I’m passionate about researching and preserving old homes that belonged to regular people. These are the houses we pass by on our daily drives, the places where ordinary lives unfolded minute by minute, year by year. Often, the most relatable and interesting histories come from these familiar dwellings. The home of a recent client—featured in the blog below—is a perfect example. Tucked near the bottom of page 11 in the April 4, 1929, issue of The Indianapolis Times , a brief

As of late, I have been working on a National Register of Historic Places nomination for the c. 1890 Thomas & Louisa Little House in Hendricks County, Indiana. The home, which was threatened with demolition due to development, was placed on Indiana Landmarks' 10 Most Endangered List in 2023. In 2024, in order to save it, the house was moved approximately 650 feet north of its original location. It is now undergoing a thoughtful and extensive restoration by its new owners.

I sometimes wish I could time-travel—not to live in another century permanently, but just to drop in for a day or two. The reason wouldn’t be to escape the modern world (I’m quite content with antibiotics, electricity, and women’s rights). It would be to experience the built environment of the past. To walk down streets where schools, churches, homes, and courthouses were crafted with proportion, ornament, and pride, and to compare that experience to the strip malls, subdivis

I was excited to see the town of Plainfield in Hendricks County launch its Curb Appeal Grant Program . The program, which has been promoted by the town as a vehicle for historic preservation, offers owners of homes built in 1939 or earlier matching funds to improve the exterior of their properties. Reimbursement grants of up to $5,000 are being offered—a generous sum. Out of all the towns in Hendricks County, Plainfield boasts one of the most intact and varied collections of

My work as a historian is deeply shaped by my personal experience of living in, researching, and restoring a historic home over the past seven years. This experience gives me a unique connection to the work I do for my clients. I channel the passion I have for my own home into the research I conduct for others, whether I’m writing a narrative history of a property or preparing a nomination for the National Register of Historic Places . In this blog post, I’d like to briefly

Scearce House, built in 1852, Danville, Indiana. Currently under consideration for listing on the National Register of Historic Places....

Both of my parents are from northeastern Ohio, so I’ve been making trips to the area my entire life. Despite that, I had never heard of...

Greek Revival architecture dramatically shaped the American landscape in the mid-1800s. In this post, we’ll explore the style’s origins and defining features, as well as highlight some notable Indiana examples. Popular between 1830 and 1860, Greek Revival became known as the “National Style” due to its widespread adoption across the country. Inspired by the architecture of ancient Greece, the style reflected democratic ideals that resonated strongly with Americans in the post

Read more about the author here . If you’ve ever driven east on I-465 south of Indianapolis and taken the exit onto I-65, you’ve likely noticed this stately white house perched on a hill. It's so close to the interstate that it’s impossible not to wonder why it’s there. The house is a relic of a bygone era, when the area now dominated by the massive I-465 and I-65 interchange was a rural retreat, with country estates built by well-off Indianapolis residents standing alongside

North Salem Methodist Episcopal Church (Now United Methodist) c. 1923, shortly after its dedication. Photo courtesy of the Indiana Album,...

National Register of Historic Places recognition plaque If you love historic buildings, you’ve probably seen a plaque that reads: This...

St. Louis Union Station, seen from across Market Street. My father-in-law is a big St. Louis sports fan, so we try to make a trip to the...

Whether you're researching a house, a community, a person, or an entire family, historic newspapers are an invaluable resource. Every...

An incredibly valuable (and fun to use!) source available to historians researching historic homes are Sanborn maps. First printed in...

Tax records , deeds, maps , and photographs are all sources readily available to house historians . Sometimes, however, historians are...

When driving around the rural Midwest, the landscape is dominated by the Italianate. With its tall, narrow windows, low-hipped roofs, and...

When researching house and family histories , one of my favorite things to do is discover the local placenames that were historically...

As we drive through the places we call home, it's easy to take the landscape for granted, overlooking the layers of history hidden in plain

Tax records are one of my favorite sources to use when researching historic homes.

An easy trap to fall into when thinking about old homes is to only consider them important and worthy of preservation if they were owned by