”
Bassett said this is one of the favorite kitchen renovations they’ve completed. It has an island that measures in at more than 8-feet. It has two sinks, “leathered granite” surfaces, a pot filler above the stove, oversized windows, and custom cabinets handcrafted in Pennsylvania.
The house is situated on a 0.65-acre lot in a rural setting not far from the Canterbury line.
“We love Lisbon,” Bassett said. “We both grew up here from fourth grade on. We started school together in the same class in the same week, and we also learned we have the same birthday. Since we grew up here, Lisbon Landings has been built, which satisfies the conveniences of many in the town. Lisbon is known for its low taxes and a great school. It is still central to many locations, like Windham and Norwich, but also tucked away.”
The Bassetts were asking $319,000 for 220 Kimball Road; at deadline and after just four days on the market, the property was already “under contract.” On Blissville Pond Construction on 52 Blissville Rd., Lisbon, was completed in 1907. “The home was originally built, as so many in the immediate area were, as housing for a nearby felt mill,” according to Realtor Linda Barrett of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, New England Properties’ brokerage in East Lyme. Barrett is the listing agent for the property, which a week ago was offered to the market for $475,000. At deadline, the seller had an accepted offer in hand, but was still accepting back-up offers from earnest buyers.
The buyer will enjoy the quality and character of the antique home, but all the creature comforts of modern-day life.
“The entire structure was gutted down to the studs and completely renovated in 2004,” Barrett explained. “It was converted from a duplex to a single-family with a separate-access in-law apartment. A new roof was installed in 2013. In 2019, new driveways were constructed and a new deep well dug.”
The 0.90-acre lot has approximately 200 feet of frontage on Blissville Pond.
“Blissville Pond is a man-made body of water, originally constructed for ice making,” Barrett noted. “There are still foundations of the icehouse on the property of a nearby home, as well as on Ice House Road. It is a long, but shallow pond, perfect for fishing, ice skating, swimming and non-motorized watercraft.”
Asked about quality of life in Lisbon, Barrett remarked, “While the feeling is quaint and rural, there are many amenities and conveniences offered that belie the town’s size. Lisbon Landings is an easily accessible and convenient shopping center. Route 395 and Route 2 are nearby, providing easy access to the shoreline and points north. Norwich, with its shopping, culture and attractions, is ‘just over the hill.’
“There is an active farmer’s market, numerous social and youth organizations and a fall festival,” she added.