On the Market: A Converted Dairy Barn on the Rhode Island Oceanfront

Revel in this coastal backyard, complete with a gunite pool, sauna and outdoor shower, nature conservancy, and frontage along Lloyds Beach.


Photo via Mott & Chace Sotheby’s International Realty

5 Ohio Road, Little Compton, Rhode Island
Price: $5,900,000
Size: 2,727 square feet
Bedrooms: 3
Baths: 3

As you might surmise from the classic gable silhouette and weathervane up top, this coastal residence was originally built as a dairy barn for the nearby farm. Constructed in 1939, after a destructive hurricane struck New England the year before, “It was built to last,” says the seller. And it has. But, as the U-shaped gunite pool and slate patio with an outdoor shower and sauna suggest, the home has also changed a bit in the last 80 years.

The seller’s father, John Whitehead, along with a team of local architects and designers, were responsible for its metamorphosis. To preserve the character of the building, they went for a minimalist look, resulting in a great open room on the second floor, with pine floors and soaring beamed ceilings. At one end, a pair of walls partitions off two petite bedrooms—the floor below comprises a third bedroom, as well as a full bath and another family room. Out in the second level’s main area, a built-in banquette wraps around a dining table made by a local piano manufacturer, and a tall bookshelf provides a literary backdrop for the dinette.

Across the room, the living area claims its spot directly in front of a gigantic set of windows, which brandish breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean out to the Elizabeth Islands. Down on the swimming pool level, several natural walking paths snake through the 20-acre conservancy on the western side of the property as well as leading over to the 65 feet of beachfront along Lloyds Beach. And, in case you’re looking for a little more frontage, you can also choose to buy the lot next door. It boasts a contemporary single-family and four more acres of its own, and, combined with the converted barn parcel, you can have it all for $8.5 million.

For information, contact Cherry Arnold, Mott & Chace Sotheby’s International Realty, cherryarnold.com.

Photo via Mott & Chace Sotheby’s International Realty

Photo via Mott & Chace Sotheby’s International Realty

Photo via Mott & Chace Sotheby’s International Realty

Photo via Mott & Chace Sotheby’s International Realty

Photo via Mott & Chace Sotheby’s International Realty

Photo via Mott & Chace Sotheby’s International Realty

Photo via Mott & Chace Sotheby’s International Realty

Photo via Mott & Chace Sotheby’s International Realty

Photo via Mott & Chace Sotheby’s International Realty

Photo via Mott & Chace Sotheby’s International Realty

The Boston Home team has curated a list of the best home design and home remodeling professionals in Boston, including architects, builders, kitchen and bath experts, lighting designers, and more. Get the help you need with FindIt/Boston's guide to home renovation pros.