When Andrea King first toured a 1350-square foot cottage on Snipatuit Pond, she knew it would make a perfect second home. But her family and friends weren’t so sure.

Built in 1929 as a summer cottage, it was filled with the previous owner’s property and squatters such as raccoons and moles when King and her husband inspected it three years ago.

“I had one friend who said it looked rat-eaten,” King said. “My husband said I was out of my mind.”

Structurally, the building was solid. The rough-hewn support beams were still sturdy, and its stone walls had held up through the years.

“We did see that it had a lot of potential,” King said. “You just had to use your imagination.”

Last week, King showed members of the Rochester Historical Society how the home was restored and modernized during her presentation “Sweetheart Cottage: Restoring a Hidden Gem on Snipatuit Pond.” She spoke at the society’s monthly meeting.

Born and raised in Massachusetts, King lives in the Virgin Islands with her husband and young daughter. They started to house hunt four years ago to find a second home to stay at when visiting family in the area.

George and Bertha Moore of Brockton built the Scottish cottage-style home in the midst of the Great Depression. Much of the building material was local: The stones were dug up in Rochester farm fields and the timber was felled inside town limits.

The home stayed within the Moore family until the Kings purchased it three years ago from Doug Porter, the Moores grandson.

King noted there were others who wanted to purchase the property; however, they did not want to keep the home.

“[Doug Porter] was very happy that a family like ours was interested in restoring the home instead of tearing it down,” King said.

Work began shortly after the couple bought the house in Aug. 2011. Friends advised them to “gut the building and start from scratch,” but King said she wanted the incorporate the house’s historical aspects into the design.

That meant hiring a specialist to renovate the slate roof instead of opting for a cheaper option. Inside, she made sure the original stone walls were visible when possible instead of hiding them behind sheetrock.

Some major changes were made. A dormer was added on one side of the building to let more light into the second floor. A three-season porch was added, which increased the building’s size to 2,220 square feet. Due to the house’s proximity to the lake a state-of-the-art septic system was put in place.

Now that’s its finished, King said her family is looking forward to enjoying the home.

“It was a real miracle we found it,” King said.