It took 10 years for Phil Mathewson to design his Hancock home, and more than two decades later, there isn’t a single thing he would change about it.
After purchasing the property in 1990, it wasn’t until 2000 that the almost 5,200-square-foot timberpeg post and beam home was built on 109 acres of land that just so happens to be completely surrounded by the 36,000 acres of connected, protected land in the Monadnock region that is known as the Harris Center’s Super Sanctuary.
“I believe we hold the longest record of a home design,” Mathewson said. “It was a long process, but wanted to do it right.”
The idea to buy the land came after an overnight trip to a cabin on the property that was open for use by the public. After a nice hike and waking up to a beautiful sunrise, Mathewson wondered who owned the land – and if they’d be willing to sell. Soon he determined who the landowners were and sent a letter essentially saying if they were ever interested in selling to let him know. Six months went by before he got a response.
The first order of business before the land changed hands was to put a conservation easement on the property with the help of Meade Cadot from the Harris Center. The organization had conserved a lot of the land surrounding the property for the Super Sanctuary and the idea was to ensure it wasn’t developed beyond a single home.
From the property, there are views of Bald Mountain, Thumb Mountain, Pack Monadnock and others.
“All year round we have fantastic views,” Mathewson said. “It’s pretty spectacular.”
Mathewson said the easement still allowed for about a third of the property to be used for building and it was more than enough for the large home with spacious accommodations.
“And I knew at that point it was well protected,” Mathewson said.
There is one other home on the road leading to Mathewson’s dream abode and from the beginning he had every intention of building. It just took a while to iron out the details. Once construction began, Mathewson said it took about a year to complete.
“It was a long year cause I did a lot of the work myself,” he said. “I was involved in too many aspects of it.”
The goal was to create an open feel with a lot of exposed wood “that fits with the property,” Mathewson said.
There are two centerpieces of the home. There’s a great room with exposed beams that go up all three floors that one year had a 30-foot Christmas tree in it that went to the tippy top – simply because it would fit and had to be done at least once. The longest beam that reaches the peak of the ceiling has a wood spirit carved into it that is completely visible if you know that it’s there. The floor-to-ceiling windows provide a ton of natural light and a pleasant view.
It has a grand stone fireplace that was created using stones found while preparing the property for construction and from the woods that ties it to the land.
The gourmet chef’s kitchen features a gas cooktop, double wall ovens, a walk-in pantry and ample counter space, and is connected with the dining room.
“We wanted that open feel,” Mathewson said. “Because everybody likes to hang out in the kitchen.”
Before construction began, Mathewson said there was quite a bit of research done into other post and beam homes and what he found was they took little pieces from a variety of finished houses and under construction projects to create the perfect home.
There are four bedrooms along with two and a half baths. The master bedroom has two walk-in closets and the bathroom includes two side-by-side tubs and a spacious standup shower and double sinks.
The home has a pair of flex spaces that are perfect for a den and oversized office/study, while the basement, Mathewson said, is about ¾ finished with a media room and a weight/exercise area.
There’s a large deck off the back of the home that offers spectacular views, but given the location there are impressive natural surroundings to see everywhere you look.
But even with all that is inside the more than 5,000 square foot home, Mathewson’s favorite space is the screened porch off the front. The views and the wildlife are the reason there was so much interest in the property in the first place, he said, and it never disappoints.
He said the quietness the Super Sanctuary offers is one of the most attractive features.
“The joke is if you hear a dog barking you mark it on the calendar,” Mathewson said.
After moving in, Mathewson said they dug out a freshwater pond that is 18 feet at its deepest point and has a dock and a rope swing.
But it all comes back to the natural surroundings and the views – the reason Mathewson was so interested in the property 30 years ago.