The Chesapeake has been calling William Matheny back his whole life. A Powhatan native, he grew up spending weekends and summers on Fishing Bay in Deltaville, where his parents kept their boat, and when he bought his own boat two years ago, he docked it at Morningstar Marinas on Milford Haven. Ever since then, his weekends have belonged to Mathews.

Matheny said it got harder and harder to return to his current home in Richmond after his weekend trips, and he kept noticing an old house near Hudgins for sale and thinking, “If I could just find a place to lay my head down at night…”On June 19 a year ago, Matheny bought the house, and he’s spent every weekend since then making it that place.

It hasn’t been an easy process. Most of the work he’s done so far has been demolition—tearing out old carpeting and paneling, knocking out walls, and getting rid of old kitchen cabinets. He’s become friendly with the crew at the transfer station, who he said have been amazing.

William Matheny...