PENDLETON — New life is being pumped into a historic home that has remained vacant for more than 20 years in the heart of downtown Pendleton.
Just behind the post office, the once-stately home that had become an eyesore is well on its way to becoming an asset to the community once more.
But when Tricha Craig stumbled onto the home as she was passing through town, she didn’t see an eyesore. She saw potential.
She and her husband, Ryan, had kept an eye on the area as a possible home since they moved to Illinois. Repeated trips to visit family in the Muncie area were constant reminders of Pendleton’s charm.
“I immediately had an emotional attachment to it,” she said simply.
That attachment led to a search for the owner – instrumental in the search were neighbors Bruce and Brenda Ring. Papers were finalized in June 2008 and the meticulous work began.
A carriage house
Living with Tricha’s parents in the meantime, the family has been renovating both the main house and the carriage house.
Hoping the carriage house will be ready for occupancy in four weeks, the small building has been transformed from two one-bedroom apartments to a single-family dwelling with two bedrooms and a loft.
Still, the fit will be tight with three children: Elijah, 15; Mac, 8, and Jackson, 4.
Once the main house is finished, Tricha hopes to use the carriage house for her interior design studio, but is not willing to commit to the building’s function just yet.
The current goal for the main house is to get it to a point where they can work on the inside during the winter. Earlier this year they had to cover the structure with blue tarps because they had gutted so much of the dilapidated building that passers-by could literally look through it.
“We knew it would be a complete rehabilitation project,” she said. “But you cannot foresee everything. We were not anticipating rebuilding the porch.”
Termite damage left them no choice. Rather than slapping on a new porch quickly, however, the couple researched articles and studied pictures to ensure the new porch would closely resemble the old one and match the character of the home.
Inn, tavern, home
Research also uncovered that the original builder, Jesse Boston from Maryland, constructed the property between 1835 and 1837 to be used as an inn and a tavern. Records show that many prominent businessmen would stay there as they passed through town.
Later the inn was turned into a boarding house or apartments. Because the Madison County Courthouse burned down, other records are not available, but the family is very interested in talking to residents with information.
In addition to researching history on paper, the couple is researching architecture as they discover what lies behind the walls of their home. Horsehair plaster and reused lumber abound deep inside the abode.
“We’ve been really excited to see how the home was built,” said Tricha. “Even with the damage done with water and as long as this house has stood here, it is foundationally strong and will be here for another 100 years.”
While they have added a large section onto the home that will be a spacious kitchen, living room, mud room, bathroom and garage, they are careful to maintain the integrity of the house.
“We’ve been very cautious with the addition so that everything matches, like the ceiling height,” she added. “So it doesn’t look like a new structure has been slapped on to an old house. Our vision is to maintain the historical structure and originality but add modern conveniences.”
The most surprising part of the renovation has been the reaction of the community.
“It’s impressive how the community has been so supportive,” she said. “It’s fun. People pull through the post office to drop off their letters and yell out the window at us: ‘Good job!’ or ‘We love what you’re doing with the place!’ We love this street and this town.”
Tricha would enjoy any additional information about the history of the home and can be contacted at trichacraig@yahoo.com.
Each week, Emma Bowen Meyer features a Madison County home. If you know of a home that should be showcased, send an e-mail to emmagoldiemeyer@yahoo.com.
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October 31, 2009
At Home: Breathing life into old house
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