The quirks and perks of owning one of Needham's oldest homes

Gregg Meloni once owned a business at Hemlock Gorge called the Echo Bridge Country Store, where he fostered his love of antiques. This interest, in a roundabout way, helped him meet his wife, Diana, a customer who wandered into the store with her mother one day.

It also led Gregg Meloni to develop an affinity for historical houses, leading him and his wife to buy their home at 53 Glendoon Road - the Kingsbury-Whitaker House, the second oldest in Needham, at least the portion that was built in 1710. A large addition was built in 1840.

"It's a more substantial, solid feeling I get in an old home, compared to new construction," Gregg Meloni said, noting he has owned three historical houses in his lifetime.