Historic House Blog

At the height of the goldrush, in the year 1849, Daniel Ward left St. Joseph County in northern Indiana in pursuit of gold in California.  Two years later, Ward returned with a “small fortune.”  By the end of the Civil War, in 1865, he had erected a grand Itaianate mansion in Granger for his family, [...]

One of the most fascinating things about historic homes is their unique story — and sometimes even the historical artifacts — associated with the home.  Obviously, these historical tales and antique objects are powerful in connecting old house lovers with the one-of-a-kind past of their historic home.  They also can be powerful marketing points when offering a historic property on the market; potential [...]

A 142-year-old, Italianate-turned-Victorian historic house was just demolished in Smithland, Kentucky this week.  The Dunn-Cherry House, built in 1867, was razed by town officials to make way for a new office building & library on the site. 
As usual in cases such as these, local preservationists protested the loss of a one-of-a-kind historic property, with its links to prominant figures [...]

One of the hottest trends in new construction today is “building green.”  Builders and their real estate agents all across the country are gearing their marketing to tap into a growing environmental awareness and energy consciousness. Builders advertise that their windows, doors, and appliances are Energy Star compliant. Developers plan their house sites to be sure that [...]

I thought that since it is Valentine’s Day, it was a good excuse to feature this unique historic house & promote the non-profits that operate this property as a museum.
Blacksmith Isaac Valentine built this four-level fieldstone farmhouse in 1758 near the Boston Post Road. His property included a blacksmith shop, outhouses, farmland, and a number of slaves. [...]

As a REALTOR specializing in historic homes sales, one of the most common questions I received from buyers or other agents about my old house listings was, “Are you allowed to make any changes to the house?” 
The regulation (or lack thereof) of historic houses is probably one of the most misunderstood issues surrounding antique properties, especially those [...]