BY ELISE PORTALE PHOTOGRAPHY BY RYAN L I U STYLING BY COURTNEY AC HILLI
A HOME WITH HISTORY. The house was built sometime between 1882 and 1884 as a summer cottage on the Shrewsbury River. Courtney and her husband, John, were able to find out a lot about the home, thanks to records kept by one former homeowner, who shared letters and photos with the couple. The couple also used old photos to help reconstruct original elements such as the porch posts and railing. Photos indicated that the home had always had two front doors.
You can buy a lot for your home, but you can’t buy character. At least, that’s what Courtney Achilli believes, and when you take your first steps into the historic home she shares with her husband, John, as well as the vacationers who book a stay through Airbnb, it seems impossible to disagree with her. Every nook and cranny of this late-1800s house in Long Branch, New Jersey—from the 12 architectural replaces to the exposed wood beams—is brimming with the character that only a home that has survived the test of time can exude.