T
he Howe Mansion, a Queen‑Anne landmark at 9 Little Nahant Road, sits atop Nahant’s hill overlooking Revere Beach. Built in 1880 by Boston merchant Thomas Howe and designed by Wait & Cutter, the house was one of the first coastal retreats that signaled Nahant’s shift from a windswept outpost to a fashionable New England summer colony.

    For more than a century the mansion fell into disrepair. After passing through several owners it was abandoned, vandalized, and burdened with back taxes, leading to repossession by local and federal agencies. By 2023 it was an eyesore, its once‑grand tower and verandahs reduced to a shell.

    Ricky Beliveau of Volnay Capital, a developer with a portfolio of historic renovations, saw potential where others saw ruin. He announced a full‑scale rebuild that began with a to‑the‑studs overhaul: steel framing, a new roof, new flooring, and a modern HVAC system. The 10,820‑square‑foot house was re‑imagined with a wine lounge, home theater, and a chef‑ready kitchen featuring 16‑foot ceilings, skylights, and a large island. Four rooms were merged to create a spacious primary suite complete with a porthole window over the tub.

    Every room now offers water views, and one side of the house looks out over the Boston skyline. Interior design was handled by Shayna Bernshtein and Kelly Penny of Salt and Stone, who blended a modern, coastal aesthetic with the building’s historic character. They preserved the original staircase, molding, and paneling, using a Sherwin‑Williams green (“Jasper”) for the two‑story library and a saturated red (“Rumors”) for the wine cellar. The house now boasts eight bedrooms, six and a half bathrooms, a three‑car garage, and a chef‑friendly kitchen.

    Karina Mejia of The Legacy Group (EVO Real Estate Group) has listed the restored mansion for $5.5 million. The property, once a community centerpiece, now stands proudly as a testament to preservation and adaptive reuse, ready for its next chapter in Nahant’s storied history.