Three guest bedrooms in a Colonial home on Washington Street make a great launchpad for visitors to Keene. From here, it's a pleasant walk or drive to Downtown restaurants, the theatre and shops. The Sterling family has owned this pretty place since 1982 and a design studio operates in the barn portion of the space. The open living room with TV and original fireplace adjoin a "tea room" with a bright bay window. Family chef-approved, guests are welcome to use the spacious kitchen. Built by brickmaker Eliphalet Briggs in 1791, this property has all the charm you'd expect in a 230-year-old home and renovated barn. A few upgrades have happened since Eliphalet and his offspring, the Briggs sisters, lived here; including solar power. The renovated barn space has been home to a design studio since 1986. The guest space and the studio are inaccessible to each other. There is no overlap indoors or outdoors, with parking and entrances on opposite sides of the building. The yard and pool are exclusively for guests. The three upstairs bedrooms all have the original slanted ceilings of a Colonial cape. They are cozy and simple. The upstairs bath has a tub/shower with great water pressure. Downstairs, the space is open with gleaming hardwood floors throughout. A tea-room, living room/study with the original fireplace, and kitchen are open to guests. The entire brick part of the house, plus the full kitchen, are for guest use only and no one else will enter these sections while you are there. Complete privacy! The barn houses a studio/office. The studio portion of the property will likely be owner-occupied effect but our practice of not interacting in-person with guests will continue: you will not encounter anyone during your visit. We have carefully designed separate parking and separate entrances. The two exceptions to this are after snowfalls for snow-blowing and shoveling; and, in the summer, pool maintenance every few days. We time these maintenance things between guests when possible but if your summer stay is longer than two days, we will text you and let you know when we will be tending the pool (generally early in the morning). It is our goal to never interrupt your stay. Effective late January 2021, the separate office in the upstairs of the barn is occupied by the property owner but there is no overlap with guests. We are available only by text or email for any questions that may arise. We are across the street from Franklin elementary school, which has a great playground. Behind the school is a beautiful cemetery, an ideal walking/jogging place. And beyond that is an access point to Robin Rood Park. An easy hike gets you from our place into a cool park with trails and fascinating boulders (map available for guest use). Up the street less than a half mile is the Recreation Center and green space. And down the street a half mile is Downtown Keene--a very easy walk. Turn right from our driveway and you are Downtown in .5 mile. Keep going to straight for another .5 mile to get to Keene State. Turn left from the driveway and in .9 miles you can access Route 9 to Concord, Walpole, Brattleboro, Northfield, MA, or Peterborough without going into town.