By Gretchen A. Peck

This week, Heather Bassett and George Bassett, broker-owners of Bassett Realty LLC, listed 11 Lathrop Avenue in Norwich. It’s a three-bedroom single-family home on 0.26 acres near the Norwichtown Historic District.

The Victorian-style house dates back to 1874. Tammy Murphy and her husband, John, bought the property 30 years ago. She spoke with Welcome Home about their family’s three-decade relationship with the house. She described the floor plans, comprising two full levels of living space.

Inside the front door, the central staircase— with a delicate curvature—ascends to the second floor. The first floor affords a living room, dining room and kitchen.

“There are pocket doors between the living room and dining room. They’re solid,” she pointed out. A former pantry was reclaimed in the interest of having a full bath on the first floor, as well.

During their time here, the couple made some noteworthy improvements. They renovated the kitchen approximately 20 years ago, so that it would function well for their family. Initially, they had a breakfast table in the center of the space, but opted to swap that out for a portable center island on casters. The laminate counters are particularly durable, stain-resistant and low-maintenance.

The co-owner described the kitchen as cozy and functional.

They put new siding on the exterior and extended the covered front porch so that it now wraps around the right side of the house. Though a new addition to the architecture, it seems original to the house, as if it was always intended to be there.

“My husband studied architecture in school and was also a drafting teacher. He said, if we’re going to redo the porch, we have to do it so it looks original,” Murphy recalled.

Recently, the owners upgraded the oil tank and installed a new hot water heater.

All three bedrooms are on the second floor, where there’s also a renovated full bath, complete with an antique bathtub.

For storage space, the house has an attic level, with ladder access from the second-floor hallway, and an unfinished basement.

“There are two old coal bins down there, which are original. Two sections of the basement have dirt floors, and the rest of it has a cement floor. And, of course, there’s a stone foundation,” Murphy said.

When the weather permitted, their family enjoyed the covered porch, which steps down to a patio.

The 0.26-acre property borders the historic Norwichtown district. The seller explained how a stone wall demarcates the border along the back of the property.

Their family appreciated the location. Murphy explained, “It’s convenient to everything. Stop-and-Shop is literally a three-minute mark away. There’s a McDonald’s. … It’s very walkable. We walk a lot.”

Property: 11 Lathrop Ave., Norwich

Bedrooms: 3

Baths: 2

Square Footage: 1,193

Acreage: 0.26

Asking Price: $259,900

Listing Agents: Heather & George Bassett, Team Bassett Realty LLC; Office: (860) 334-1693; teambassettct@gmail.com