An architecturally significant home that rose from the ruins of an old barn has hit the market in Romansville, PA.

Here’s how that came to be. Decades ago, after a barn fire on the property, then-owner Norman Gaffney had the idea to hire architect Peter Bohlin to build a house on the site and incorporate the barn’s remains.

The standout residence was commissioned in 1977 and is known as the Norman Gaffney House. Also on the 10-acre grounds are a farmhouse and a guest apartment.

Now the prize-winning property and adjacent structures are listed for $925,000.

“I love that it’s built inside the ruins of an old barn,” says listing agent Matt Gorham, with Keller Williams Real Estate – Exton. “This architect found a way to making that a viable building once again.”

‘It’s really beautiful’

Many of the stone walls, inside and out, are from the barn structure.

“You see all the stone on the right side as you walk in,” Gorham says, adding that a wall in the kitchen was part of the barn. “It’s really beautiful.”

Bohlin is the 2010 American Institute of Architects Gold Medal winner and has designed many notable structures, including Seattle’s City Hall, Manhattan’s Apple Store on 5th Avenue, and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates’ compound known as Xanadu 2.0.

“He is a pretty well-thought-of architect and designer, so this is a pretty neat project,” Gorham says of the approximately 2,000-square-foot, two-bedroom home.

The design boasts huge windows and a striking respect for nature.

The architectural marvel was featured in Architectural Record Houses of 1981 and won a national AIA Honor Award.

The publication mentions its “oblique placement of the stairs and the cutout in the corner of the master bedroom. Both are designed to exploit the fine views.”

The walls of glass take advantage of the home’s natural surroundings.

“It is a really peaceful retreat, sitting in the middle of a lot of rolling hills and overlooks a spectacular horse farm,” Gorham says. “It was really well thought out and really intelligent. The sun just comes pouring in, and you can just look over it all, which is very peaceful.”

A little Italy

The current owners purchased the property for $404,000 in 2012 and have since made some changes.

“A lot of the stuff they have done is taste-specific, and some people would appreciate it and some wouldn’t,” Gorham acknowledges.

The personal touches include the bedroom ceiling design, which features a replica from a 15th-century Italian palace.

“Italy is a place the seller frequents and wanted to bring a little piece of that back,” Gorham explains.

In addition, a steel support column now has tile accents, and the bathrooms and kitchen are also new. Gorham notes that the owner never cooks, so the stove and other appliances have been used infrequently.

Gorham says about $1.2 million was spent on updates that also include intricate mahogany windowsills and railings.

“She knows she is not going to get it back,” he says of the seller’s renovation costs. “She wanted to make sure she was doing the right thing by the house.”

One piece of furniture in the home dates back to its original owners. In the main room, there’s a coffee table that looks like it has a bite taken out of it. It’s said to echo the architectural lines of the home.

“It’s pretty cool,” Gorham says. “It just belongs there.”

A 2,380-square-foot, two-bedroom farmhouse, which the seller has used as an art studio, is at the front of the property.

There is also a barn with a small apartment included in the sale.

The current owners have used the property as a vacation home, which could continue with the next owner.

Gorham envisions a buyer who is “very artsy and that wants to have complete quiet” or maybe a city professional looking for a weekend retreat.

“Maybe it’s someone that has downsized, loves the area and wants a 10-acre property that does not require a ton of maintenance,” he says.

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