Victorian with a 'history'

17 Depot St., Westford
Price: $650,000
Style: Antique Victorian
Built: 1890
Square feet: 3,198
Rooms: 10
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 3
Sewer: septic

Located in Westford's historic district, this home is a short walk from the town center. The current owners are just the second, as the original owner's son lived here throughout his life. At one time, he ran a cider mill from the barn, now the garage.

The owners made several upgrades in the early 1980s, including converting an attached shed into a warm family room with cathedral ceiling and exposed beams, that is accessible through the renovated kitchen.

Appealing Victorian details out front include eggplant-colored trim and wooden shutters, a wrap-around porch with ornate banisters, columns with gingerbread trim, and a front door with leaded glass. Inside, the wide pine floors, grand oak staircase, and window moldings with corner blocks reflect the attentive detail that went into the house. Doorknobs with brass hardware are also original, and many rooms contain ornate radiators and original light fixtures.

In keeping with its era, the front "formal" parlor is divided by a pocket door from the rear "informal" parlor, which contains a fireplace with a hand-carved mahogany mantle, and a bump-out bay with three large windows. The large kitchen has granite countertops and heavy-grain oak cabinets.

Throughout, many walls have floral wallpaper. Bedrooms are good sized and filled with light. Some fun features include a vent in an upper level office that was originally designed to allow heat to circulate up from the kitchen. And a bonus: the attic is finished.

One side note: At the edge of the property are two stone markers that commemorate a knight who accompanied Prince Henry Sinclair, a Scottish Earl who legend has it led an expedition to Nova Scotia and Massachusetts in 1398. Some think it folklore and others, authentic. But carved into one stone is a sword, helmet, and other symbols honoring the fallen knight, while an adjacent monument explains this piece of Westford's long-ago "history." Listing broker Leslie Thomas of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage is holding an open house today from 1 to 3 p.m.

Mindy Pollack-Fusi