By Gretchen A. Peck

The four-bedroom antique at 36 Main Street in Noank is offered to the market for $699,000. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Realtor Kate Atkinson and Berkshire Hathaway, New England Properties’ Mystic brokerage represent the seller.

Noank is a charming seaside community to the west of downtown Mystic, steeped in nautical, fishing and lobstering history. It has just 1,454 residents, according to the 2020 U.S. Census. The homes are mostly antiques, eternally charming, and on small plots of land, creating a true neighborhood setting.

“Being a 7th generation Noanker, I truly feel that Noank has been able to hold on to its centuries-old charm and close neighborhood feel,” Atkinson told Welcome Home via email. “The homes in the village have maintained their historic integrity, and the sheer closeness of homes to businesses within the village is unique. With a bakery, thrift shop, hair salon, artists’ gallery, multiple restaurants and boatyards within such close proximity, there really is something for everyone.”

The seller of this home at 36 Main Street is the Noank Baptist Church, which has owned the property since 1972. Over the decades, it has been a nonprofit group home for girls. Atkinson shared a little more of the property’s history: The original house was a Greek Revival-style home, built in 1855 by Captain Simeon Haley. It perished in a fire in 1877, and two years later, this home was built on its foundation by Captain Nathan W. Rathbun.

The property was transferred to a family by the name of Ross in 1882, and remained in that family until 1947, when Miss Eloise C. Ross—a local teacher and principal of Noank Grammar School—sold the property. Between the Ross family’s and Noank Baptist Church’s ownership, the property served as the Harrison Morton Ward Post of the American Legion, Atkinson explained.

Today, the house’s first floor affords a foyer, living and dining rooms, a sitting room, kitchen, partial bath and a mudroom. A bonus room on this level might also be a home office, a playroom or craft room.

Upstairs, there are four bedrooms, including a two-room primary suite. There are three additional rooms on the level, which might also be leveraged as home office space, a playroom or sitting room, Atkinson suggested.

Throughout the 4,232 square feet of living space, there are hardwood and laminate floors. The house has an attic with a pull-down staircase, and an unfinished basement/crawl space. It is being sold “as is.”

Just a short walk away are the town dock and beach, Spicer Park, Carson’s Store, Ford’s Lobsters, Abbott’s Lobster in the Rough, Costello’s Clam Shack, Ford’s Black & Blue, and several marinas.

Atkinson said that it’s not uncommon to see neighbors out chatting with neighbors when the weather is favorable. At the height of summer, the town dock and park are favorite respites for the community’s kids.

“I’m so happy to see that community presence is still intact,” Atkinson concluded.

Property: 36 Main St., Groton (Noank)

Bedrooms: 4

Baths: 4

Square Footage: 4,232

Acreage: 0.36

Asking Price: $699,000

Seller’s Agent: Kate Atkinson, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, New England Properties, Mystic brokerage; Mobile: (860) 287-3390; kateatkinson@bhhsne.com