The Rufus Allen Pump House - What's Old is New.

Built in 1774, one of the oldest homes in Fairhaven, the Rufus Allen Pump House has been completely renovated and updated. This ¾ federal style home has 3 bedrooms, one full-bath and two half-baths, 6 fireplaces, wide pine floors, and offers approximately 2300 square feet of living space. Every wire, pipe, window, door, fixture, and appliance is new. All insulation, electric, plumbing, heating, ductwork, exterior shingles, and roofing are also new.

The present owner has added off-street parking; a spacious, first floor mahogany deck; a second floor balcony, and a third floor balcony offering expansive views of the harbor and its working waterfront.

Climb the original granite steps and enter the front foyer to see original wide-pine flooring and a carved federal staircase. To the right is a fireplaced den/ study with closet. To the left is a fireplaced living room with original dentil molding. This room is open to a fireplaced, eat-in kitchen with granite counters, breakfast bar, new maple cabinets, new stainless steel appliances, a pantry, and French doors opening to a spacious mahogany deck, built for privacy, while allowing harbor views. Also off the kitchen is a back hallway with another door opening to the deck and a combination laundry room and half bath.

On the second floor are two bedrooms, one of which is a large suite with a slider to a mahogany balcony. Both bedrooms have access to a full bath with whirlpool tub and stand alone shower. This bathroom has harbor views and is a lovely place to sit and soak at the end of the day.

Finally, ascend to the third floor, which has the best views of all. It has a pocket balcony and a European-style half-bath. This room could be used as a bedroom, a sitting room, an office, or an artist studio.

The entire home is filled with wonderful light due to the new windows, sliders, and French doors. The views are West-facing, affording beautiful sunset views. Every day watch ships being worked on, fishing boats unloading their catch, and the lights of the city coming on across the harbor. This is a very unusual home - an interesting mixture of antique and contemporary, close to everything and overlooking a working waterfront. This home is just a few blocks from the library, the town hall, several restaurants and stores.

This project is nearing completion but is not yet done. All work will be finished prior to closing. Work to be completed includes: repair of stone walls at front of house and abutting parking area, creation of parking area including curb cut and surfacing, completion of first floor mahogany deck and second floor mahogany balcony, refinishing of stairways, tiling of bathrooms and kitchen, trim painting and new railings at front door.

The home has been written about in several publications and is historically significant. During the Revolutionary War, soldiers are said to have operated out of the ground floor and, for years, the home had a dent from an English cannonball from the raid of 1778. Lots of Federal detail remains. The house also had a well and pump, hence the name "pump house". There is still a replica of the original pump standing adjacent to the house.

"Lot fourteen is on the north side of Union Street. The house now owned by Mrs. Zenas Winsor was built in 1774 by Levin Stott, afterward owned by Rufus Men, Jr., and after him his daughters, the Allen girls, so-called. Rufus' store in the basement on Union street was a popular place in my boyhood days, and, no doubt, did a fine business with those who went down to the main ships, when the going down was profitable. It still bears the marks of an English cannon ball from the raid of 1778."

"Now not Jacob's but Rufus' well was there. With the aid of a very tall pump log placing the handle above the reach of boys, one Nicolas Hathaway, he of the brass ear rings, stood on a cask and pumping through a long length of leather hose and the long length of a day filled the whaling cask with water for the vessels tied at Union wharf, the busiest place in town when Fairhaven was in its prime."

"The west end of this lot was sold to Noah Stoddard in 1804 and he with others purchased lots fifteen, sixteen and seventeen, organizing an association which built Union wharf. This was lined with stores and workshops of all kinds kindred to the shipping interests on each side of Union Street. "

"This wharf registers the locality where fortunes were made and lost. In 1887 it came into possession of Henry H. Rogers."

- Excerpt from the Fairhaven Story, by Thomas Tripp, compiled in 1929.

This property is zoned mixed use and has a full basement with a beehive oven.