On May 15, 1906, popular author Ralph D. Paine and his bride Katharine, together with their 2-month old baby son Del and their 2 older step-children, moved into Shankhassick Farm in Durham, NH. After several years of frequent moves, two of Paine's colleagues from Yale, persuaded him to join them in Durham, so Paine purchased the property from George F. Sawyer, and after major renovations moved in.

The family remained on the farm after Paine's death, and in 1960, after the death of Katharine (known to everyone as Dearie) his two sons Del and Phil renovated the house yet again, made two apartments out of it, and then moved in. In 1964, Del and his bride Nancy were sitting on the back step looking at the barn where Del used to milk cows when Nancy said "you should do something with that." A year and a half and major renovations later, Del, Nancy and their daughter Katie moved in.

Katie spent summers there and eventually moved in full time after college. On August 4, 1999, an overheated lawn mower set caught fire and the barn burned to the ground. A replacement house, dubbed Barn Again, was built on the foundations and in July of 2000 Katie moved in. Since then it has hosted six weddings and dozens of fundraisers, house concerts and benefits.