By Jennifer Jahn
NKyTribune staff writer
A house may seem so commonplace as you drive past the same ones day after day. We tend to not think about who lives there, what memories reside within the walls, or what is to come for houses that are not our own. However, there are some that tend to stand out that do make us wonder of the days gone by – historic homes. Homes that have been part of the community from its beginnings.
The city of Independence has such a home as this, the Oxley House.
The Oxley house was built in 1847 and is the oldest building in the Courthouse Square area of Independence. It is a federal-style brick home with touches of New Orleans architecture. Over the years, it has served as a home, a museum, and — at times — an empty reminder of the past.
For years, it sat waiting for new life. Until now.
I had the opportunity to ask Adam Traft, half of the restoration team, with TPM Capital all about this huge and challenging project. Here is what he had to say:
What do you hope to accomplish with restoration?
We only hope that this restoration brings positive feedback from the community and they are happy with the overall look and turnout of the property.
How can you modernize a historic building while maintaining its historic integrity?
This was tricky as there were a lot of pieces we really wanted to incorporate into the restoration like all the old doors, baseboards, flooring, etc.. Unfortunately this home sat for so long, 90% of that was not salvageable.
The Traft team decided to “modernize” when necessary and to use specific tones and colors to give the home a cozy feel.
Do you try to historically restore or historically preserve?
It depends on the house. Obviously we want to honor the home and its rich history, but when something is over 180 years old, there are going to be things that are just unable to be preserved. With Oxley, we salvaged as much as possible to honor the past and not completely transform the look and feel to something it is not.
Why did you pick the Oxley House?
We actually never had The Oxley House on our radar. A family member that lives in Independence loved this house and knew its potential. She desperately wanted us to save it, so she spoke with the owners and showed them our work, knowing we were the right ones to restore it properly.
What has been the most interesting part of the Oxley House?
The original box gutters were jaw dropping. On the right side of the home, there was a 40ft or more tree serving as the box gutter. They seemed to hollow out the middle and burned the inside, basically serving as an old school way of sealing the tree from water damage down the road. Somehow this massive tree, probably well over 200 years old, was hoisted up and connected to the side of the house to serve as a gutter. I can only imagine this being done in the 1800’s with horses, leveraging it up to the top as this piece was well over 1,000 lbs. A house built in the early 1800’s and a tree over 200 years old being used as a box gutter; that piece of tree is well over 400 years old! Truly in awe of the ingenuity they had back then without modern tools.
What has been the most challenging part?
This house had endless challenges to it. The most challenging was probably the back half of the home. It was rotted away, falling and structurally unsafe. Reframing that portion of the house, putting in property footers to hold all the new weight and making sure it stands another 180 years took a lot of time.
Why do you think it’s important to preserve buildings?
Because of its history. History deserves to be preserved and honored. It may be hard and cost a lot of money, but it’s much more rewarding than tearing it down and starting fresh. The character of these buildings and the craftsmanship used without modern tools to build such an impressive structure needs to be saved!! Driving through Independence, it gives me the feel of a small, tight knit community that takes pride in their buildings and their historic past.
The community echoes the sentiment. As TPM posted throughout the restoration there were countless positive comments left for the team.
“I am happy that someone is giving this house the love it deserves. I can’t wait to see the completed project,” wrote Karen Jerauld.
“Excited to see the transformation. Hoping they stick to the original design. I have loved this house from passing [by] it, growing up in Independence,” wrote Leslie Minard.
“This is the type of development Kenton County needs. Great job on restoring this fine piece of history!” wrote Kat Starks.
And now, the Oxley House has the opportunity to continue to be an important part of the Independence community and to serve as a home to a new family. A family ready to set roots and to be part of an established, small-town charm city.
I attended the recent open house and it is beautiful. As Adam said, they gave the house a cozy feel, updated what was necessary to meet expectations, and kept the lovely character of the 1847 home. The gallery porches that give the home a unique fingerprint are perfect spots for those Indian summer nights. They were also able to keep the original and ornate front door.
Thanks to John and Adam Traft of TPM Capital LLC, the Oxley House — which has already stood for 180 years — now has 180 more years to welcome families, create memories, and continue telling its story.