For old house lovers, the search for the perfect historic home often leads to well-known cities. But some of the most rewarding discoveries lie in places you might never have considered. In 2011, This Old House tracked down seventeen of North America’s most timeless small towns, places where lovingly crafted old houses have extraordinary pasts and promising futures. Working with PreservationDirectory.com, they distributed nomination forms to more than 14,000 historical societies and preservation nonprofits to assemble a list of off-the-beaten-path communities. What emerged was a remarkable collection of hamlets where historic architecture, strong community spirit, and affordable housing converge. For more on finding historic neighborhoods rich in architectural character, read about Exploring Americas Best Victorian Era Neighborhoods For Old House Enthusiasts.
New England’s Historic Small Towns for Old House Lovers
New England dominates any discussion of old-house living. Hardwick, Vermont, once a 19th-century granite-mining boomtown that went bust, reinvented itself through local food and agriculture. The town of 3,000 now hosts the Center for an Agricultural Economy, which works with farmers and agribusiness to develop healthy food systems. Folk Victorians built by mining bosses feature Italianate, Queen Anne, and Second Empire details, selling between $125,000 and $200,000. Classic Capes and Colonial Revivals can be found for under $125,000. The town’s Main Street hosts a bakery, bookstore, boutique, and co-op of micro-businesses. Why Walkable Neighborhoods Command Premium Home Prices And Stronger Community Value explains how towns like Hardwick benefit from compact, pedestrian-friendly downtowns.
Tariffville Village in Simsbury, Connecticut, is a pocket of 320 families 11 miles northwest of Hartford. Greek Revivals and Folk Victorians range from $180,000 for fixer-uppers to $400,000 for larger houses in beautiful condition. Simsbury earned a spot on the National Trust’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations list and was named one of the Best Places to Live in America by Money magazine. Ipswich, Massachusetts, 30 miles northeast of Boston, has 58 structures built before 1725, more First Period houses than any other U.S. community. These Postmedieval English timberframe dwellings are typically family owned and rarely appear on the market. Queen Anne and Italianate homes sell around $600,000, while a Colonial Revival needing full renovation near the town center might list near $170,000. Francestown, New Hampshire, with about 1,500 residents, offers Cape Cod and Federal houses, many with English-style gardens. Almost all buildings here date from the late 1700s to late 1800s. A Queen Anne recently listed at $225,000 and an 1826 Federal with an attached barn at $295,000.
| Town | State | Key Architectural Styles | Price Range | Distance to Major City |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardwick | Vermont | Folk Victorian, Italianate, Colonial Revival | $125,000 to $200,000 | 60 min to Burlington |
| Tariffville | Connecticut | Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Folk Victorian | $180,000 to $400,000 | 25 min to Hartford |
| Ipswich | Massachusetts | Postmedieval English, Queen Anne, Italianate | $170,000 to $600,000 | 45 min to Boston |
| Francestown | New Hampshire | Cape Cod, Federal, Queen Anne | $225,000 to $295,000 | 90 min to Boston |
Mid-Atlantic and Southern Old-House Destinations
The Mid-Atlantic and Southern regions offer remarkable variety for old house hunters. Lambertville, New Jersey, is a Delaware River enclave of nearly 5,000 that attracts artists, writers, and professionals willing to commute 45 minutes to Philadelphia or 90 minutes to Manhattan. Its history dates to 1705, producing Federal, Greek Revival, Italian Villa, Gothic Revival, and Queen Anne homes alongside 1850s rowhouses built for Irish canal workers. A two-bedroom Colonial rowhouse from the 1700s was available for $168,000. Half of Lambertville’s 1,900 historic structures are on the National Register, and the town’s annual Shad Fest celebrates the return of American shad to the Delaware River.
Milton, Delaware, settled in the 1680s, was a schooner-building center and the Holly Capital of the World. About 40 percent of its homes have been restored, with styles from Colonial and Federal to Gothic Revival, Italianate, and Queen Anne. Some contain wide-plank floorboards from sailing vessels and stained-glass windows. An 1830s vernacular home with Federal features recently listed at $200,000. Martinsburg, West Virginia, contains ten National Register Historic Districts with every American house style from Federal to Foursquare. Starter homes begin under $100,000, and a restored four-bedroom Queen Anne can be found for $250,000. Bartlesville, Oklahoma, traces its history to the 1897 discovery of oil and features Frank Lloyd Wright’s Price Tower, one of only two skyscrapers he ever built. Queen Annes, Tudor Revivals, and Craftsman bungalows start at about $100,000, with property taxes around $1,400 annually.
Western Gems and Frontier Towns with Historic Character
The western United States contributes its own distinct flavor of small-town historic living. Sitka, Alaska, located on Baranof Island and reachable only by boat or plane, was the capital of Russian America and the site of the 1867 Alaska Purchase handoff. Downtown has well-kept Queen Annes from the 1890s, Craftsman bungalows from 1910, and vernacular fisherman’s cottages, averaging around $400,000 for a three-bedroom house in good condition. Sitka boasts the lowest electric rates in Alaska, powered by two hydroelectric plants. Downtown Mesa, Arizona, just east of Phoenix, offers Craftsman bungalows with wide porches alongside Spanish Eclectic and vernacular adobe houses starting around $150,000. A light-rail extension through Main Street promised to raise property values and improve commuting. Smart Strategies Affordable Townhome Development Desirable Urban Neighborhoods explores how accessible homeownership and transit investment work together in communities like Mesa to create lasting value.
Sheridan, Wyoming, preserves turn-of-the-century western storefronts as working businesses, not museum pieces. Most historic homes are in Residence Hill along South Main, with Craftsman as the predominant style. Expect to pay from $275,000 for a 3,000-square-foot historic home, with property taxes around $1,500 a year. The West End of Alameda, California, saw a remarkable revival after its Naval Air Station closed in 1997. Film studios, fitness centers, and wineries now occupy the hangars. Arts and Crafts bungalows and Victorian cottages needing some work come at reasonable prices. A 1,377-square-foot 1915 bungalow recently listed at $299,000, with a 20-minute ferry ride to San Francisco and an underwater tunnel to Oakland.
Canada’s Remarkable Historic Small Towns
Canada contributed three outstanding small towns to this survey, each with a unique story. Saint Andrews, New Brunswick, was one of Canada’s first pre-fab communities: British loyalists fleeing the American colonies settled here in 1783, some transporting their dismantled homes for rebuilding. The majestic Tudor-style Algonquin Hotel, built in 1889, still stands. Local bylaws prohibit chain stores, so Water Street shops remain the 1880s originals. Cape Cod cottages and center-hall Georgians from the 1830s are common. A restored 1770 Cape runs about $360,000, and Saint Andrews attracts American ex-pats seeking more house for their money compared with similar coastal locales.
Cranbrook, British Columbia, nestled in the Columbia Valley at the foot of the Rockies, became a vital hub after the Canadian Pacific Railway arrived in 1898. Period homes in the historic Baker Hill neighborhood include Craftsman bungalows and vernacular cottages starting at $200,000. The city sits within 60 minutes of four ski areas and offers hiking, biking, and snowshoeing. Dawson City, Yukon Territory, was the Klondike Gold Rush epicenter, with more than 100 gold rush era houses along Front Street. Frontier vernacular homes feature Edwardian and Victorian frills with corrugated-metal roofs, standing on wood cribbing for permafrost re-leveling. Prices range from $175,000 to $300,000, and owners of historic properties can apply for matching restoration grants up to $20,000. The preservation efforts across these Canadian towns mirror the principles of Building Walkable Neighborhoods The New Urbanism Approach To Modern Community Development, where historic character and pedestrian-friendly design reinforce each other to create lasting community value.
The Shared Qualities of Great Old-House Communities
Looking across these seventeen towns, several common themes emerge. These are not just places with old buildings; they are communities with preservation cultures, walkable downtowns, and economic vitality that supports continued investment in historic properties.
- Walkable downtowns nearly every town features a compact commercial core where residents walk to shops and services. This creates street-level interaction that builds community and maintains property values over the long term.
- Affordable entry points most offer historic homes well under $300,000, with many fixer-uppers available under $150,000. This makes old-house ownership accessible to first-time buyers, young families, and retirees alike.
- Architectural diversity rather than a single dominant style, these towns accumulated homes across multiple eras from Colonial and Federal to Queen Anne and Craftsman. This variety keeps streetscapes visually interesting and offers buyers real choice.
- Active preservation communities historical societies, preservation commissions, and neighborhood associations actively protect architectural heritage through National Register districts and restoration support programs.
- Connection to nature almost every town offers rivers, coastline, mountains, or farmland for outdoor recreation, attracting residents who might otherwise choose larger metropolitan areas.
Easton, Maryland, exemplifies these qualities with about 14,000 people and all the cultural amenities Washingtonians demand. A 3,480-square-foot Folk Victorian near downtown was available for $129,000, and a five-bedroom Second Empire farmhouse on 2.69 acres listed at $346,000. Elkader, Iowa, the only American town named after a Muslim revolutionary, was founded in 1846 and named for Abd al-Qadir, who fought French occupation in Algeria. Pattern book houses from architect George Franklin Barber feature wraparound porches and spindle-work, ranging from $60,000 for a handyman’s special to $300,000 for a restored Painted Lady. The ongoing appeal of historic design principles in new construction is explored in The Modern Barnhouse Vision Colin Oglesbay And The 2021 This Old House Idea House, which shows how traditional forms find new life in contemporary homes.
Window Selection For The Farmhouse In Fairfield County Marvin Windows In The This Old House Idea House demonstrates the kind of thoughtful restoration work that keeps historic homes both beautiful and functional. Whether you are drawn to Hardwick’s agricultural revival, Lambertville’s artist community, or Dawson City’s gold rush heritage, the opportunity to own a piece of history in a thriving small town is more accessible than many people realize. These seventeen towns prove that the best old house neighborhoods are often the ones that require a little extra searching to find and reward those who take the time to discover them.