Digging through nearly two centuries of remodels and modernization has paid off for a Ball State University professor.
The Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana honored associate professor Ron Morris with a historic preservation award in July for restoring James Rariden's 1830s house in Centerville.
Morris said he neither expected the award nor knew how he got it. HLF contacted him in early June and invited him to the regional preservation meeting where he accepted it.
Wayne Goodman, director of HLF's eastern region, said the foundation honored outstanding restoration projects with the award.
"That project is probably the most extensive residential restoration project that I have seen in my eight years here," he said.
HLF gives three preservation awards every year in each of its nine regions, he said.
Morris said he considered buying other historic structures in Centerville, but the history of Rariden's house immediately grabbed his attention.
"It's a piece of original, historic fabric," he said.
Rariden represented Indiana's fifth district in the United States House of Representatives from 1837 to 1841. He also spent almost a decade in Indiana's State Senate and House of Representatives, Morris said.
Rariden moved into the house in 1838 and lived there until his death in 1856. Henry Clay stopped overnight in the house during his 1844 presidential campaign, he said.
During the restoration that started in 2002, Morris said, he "stripped away the 20th century." He removed multiple layers of flooring, uncovered a fireplace hidden by a pantry, replicated original locks, restored cabinets and knocked out walls. He said the house felt more balanced and symmetrical as it should.
"People in 1830 were really quite savvy in knowing what would work," he said.
The restoration cost at least the total value of the house, he said, and he funded the project himself, which is why it has taken six years.
He had groups of teachers and third- and fourth-grade students tour the house earlier this year and will continue to open it periodically upon completion in coordination with other historical houses in Centerville.
He said he has lived in the house since Jan. 4, 2002, and with exception to the kitchen with modern appliances, the working bathroom, electricity and heating, everything is historically accurate. He collaborated with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the Historic Landmarks Foundation to ensure its accuracy.
Goodman said Morris' methods and research were immaculate.
Morris said he hoped to complete the restoration within a year. His remaining projects include renovating the front stairs, putting gutters on the house and touching up the exterior paint. He also plans to build a garage when the house is finished, he said.
"It's much more fun than I ever imagined," he said. "I can see myself doing another house, but I can't see myself moving out of this house."
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