Located in the heart of the Little Compton Commons, 2 Commons Road has been a mainstay in town since it was built in the 1820s as part of the Methodist Church and moved to its present location in the late 1830s.

A private home for many years, after World War II it became The Old Meeting House Inn, owned by Amie Hampton Medary, where she offered lunch, dinner, tea and a dessert called the ‘Tipsy Parson,’ featuring cubes of cake soaked in sherry and covered in cream custard.

The United Congregational Church, across the street, purchased the home in the 1960s and it became their parsonage. More recently they have rented it out as a single-family home. The Congregational Church listed the property for sale earlier this year, along with an historical preservation easement, a requirement for buyers, which ensures the outside will be repaired but preserved and that structurally it will remain intact.

“I think there’s a real sense of shared community history with such a prominent building that so many of us have grown up with and loved over the years,” said Cherry Arnold, sales associate at Mott & Chace Sotheby’s International Realty, who listed the house along with Liz Kinnane. “No one wanted to see it torn down, and now with this easement in place, that will never happen.”

“When we as a church realized the expense to maintain the house was becoming too much and we began exploring options to sell, it was always very important that the outside and the structure itself would be preserved,” said Shirley Hardison, chair of United Congregational Church’s facility committee. So they worked with Preserve Rhode Island, a statewide advocate for Rhode Island’s historic places, to put together an historical preservation easement, which is a binding legal agreement that protects select historical and architectural qualities of the property, ensuring it will not be destroyed or altered inappropriately. “This easement, which will be passed down to future owners as well, gives sellers of historic properties peace of mind going forward that when they sell their properties they will be cared for appropriately. It was a perfect fit for the church,” said Valerie Talimage, Preserve Rhode Island’s executive director.

After receiving several offers, the church accepted a buyer with deep ties to the area, who has restored historic homes in the past. With more than 3,000 square feet and six bedrooms in a once Federal style, transitioned to Greek Revival style architecture, 2 Commons still includes such early details as bracketed cornices, 6 over 6 window panes in the front and 12 over 12 on the sides and in back, high ceilings and wide-plank hardwood floors throughout.

Several months ago, the now new owners, on their way to Wilbur’s General Store, spotted the ‘Coming Soon’ sign in front of the house and knew right away it was where they wanted to be.

“Liz Kinnane and I have fielded many questions from community members about the planned use of the building, and each time I say it’s going to be kept as a single-family home I’m met with a big smile!” said Cherry Arnold.

Plans for the property include improving and updating electrical and plumbing, painting the outside and giving it a refresh, looking after neglected daisies and other plants inside and around the stone wall, planting around the shed, updating the kitchen, repairing some of the hardwood flooring upstairs, trying to get the fireplaces in working order and restoring the navy-blue toile wallpaper on the hallway upstairs and down, which they love. Otherwise, they look forward to kicking back and just enjoying the history and beauty of the house.

“When we first walked through the gate and in the front door, the home was giving us Little Women vibes,” said the homeowner. “It exudes a lovely, calm feeling. We love it and think it deserves to be preserved and remain beautiful.”

In an effort to support the community, the United Congregational Church is donating 15% of the net proceeds from the house’s sale to supporting affordable housing in the area, and other funds will be used for much needed updates to the church’s thrift shop located next door.

“We as a church are thrilled about how this worked out,” said Shirley Hardison. “It’s just given us a lot of joy to know someone else is going to love the house the way it should be loved.”