Old Town returns to glory house by house
Written by Kurt Meyer, on 04-16-2008 10:03
Slowly, house-by-house, Noblesville’s Old Town is still being transformed, a process that’s been going on for 20 years. Hearty souls are still taking on projects deemed “lost causes,” by others. They’re improving the look and the quality of life in Noblesville’s original neighborhoods, improving the tax base, and creating real economic revitalization.
And the eventual occupants of these houses continue to be families.
Last year, local Realtor Mel Jolliff and his wife Nancy completed a Conner Street project that wowed all who saw the before and after.
The before – a once quaint little Victorian-era cottage at 1296 Conner that had in recent decades become a poorly maintained double. Its unkempt condition was stealing property value from its neighbors and the chaotic lifestyles of its renters were a burden on surrounding families.
The after – the Jolliff’s returned the exterior to its original Victorian glory. Dingy asphalt siding was removed, exposing original clapboards and fish-scale shingles, decorative eave brackets were duplicated, and it was all painted with the rich colors the Victorians loved so well. On the interior, they transformed the floor plan to better suit modern lifestyles, creating a master suite and enlarged kitchen, using not only the home’s original architectural features, but also new tile and granite.
When the project was done, a couple living in Carmel fell in love with the final product and moved their family to the reborn house on Conner Street.
