A 70-year-old house that sat vacant for 15 years has been renovated thanks to the Knox County Landmarks Foundation, with tours showcasing the project beginning in September.
The project is an example of the foundation’s work, which began in 1988, group secretary Phyllis Williams told the Mount Vernon News. The foundation strives to preserve the county’s history, including houses, brick streets and barns.
The Lustron House, circa 1950, was highlighted in the Open Doors event in mid-September along with another property, Quarry Chapel. The Lustron Home’s two distinguishing features are its on-slab (no basement) construction and all-metal fabrication.
Since there was a surplus of metal after World War II, the builder capitalized on the excess material to meet the housing shortage.
Williams calls the Lustron House "an architectural oddity" and insists the curious should look them up online (https://bit.ly/3fntR6a).
This particular home had been vacant for 15 years and was in total disrepair. Ironically, a water leak may have worked in the home’s favor by keeping vagrants and squatters away, Williams said.
"We worked on the house for two years,” she said. “We paid people to do a lot of the work. We couldn't put a heating system in ourselves. We had a new heating and cooling system and new wiring throughout the home. We had the flooring replaced too. We had to repaint the metal interior walls."
After structural work, there was still painting to be done and buying the necessary components to make it a home.
"We kept the fixtures in the kitchen,” she said. “We have a new stove and a new refrigerator. We are looking for a 1950s TV. We purchased a new toilet, but the bathtub and sink are original."
The foundation strives to hold onto historic preservation in the county. The group has already restored several buildings and lobbied for legislation to preserve the brick streets that were still intact.
"Mount Vernon has a lot of brick streets," said Williams. "Over the years, they've paved many of them, but we have eight and a half miles of brick streets. That's one of the things we have done."
Mount Vernon is known for its abundance of barns. Williams said she organizes six barn tours in the county every 2 years. The tours are self-guided driving tours to about five or six barns. At each location, there are activities and entertainment.
Ohio Open Doors, which will return in 2024, is sponsored by the Ohio History Connection and partner organizations: the Ohio Arts Council, TourismOhio, the Ohio Travel Association and Heritage Ohio.
For more information on the Knox County Landmark Foundation, visit: knoxlandmarks.org/contact.
