b"That meant it would come with a list of what they could and couldnt do to it. Scott says it did not scare them away from buying the house. Eventually we determined that no, we liked the house enough to work with it.As the Seligs found out, owning an historic home is not easy. The couple scoured the internet and spoke with historical experts for sources and recommendations. They worked with an architect to inspect it and create a punch list of items that needed to be completed. Although he deemed the house to be in remarkably good shape, he noted that one of the support beams, a bark-covered tree trunk in the basement, had old termite damage.The house's foyer looks much the same as it did in 1936. (L) Historic American Buildings The architect came to believe that the original part of the home was of DutchSurvey, HABS NJ-337, Library of Congress, John Spinola, Photographer (Nov. 6, 1936). construction. Sonya describes that when he found parts of the original structure,(R) Photo by Joy Yagid.including probably the original shingles, he came downstairs so giddy and said, This is Dutch construction. This is Dutch! She says, In his best estimate, the original part of the house could date between 1710 to 1720, but theres no way to know for sure. This means it could have been built by Dutch owners before the English came or built by Dutch people hired by English owners. Luckily, the Seligs learned that the termite-damaged beam in the basement could be shored up. Next, the chimney took its place as the top priority when it started leaking during heavy rains. So-nya has even seen a snowflake or two come down the chimney. They located a mason who will repair it in an histori-cally accurate way.There are some things for which to be grateful, such as having 18-inch-thick stone walls during Superstorm Sandy. The house is solid though. I This plaque certifies that the home has been placed on the National Register ofnever felt safer, Sonya says. One ofThe house has a spacious lawn with beautiful shrubs on the south side of the property. Historic Places. Photo by Joy Yagid. the giant maples trunks snapped andPhoto by Joy Yagid.feature story /27"