An Area Steeped in History
Kennebunk is believed to be the Indian word for "long cut bank," a reference to a large hill at the mouth of the Mousam River. During the 1600's the "Kennebunks" (an umbrella term that includes Kennebunkport) became a thriving shipbuilding and port operation. Plentiful timberland also brought sawmills and factories to the area—making it one of the wealthiest in New England. Today, tourists mainly ply the Kennebunks, drawn by the beautiful traditional homes built hundreds of years earlier by well-to-do sea captains and industrialists.

Just outside of town, Cedarwood Farms is picking up on that tradition. The development first broke ground in 2005, and is attracting a large number of "empty nesters" looking for high quality touches and low maintenance living, according to developer Erik Heyland. It was that customer input which led Heyland to dump vinyl siding and turn to HardiePlank™ lap siding for his project. "The vinyl didn't really fit the bill," he says.

A Colorful Advantage
In fact, Heyland did an even bigger favor for new homeowners: he specified HardiePlank™ lap siding with ColorPlus® technology, a factory-applied, painted solution that is backed by a 15-year finish warranty and a 50-year transferable warranty on the siding itself. Buyers at Cedarwood Farm get to select from up to eight different colors for their exterior, he says.

HardiePlank™ lap siding with ColorPlus® technology is also a builder's best friend because it arrives to the work site painted. So, there are no costly delays due to bad weather or scheduling problems with on-site painters. Precision-manufactured for uniform quality, every piece contains a mar-resistant coating.

The ColorPlus® palette system was developed by Leslie Harrington, a color consultant for companies such as Pottery Barn, Benjamin Moore Paint and Crayola. With ColorPlus®, she has created a range of complementary colors that expand your design options on a home (and neighborhood) using multiple colors and accents. View a variety of color combinations on differing elevations and find the James Hardie siding and trim products with ColorPlus® technology in your area at www.jameshardie.com/colorplus.

Heyland is extremely pleased with the look that the James Hardie product is providing to Cedarwood Farm. "It has definitely increased the perception of value significantly over vinyl," he says, "with a more traditional look." The upgraded exterior has enabled him to realize an additional pricing premium, too.

The Cape Cod-styled units range from 2,000 to 2,500 square feet, with prices starting from the low $400,000's to approximately $550,000. Main floor master bedrooms, maintenance-free decks, nine-foot ceilings and fully landscaped yards are just some of the other features available.

Phase One, now underway, features 27 individual homes; Phase Two will offer 37 age-qualified (55 and over) homes, while the last phase will have a 24-unit condominium building. Heyland anticipates build out by 2009.

The homebuilder says the James Hardie is "a great product." He concedes that for some first-time installers, there may be a slight learning curve, "but it's not difficult." (To help contractors achieve the best possible results, James Hardie maintains a large team of installation specialists around the country.)

In New England, the richness of history is evident. At Cedarwood Farm, old world quality is part of the plan for the future.

For more information on Cedarwood Farm, please visit: http://www.cedarwoodfarmmaine.com/index.html

Streetscapes Online, Volume 10 <