ping pong table: Hopkinton's history ensconced in stone house

By Susan Brickman/ Crier Staff Writer
Friday, June 16, 2006

The runaway slaves in the cramped tunnel, so accustomed to maintaining silence, murmured to one another, encouraged by the cacophony of voices, the metallic clang of ale-filled pewter mugs slapped together in friendship, the sound-buffering activities of Sabbath Day celebrants in the tavern above.

The slaves quietly talked of their temporary stop on the underground railroad, their protectors and the coming end of their journey. Upstairs, rubbing their rough hands in front of the roaring fire, the locals celebrated their freedom from the work week and the family, gossiped about the neighbors and studied their newly delivered mail in the dim light.

The tunnel is now perfect for a game of hide and seek. The pewter mugs have been replaced with glass steins and crystal wine glasses, but the mail still gets delivered to the building at 5 E. Main St. in Hopkinton, albeit just for the resident. The brick fireplace is stoked during the colder months, and tales of the community are still shared in the old Granite Tavern.

Little has changed at the 300-year-old former inn and tavern in the heart of Hopkinton, the 12-room stone building once known as a meeting place for the townsfolk, the headquarters for the militia in the late 1700s and the site of glamorous dances in the 20-by-40-foot second-floor ballroom. Today, however, this stately, single-family home with its 6,000 square feet of living space, two acres, tennis court, four-car garage, five bedrooms and three full baths is best known for its location: the starting line of the Boston Marathon.

Built in 1706, the Samuel Valentine Stone Inn and Store was first a wooden building where local residents warmed themselves after Sabbath Day services, exchanged news and picked up their mail. It was replaced in 1745 by the Stone Tavern, was a summer resort and, for the last 30 years, has been home to a family dedicated to preserving the integrity and historic features of the colonial landmark.

The sprawling home with its eight fireplaces (the three grandest ones are still operable) its old stone jail cell, utilized years ago as a safe-house for some of the town's inebriated residents, and its "illegal" mega-wide pine flooring, is on the market, listed at $950,000 with Nancy Wilson and Robin Fay of Century 21 Westward Homes, Hopkinton.

Despite its age and history, every one of the rooms in this home is practical, from the not-too-formal dining room to the fireplaced living room with its built-in bookshelves to the cozy den with a working fireplace, original, rounded built-in bookcase, cherry flooring and deep storage closet.

The tap room, however, is the entertainment center of the house. Painted a rich red, it still has a beamed ceiling, wide pine flooring, an immense brick fireplace with a wood box, and, behind a dutch door, a built-in bar with a sink and refrigerator. There also is a convenient back staircase up to the former ballroom, now a media room and game room, with space for a pool table, ping pong table, even a home theater.

And that's just the right side of the house.

The other main gathering place is the kitchen, done in a country design with custom, nearly knotless custom pine cabinetry, Corian counters, a working fireplace with a wood box, exposed beams, wainscoting, pull-out shelves, over-cabinet lighting, a Jenn-air oven, an electric cook top, a microwave and convection oven and a large area for a country table. Behind it is a pantry area with a laundry closet, attached to a mudroom and the one-car attached garage. There are three other garages at the end of the driveway.


The center foyer, running from the front to the back of the house, runs past a quaint full bath with a porcelain sink set in tile, tile flooring, bead board walls, and a fiberglass and tiled shower. It's the perfect place for cleaning up: the rear door adjacent to the bath opens to the patio which in turns leads to the level play area and on to the tennis court.

Upstairs, in addition to the five bedrooms, three with wide pine flooring, two with oak flooring, two with fireplaces and all with many closets, is that massive ballroom with hardwood flooring under the carpet, the curved, vaulted ceiling, two fireplaces and walls of windows with deep sills.

At the front of the hallway is a full bath with a tub with a fiberglass surround and a white vanity with a porcelain sink. The third bath is located in back and features a pine vanity that matches the pine doors to the built-in closets and the shutters and a tiled tub/shower.

There also is a full, walk-up attic, two furnaces, 200-amp electrical service, public water and sewer, a storage shed, mostly new windows and a security system.

For more information, contact Wilson at 508-820-6094 or Fay at 508-269-4441.