ARUNDEL, Maine – Just a short hop to the beaches and many other attractions of Kennebunk and Kennebunkport, this property sits in a part of town traditionally known as Vinegar Hill. If that sounds odd, consider: The place name is derived not from the acidic liquid, but is a transliteration of the Gaelic for “hill of the wood with the berries.”

That musical phrase perfectly suits this charming farmhouse Cape on an acre-plus lot with gardens, apple trees and lilacs, and a magnificent black walnut tree as a centerpiece to the fenced-in back yard. (The rich-soiled land here was, we are told, a potato farm when the home was built in 1850.) Today, the house retains a great deal of its vintage character, even as it has been completely renovated over the past decade.

Just two years ago the sellers re-invented the original ell, creating a stunning, modern kitchen that, measures 12×24 square feet and easily accommodates a dining table. Down a step, through a rustic door frame, is a delightful, wide-pine-floored sitting room/office/den with a gas stove, and twin French doors opening out to the irregular-blue-stone patio, near which the remains of an ancient foundation make a cool fire pit.

The living room runs front-to-back, enjoys great warmth from a new pellet stove, and has tall casement windows whose elegance complements the rustic ambiance.
The private, first-floor master suite is another advantage. The carpeted bedroom has a double, partially walk-in closet, and a gorgeous bath with clawfoot cast-iron tub, tile floor, river-pebble bands and shower enclosure floor, and ingenious made-of-stone corner soap-shelves.

Both a back stairway (from the living room) and front-and-center stairs, painted dark brown for a nice accent, rise from the sidelit foyer to a two-bedroom second story that is both warm and bright with wood: pine-paneled from floors to ceilings, but with exposed beams, and maple doors for subtle contrast. Open to the center hall (which also functions as a sitting area) the south bedroom accesses attic storage space above the ell, and hosts the full bath (tiled, with soaking tub and pedestal sink). Both bedrooms have skylights and fans.

For a virtual tour by Wave5 Productions, please visit www.626River.com.

The home at 626 River Road, Arundel is pending sale, and was listed at $315,000 by Frank Strout of RE/MAX Oceanside in Cape Elizabeth.

For more information on fine properties in Southern Maine, please contact Frank at 799-7600 ext. 104, 776-4245, or at FrankStrout@Remax.net.

For a virtual tour by Wave5 Productions, please visit www.626River.com.

Produced by the Marketing Department of the Maine Sunday Telegram, the Home of the Week is provided at no cost.

Staff photos by Derek Davis.

HOW suggestions: jrolfe@pressherald.com.