Maintaining a Historic Home in Marionville

Built in 1903, the Parker family house is home to Tacy Parker and her two sons, 13-year-old Reed and 11-year-old Lane. It is Parker’s childhood home, and through the years she has seen memories of her own youth spent in the space intertwine with new memories as her sons grow up in the home too. Parker shares her beautiful house’s history, what she has preserved and what she has had to update.

What is it like living in the home where you grew up?
“Living in my childhood home is amazing. My parents bought this house in 1987 when I was 4. I grew up here with my sisters, and after college I lived here with my dad, but he passed away a few months later. I’m very sentimental, and I love being surrounded by memories. Every room in this house holds nostalgia for me. Being here, I feel closely connected to my dad—he loved this house—and also to my childhood, which I believe keeps me feeling young at heart. It is a great blessing that I can raise my own kids here. Watching their childhood, in a way, intertwine with my former childhood is just really special for me.”

Do you know any of the home’s history?
“We believe the home was built around 1903. It was built by a member of the prominent Coleman family in Marionville. The Colemans were involved in several local businesses, including a flour mill, hardware store, cold storage, fruit farm, lumberyard and the Bank of Marionville. Another Coleman brother built a large Victorian house nearby, and it is rumored the two brothers had a friendly competition on building the fancier home.”

What are some of the ornate features of your home that you’ve tried to preserve?
“This home has multiple stained-glass windows, inlaid wood flooring, ornate woodwork, 12-foot ceilings, two 9-foot double pocket doors, a big wrap-around front porch and two upstairs balconies. The home is heated with cast iron hot water radiators, and there is a beautiful old brick sidewalk out front. It also has many flaws, but part of appreciating an old home is accepting the quirks and imperfections!”

Would you ever consider replacing some of the original features of the home with newer options?
“The windows are original and wood framed. They open and close using a weight and pulley system inside the wall. When you look through the glass, you’ll see it’s thick and wavy, and there are a few bubbles here and there because the glass was hand blown. They are drafty, they rattle when the wind blows, they don’t open smoothly, and most of the sash ropes are broken, so I have to prop the window up with a stick to keep it open. New vinyl replacement windows would fix all those problems and more, but I’m just not willing to give up those beautifully flawed windows!”

Your porches are incredible! How do you furnish them to maximize their use?
“My very favorite area of the home is the big wraparound front porch. I spend a lot of time out there. There is a porch swing on one side and a table I sit at most mornings to read my Bible and have my coffee, and sometimes we will eat dinner out there. There is a bench on the other side that was my great grandfather’s. I like to just sit and enjoy being outside when the weather is nice or even when it’s raining. It’s a great place for good conversation. The porch is basically another room of the house; it is used daily. In the spring I fill the porch with plants and flowers, and in the winter I put out Christmas trees, decor and lights.”

What are some of the challenges of living in a historic home like yours?
“When you go to fix one thing, you will find three more things that need attention. Everything was built by hand specifically for this home, most likely milled right in the front yard, so replacing or repairing something can be a huge chore. So many things in an old home are literally one of a kind and simply irreplaceable. I truly appreciate and respect the craftsmanship and the history surrounding me and would like to preserve it the best I can. It might be easier and faster to replace some things with cheaper or more energy efficient materials, and although there have of course been updates to the home over the years, for the most part, saving money is not worth the cost of sacrificing the home’s character.”

The ice storm of 2007 created some havoc in your home. What happened?
“In 2007 when the big ice storm hit, I was without power in below freezing temperatures for 14 days. The radiators froze and cracked during that time and when it warmed back up the water leaked out and the house flooded upstairs and down. I was only 24 at the time. My dad had just passed away, and I lived here alone. It was overwhelming. Replacing the cast-iron radiators was difficult. Back then I could not find anywhere in the U.S. that made anything similar to what I had. I was finally able to find a company in Canada and had them shipped here by train. They are extremely heavy and had to be hoisted up through an upstairs balcony to get them in place. It was quite the ordeal, but I thought it was really important to preserve that feature.”