Essex, Connecticut, is a charming town with a tradition of notable architecture dating back to the time of the American Revolution and extending into the 1920s. Clients came to Gary Brewer with an undistinguished house on a wonderful site overlooking the Connecticut River. To give it character in keeping with the handsomest of its historic neighbors, the design adopts a modest yet formal interpretation of a Connecticut country house, with a classically composed entry facade that, together with two gabled projecting wings, frames a private garden facing the street. White-painted trim and sky-blue shutters enliven the cedar-shingled facades. At the back of the house, a shaded porch and a glassed-in sunroom look out across the lawn that sweeps down to the river. Above, a broad deck opens from the second-floor bedrooms to command the view. A more casually composed wing accommodating a family room addresses the pool terrace.