By Gretchen A. Peck

A waterfront two-family home in Mystic, 274 Noank Road, is offered to the market for $895,000. Berkshire Hathaway Realtor Bill Turner is the listing agent.

When Sue Peowski and her husband, Bill, bought this house more than 25 years ago, it “changed my life,” she told Welcome Home. Their youngest child had just gone off to college. They’d been living in a beautiful rural part of the state, among woodlands and meadows, but they craved a new perspective and a change of pace.

“We were ready for something different, so I came to Mystic and saw the ‘House for Sale’ sign. I went upstairs to meet the real estate agent, who was sitting on the second-floor porch, and when I saw the view of the Mystic River, I just knew right that minute that my whole life was going to change,” she recalled.

The house was built in 1906. A placard on the front porch honors the first owner, David Beebe, who was a mate on a whaling schooner.

Previous owners reconfigured the house, adding a full kitchen to the second floor, so that it’s a true two-family residence now. The Peowskis lived on the second floor and ran a successful short-term rental business out of the first floor, which is self-sustaining and has its own entrance.

“The bedroom on the first floor looks out to the cove,” Peowski explained.

The multifamily nature of the house affords a great deal of flexibility and opportunity for the buyer. They might carry on the popular short-term rental business or perhaps enjoy a multigenerational living scenario. The current owner also suggested that it would be quite easy to return it to a single-family home by removing the kitchen appliances and returning the space to a bedroom or perhaps a home office.

The existing second-floor primary bedroom faces east, so it delivers captivating views of the moonrise.

Besides the two levels of living space, the house also has a walk-up attic and basement for plenty of storage space.

The 0.26-acre lot has been landscaped with perennial gardens. The property’s water frontage is on Tuft’s Cove, a shallow body of water that only accommodates small tenders, kayaks and paddle boards that can fit under the elevated train tracks that separate the cove from the river.

“We see egrets, great blue herons, lots of wading birds,” Peowski said.

Beyond the cove, there are moorings where larger vessels gently sway on the river. All of Mystic Seaport’s boat traffic, including tall ships, pass through their field of vision.

When the Peowskis moved in, they expected to use a shed on the property as a storage building for outdoor furnishings, lawn tools and other such items.

“But it so happened that we had several pieces of Victorian-style wicker furniture. My friend made cushions for them. They’re very pretty. So, I put them in the shed and once they were there, I thought, wow, this looks cozy,” she said. To her “she shed,” she subsequently added some tables, candles and decorative items that made it even more inviting. She’s hosted gatherings with friends there, serving wine or tea. When they’ve had rental guests in residence, she’s made the outbuilding available to them.

“Several have written in our guestbook that they like the ‘she shed’ a lot,” she said.

What was once a boat shed became a garage over the years. It has windows that look out to the cove. A master carpenter, Bill Peowski claimed it as his workshop. It’s where he handcrafted cabinets and custom moldings for the home’s interiors.

“What Bill and I liked so much was being able to walk out the door and down to Captain Daniel Packer Inne, to the bookstore, or to any of the shops and restaurants on Main Street,” she said. “We also love Noank and Stonington Borough. Everything is within 10 minutes.”

At press time, the sellers had accepted an offer; however, back-up offers may still be accepted. Buyers’ agents are advised to contact the listing agent regarding the status.

Property: 274 Noank Rd., Mystic

Bedrooms: 4

Baths: 2

Square Footage: 2,048

Acreage: 0.26

Asking Price: $895,000

Listing Agent: Bill F. Turner, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, New England Properties; Mobile: (860) 501-5453; billturner@bhhsne.com