Amesbury home tied to carriage industry will transport you back in time

Real Estate

Historic Queen Anne Victorian includes a four-bedroom main house and a one-bedroom apartment.

Located in the “Carriage Town” of Amesbury, this historic Queen Anne Victorian with its sinuous curves and varied rooflines could be called the “Angel of the Angles.”

Barb Cullen of Keller Williams Realty Evolution has listed the property at 177 Main St. for $1,275,000. The 4,405-square-foot home has four bedrooms and four bathrooms in the main house and one bedroom and 1.5 baths in the 1,100-square-foot attached apartment. 

The home has a rich history dating to the 1880s, when it was built for John S. Poyen Jr., a titan in the carriage part-making industry. The home stayed in the Poyen family until 1980. 

Main Street in Amesbury is lined with historic homes that belonged to eight other leaders in the carriage industry.

Original details — check out the herringbone flooring with inlays, five working fireplaces, wood paneling, pocket doors, stained glass, dentil molding, turret tea nook, and turned staircase — take center stage, but the home also features modern updates, including stainless steel appliances, recessed lighting, and a breakfast bar in the eat-in kitchen.

“All of the window and door trims, stairwells, stair posts, mantels are so detailed and exquisite, and [they are] not found in newer construction today,” Cullen said. 

All of the kitchen appliances are new, but the owners retained the original 1881 stove as a grand showpiece that maintains the historic feel of the home. There’s also a butler’s pantry with beautiful white wood cabinets (the uppers have glass doors) off the dining room. 

Three sets of pocket doors create an open layout encompassing the kitchen and the main living spaces.  

The attached living space was once servant’s quarters, but can now be turned into a 1,100-square-foot apartment with a market value of $2,500 per month, Cullen said. The living space can be added to the main house by simply opening up a sealed doorway. The apartment has a deck.

The serene outdoor space of the home includes a gazebo, a bubbling brook water feature, and a garden.