A seamless blending of new and old

(Matthew J. Lee / Globe Staff Photo)

Walking through this, the oldest standing home in Sharon, is like spanning three centuries at once as it has been added onto over the years. Called the Job Swift House after the man who built it and went on to be a town selectman and patriot, this Cape includes special features such as "nine-over-six" windowpanes and dentil molding above the front door. The original home feels true to its era, with dark pine walls, beams, and wide-plank "King's pine" floorboards - replaced in the late 1800s. The front door sits between two pilasters and leads to a small study that was the original parlor, and on to a huge dining room that previously was the kitchen. Both rooms contain large hearths with working fireplaces, one with a coal pit, the other with a beehive oven. Adjacent is an office suite built in 1971.

Back through the main house and past the tiny kitchen is a long, narrow solarium/family room that was built in 1995 with wood from a collapsed former coach house. Like a giant step into the here and now, this room has a cathedral ceiling, skylights, a wall of palladium windows, two French sliders, and a fully stocked koi pond.

There have been only six owners of record, and listing broker Jody Fisher, of Century 21 Florence Kates in Sharon, said, "Everyone who's lived here has added something memorable and left something new." Some were important features, such as three respectable bathrooms, and additional bedrooms. Some beautified the grounds, such as four large lilac bushes and wisteria vines. Others were added just for fun, such as the Gunite swimming pool. And what's new are windows, a three-zone heating system, extensive cosmetic work, and landscaping - and what will be left behind are several very happy fish in the koi pond.

MINDY POLLACK-FUSI