When the Ragusa family purchased the three-story colonial, built in the early 1800s, they rose to the responsibility of shepherding it into a new era through careful renovation. Today the home has a distinctly beautiful identity. Welcoming visitors is a front door painted Benjamin Moore’s Newburyport Blue | Photographs by Rob Karosis

A New Chapter: A Local Builder and His Family Transform a Neighboring Historic Property in Newburyport into a Modern Sanctuary

Mary GrauerholzFebruary 19, 2026

Chris and Holly Ragusa have called Newburyport home for decades. Settled in 1643, the town is rich with history and natural beauty. When the circa-1820s house next door came up for sale, the couple-who have two collage-age daughters set their hearts on it. “We knew the owner very well,” says Ragusa, CEO of CM Ragusa Builders in Seabrook, New Hampshire. Having overseen the construction of more than 150 custom homes throughout New England, Ragusa understood the promise and challenges the property presented. The house came with historical treasures, including handwritten Civil War–era letters. It also required careful attention: its str

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A New Chapter: A Local Builder and His Family Transform a Neighboring Historic Property in Newburyport into a Modern Sanctuary

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