Photo Courtesy: Conn Hunter
Peter Hunter and his son, Blake, scour the countryside for old materials and then stitch them together to create unique homes.
Peter Hunter and his adult son, Blake, stand shoulder-to-shoulder, admiring the newly reconstructed wooden windows of a historic farmhouse in downtown Crozet, Virginia. The addition is the latest in a project they’ve been working on for about three years—transforming a decrepit Revolutionary War-era structure into a cozy vacation home not far from the Shenandoah National Park.
The process hasn’t been easy. It started with disassembling the house board-by-board, saving what was usable and moving everything about three miles into town. Peter restored old siding and matched it with materials he’d salvaged from historic homes in the past. The same was done for exposed chestnut beams and heart-pine flooring. Two mostly toppled stone fireplaces were reconfigured into jaw-droppingly beautiful chimneys. Staircase bannisters and railings were made custom using period-correct styles and techniques. The list goes on.
“Peter approaches these projects like an artist,” says homeowner Matt Lucas. “It’s like he’s trying to bring an old, lost painting back to life. Only, when he does, it’s more incredible than you possibly could’ve imagined.”
Lucas, a software engineer, learned of the father-son duo after buying a rundown 19th century plantation-style house in Albemarle County in the mid-2000s. Lucas hoped to restore its historical grandeur as accurately as possible—but, with a wife and two small children, also wanted modern comforts. Shopping around for contractors, the name of Peter Hunter came up often.
“You’ve heard of the guitarist’s guitarist, well, Peter’s like the builder’s builder,” says Lucas with a laugh.
Hunter, 66, has spent 40-plus years rebuilding historic cabins and homes in the Charlottesville area and Shenandoah Valley. To do it, he pairs hand-salvaged and custom-made materials with period-correct architecture and project-specific research.
Prior jobs have included rebuilding the grand entryway of a Gilded Age estate bordering the Shenandoah National Park, using slate from fallen stables in Buckingham County, pink marble casing and columns from a century-old condemned mansion, and exposed beams from a previously disassembled tobacco warehouse. Windowsills, doors, wainscotting and trim were hand-carved from walnut trees harvested onsite. A blacksmith recreated light fixtures and hardware for doors from old photos.
Elsewhere, Hunter restored a 200-year-old log cabin, then disassembled and added two 17th century colonial homes as wings. He added touches like countertops shaped from slabs of salvaged marble, copper roofs and gutters, antique clawfoot tubs and Old Italian Venetian limestone tiles pulled from a renovation job.
Searching for materials has been an adventure. Since Hunter started in the early-1980s, he says he’s “driven probably every mile of every backroad in Virginia hunting for great stuff.” Discoveries have led to dismantling hundreds of old structures—including textile mills, bridges, stone chimneys, homes, barns and more.
Customers say the process is costly, but worth it. They get beautiful homes with incomparable character and that are built to stand the test of time. The enthusiasm has won Hunter a devoted following and enabled him to rely on 100% word-of-mouth marketing. He has no website, social media accounts or digital portfolio. And that’s exactly how he prefers it.
“I could’ve hired a bunch of guys and tried to make a big business out of this,” says Hunter. But that would’ve hampered his ability to take an intimate, hands-on approach to jobs.
“I’m a creative person,” he says. “What I love about this line of work is finding ways to solve unique and crazy problems, and trying to get all the little details right. That’s not something you can do sitting in an office!”
While Hunter has hired crews for short and long-term stints, he’s mainly relied on artisan friends and his son, Blake, for help. These days, Blake handles most of the rigorous labor. Peter primarily focuses on design, logistics, sourcing materials and fine-tuning details.
“Blake’s been around this stuff since he was a little boy, so, by now, it’s basically second nature to him,” says Peter. “It’s been a true joy to watch him grow and learn and begin to surpass me in terms of his craftsmanship.”
Blake started out as a youngster helping dad combine three old cabins into a 3,000-square-foot home for the family in Batesville. Now 37, he’s had time to master his father’s novel craft.
“Watching the Hunters work is an amazing experience,” says Lucas, likening the process to a huge artistic puzzle. “They figure out one part, then that suggests what comes next. Bit by bit, this beautiful, incredible work of art emerges.”
Best of all, when it’s all said and done, clients get to live inside.
The story above first appeared in our March/April 2021 issue.
