Longfield, Bristol’s longtime most visible fixer-upper, is finally getting the respect it deserves.

The iconic landmark at the north end of Hope Street was built in 1848 in the American Wooden Gothic Revival style (unusual as the Gothic style is typically executed in stone). Longfield's first owners were Charles Dana Gibson and his wife Abby deWolf, grandparents of the notable graphic artist of the same name. Abby deWolf was the granddaughter of William deWolf who, along with his brothers, made a fortune in the slave trade during the latter half of the 18th century.

The house was designed by Russell Warren, who also designed Linden Place, the Francis M. Dimond House at 617 Hope St., and the Arcade, in Providence. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, notable for both its architecture and connections to some of Bristol's more prominent families.

Set on over an acre at 1200 Hope St., Longfield passed through several owners since its inclusion on the National Register, and over the years deferred maintenance has spiraled into outright disrepair. When it last sold in 2021, the interior of the house was stripped down to the studs, and though its historic architectural details have only been minimally altered over the years and intricate woodwork remains throughout the property, the exterior of the house took a huge hit from years of neglect. Before the current owner descended on the property with a team of carpenters and craftsmen, it looked as though the elements were going to finally win.

Not anymore.

Though still a few months away from completion, Longfield today is a sight for sore eyes, and we recently toured the property with the man we have to thank for the turnaround, Kyle Ritchie.

The Portsmouth resident has been in the home renovation and restoration business for over 20 years. He’s originally from central Massachusetts, but he lived in Barrington for several years, and it was during that time he was looking for a multifamily project — that’s when Longfield caught his eye.

“I learned about it, I studied it, and the more I learned, the more fond I grew of the opportunity to do something with this incredible property,” said Ritchie.

He purchased it in May of 2021, but there were quite a few legal, municipal, and regulatory hoops to jump through before he and his team were really able to get to work, in November of 2022. Ritchie’s company, RD Development LLC is exclusively focused on Longfield right now; he is serving as the construction manager, supervising a crew that has swelled to as many as 20 workers, depending on the stage of the project. “Right now, this is my passion,” he said.

And that passion is evident as he points out details like meticulously restored woodwork. Where an architectural element was too far deteriorated, it was recreated using reclaimed wood, handcrafted, with local labor.

But this project is more than just a historical restoration — it is most definitely being built with the future in mind. “Our vision is Model T on the exterior, Tesla inside,” said Ritchie. “We didn't spare any expense.” He has actually divided the interior into two units, front and back, with the front unit at nearly 4,000 square feet, and just under 3,000 in the back. “Our model is to build with aging in place in mind,” he said. “The house has big roof lines and a lot of the space is stacked…and aging in place is hard when you have multiple levels of stairs.”

The solution? Each unit will have an individual elevator to carry residents through four levels, from the garage level (which also includes a media room in the larger unit) to the main level (kitchen and sitting areas), to the second floor (each with two bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms), to the master suites on the top floors.

Aging in place is also front of mind for the four carriage house-style duplexes — new construction — that will be built on the property once Longfield is complete in early 2024. Those units will also be offered with the opportunity to install elevators.

“We want people to be able to take advantage of the history of this home, while also being able to make full use of the property,” said Ritchie. “There's so much old housing stock in New England that doesn't lend to itself to letting people stay in their homes.”

With this historically sensitive but designed-for-modern-living renovation, Longfield is being reborn as a property with a bright future, that has not abandoned its illustrious past.