McComsey Builders
Licensed in Pennsylvania (PA015145)
Andersen Certified Contractor
Family-owned since 1986
The Story
The homeowners moved from Main Line, PA, after the wife, a historian, fell in love with a dilapidated stone house where Civil War soldiers had once been quartered. The land along the Brandywine had drawn Civil War soldiers and, more recently, history buffs with metal detectors hoping to find arrowheads, pins, and buttons left behind.
They came to us to restore the property in stages, first as a dance hall, then as their full-time home, with a recent first-floor owners suite that completed the transformation.
Before
Design
Archer Buchanan Architects designed the renovation in phases: first transforming the dilapidated stone shell into a dance hall and party space, then expanding into a full-time residence with a first-floor owners suite.
We worked through every detail of each phase, including the underpinning of the original stone foundation, the reclaimed 8-inch stone veneer dug from the property’s old barn, and the pointed interior and exterior stonework that brought the original walls back to view.
The Details
A walk-in fireplace and oven, original to the Civil War-era home, were fully restored to working condition, anchoring the main living space with the same hearth that’s been at the center of the house for over 160 years.
The original stone walls were repointed throughout the home, leaving the historic stonework visible inside and out and giving the interior the texture and warmth that no new build can replicate.
A custom kitchen with antique light fixtures and a copper backsplash brings the home’s historic feel into the most-used room in the house, with custom cabinetry built in McComsey’s shop.
The original stone foundation was underpinned to create a carport beneath the house, with steel framing behind 8-inch reclaimed stone veneer for a finish that looks like it’s always been there.
8-inch reclaimed stone, dug up from an old barn on the property, was used as veneer to extend the home's historic character to every wall.
Geothermal HVAC keeps the home running efficiently year-round.
Modern insulation through the historic shell, sealing the home from drafts without altering the original character.
Period-appropriate fixtures sourced to match the era of the original construction.
When one stone gable collapsed during construction, we rebuilt it to match the home's original lines.
An outdoor patio gives the family a place to host friends overlooking the 20 acres along the Brandywine River.
A recent addition gave the homeowners a first-floor owners suite with a library and master bathroom.
The result
The family now has the historic stone home the wife always wanted, with the original walls, fireplace, and stonework standing alongside a fully updated interior. They moved out of their Main Line estate to live in it full-time, and recently added a first-floor owners suite to settle in even further.
Our Projects
Your journey starts here
You can have a historic stone home brought back to life, with reclaimed materials, period-appropriate finishes, and the structural restoration to make it livable for generations to come.
