When Jeanne Stark and her partner Chris Scherler fell in love with a homestead on five acres of lush countryside in a West Brandywine Township, they knew it would take a lot of dedication to make the house livable again, writes Catherine Laughlin for Philly.com.  

Reason Farm has a rich and adventurous history; first as a hub for the Underground Railroad and later as a hideaway for bootleggers.

The house, occupied for the last four years by animals, had a dilapidated porch, no closets, one bathroom in bad shape, long rooms running throughout, boarded-up windows and a facade hidden by creeping vines.

To make it livable again, a complete overhaul was needed on all the systems in the house and a sizable hole in the foundation had to be fixed. This was done despite various stumbling blocks as the new owners tried to acquire the relevant mortgage, permits, and inspections.

The couple hired John Smucker, of Gap based Forest Ridge Builders, to work on the house. It took nearly a year of planning and construction, but the couple finally had a new home they could move into in October. They also decided that while they would respect the property’s history, they would also not dwell on the past and renamed it No Rhyme or Reason Farm.

Smucker said that his biggest challenge was opening up the rear wall of the house, one rock at a time, to give the new owners access to a 320-square-foot family room addition. His expertise also shines in the front porch, which now has a stunning display of mortise-and-tenon joinery.

“I have every intention of staying in this house for as long as possible,” commented Stark. “It’s our forever home.”

Read more about the amazing transformation at Philly.com here.