Thirteenth-generation Maine resident Carisa Salerno and her artist husband, Aaron Levin, nearly bit off more than they could chew when they bought a 1969 coastal cabin on Vinalhaven, a small island off the coast of Maine. The house had been sitting on the market for over two years, and it was in rough shape—with mushrooms sprouting from interior walls, and frayed electrical wiring. But Carisa and Aaron knew there was something special about the cedar-clad dwelling.
