Jan and John Maggs Antiques
Our Ashfield Odyssey
Chapter 1: Discovering the Land -- April 2004 to January 2005 -- p. 1
July 15, 2004.
Our tale begins at about 7:30 in the morning of July 15, 2004. We had been looking at parcels of land on local Internet sites for several months. This morning a new parcel of land in neighboring Ashfield was listed. With over 1000 feet of frontage, the lot contained 114 acres, at a cost of only about $1000 per acre.
After calling our realtor, we got into the car and drove to Ashfield for a look.
The land, which had been part of a 1000-acre dairy farm in 1900, had been sold off in several large parcels, each of which now held a single residence. The 114 acres was the last portion without a building on it.
As is so with most of the hill towns, the land was rocky and irregular. The once-open pasture was now densely wooded with spruce, hemlock, and pines, with a generous sprinkling of young red maples.
We were captivated by the land and excited by the potential we felt it had for us. On the same evening we made an offer on the property, and within a few days received an acceptable counter offer. We made a deposit and signed an agreement.
