Page 20 - The Hunt - Winter 2019/2020

HOME & GARDEN
from Lancaster, Pa, to create new walls. Workers laid historically correct six-inch flooring planks of European white oak in a herringbone pattern. All seven fireplaces were outfitted for gas, too.
A spacious new kitchen ushers the home into the 21st century. Elsewhere, a three-story addition to the main house includes a family room, a master bedroom and bath, a mudroom, a screened porch, an elevator, and a lower-
level safe room. To match the addition to the original multicolored slate roof, acquired pieces from a vintage building in Vermont. “Putting
a new roof on this house would’ve seriously compromised its character,” Tony says.
PAST MEETS PRESENT
In the 1950s, the mansion was home to Roxana Cannon Arsht, the first woman judge in Delaware, and her husband Samuel, a corporate attorney who chaired the committee to revise the general corporate law in 1967 that made Delaware a destination for businesses to incorporate. Their daughter, the philanthropist and arts patron Adrienne
Arsht, gave her parents the tennis courts on the grounds, which the Wedos plan to restore.
Fittingly, Adrienne stopped by to meet the Wedos on a visit from Florida to see how the restoration was progressing. “She was so happy she was moved to tears,” says Tony.
Other enhancements to the estate include a new three-bedroom guesthouse and three- car garage, a larger original garage, and a swimming pool on a series of terraces that transition from the house to the tennis courts. “We wanted the pool to look like it’s been here for at least 60 years,” Carrie says.
RELAXED RESTORATION
After much work, the house retains its grandeur, exuding an elegant and relaxed vibe. The stately staircase that captivated the Wedos is now decorated with garland for the holidays.
The windows in the wood-paneled sunroom have no curtains, leaving the view of the grounds unobstructed. In the formal living room, a tufted sofa and zebra rug are grouped in front of the fire. Busy wallpaper has been traded for a serene
palette of soft blues and creams. The dining room has upholstered chairs and a long, lean table.
A marble fireplace is flanked by arched built-
in china closets that glisten with crystal. A
gilded mirror came from Tony’s 18th-century childhood home in Shippensburg, Pa.
All the effort doubled the time and expense of the project, Tony says. But he admits it
was worth every minute and every penny, and he and Carrie love sharing their home with others. On holidays, they set up dining tables throughout the first floor to accommodate extended family. Carrie, who has 12 siblings, cooks with her sisters. More than 50 people join hands in the dining room for a prayer before the meal.
They hope to add more happy traditions to the house. Some day, they’d like to host their sons’ weddings on the grounds, beneath the shade of century-old trees the Wedos have come to think of as friends.
“We love our home because it’s warm, welcoming and not ostentatious,” Carrie says. “You just feel good when you’re here.”o
For more gorgeous photos of this restored mansion, visit www.thehuntmagazine.com.
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18 THE HUNT MAGAZINE winter 2019-20