Ripple Effect

Farrington Renaissance, Inc. organized in 2009 to revitalize Terre Haute’s National Register-listed Farrington’s Grove Historic District, one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods. Among the organization’s goals is rehabilitation of distressed historic properties in the area. Today, thanks to a gift of property and financial support from the Oakley Foundation and Indiana Landmarks, the nonprofit is about to embark its first restoration project – the c. 1895 Austermiller House at 1132 South Seventh Street.

Built by Samuel & May Austermiller, the Shingle Style house is unusual for the neighborhood, with a cross gambrel roof and corner turret. Despite serving as a rental property for decades, the home’s historic interior remains remarkably intact, with impressive features usually reserved for larger homes — including a servant’s stairway, a butler’s pantry, and a turreted bedroom with a small sitting area.

When the house’s owner contacted Indiana Landmarks, concerned that the home needed repair and maintenance beyond her reach, we convinced her to gift the property to Farrington Renaissance – a generous move that ensures the landmark’s rehabilitation and preservation.

“This project has tremendous potential to positively impact not only the Austermiller House but the historic district as a whole,” says Farrington Renaissance president Jacob Hellmann. “We hope the successful completion of this project will accelerate the rehabilitation activities of Farrington Renaissance.” The project is being partially funded by a grant from the Oakley Foundation and a low-interest loan from Indiana Landmarks.

The rehab will include exterior restoration, a new roof, electrical work, upgrades to the HVAC system and a new kitchen. The group expects to finish work by next spring and place the property on the market as a single-family home. Farrington Renaissance plans to use proceeds from the sale to establish a permanent fund for future acquisition and rehabilitation of other historic properties in the neighborhood.

Farrington’s Renaissance is a nonprofit collaboration between the Farrington’s Grove Historical District, Inc., the City of Terre Haute, and Indiana State University. You can follow rehabilitation of the Austermiller House on the group’s Facebook page.

To learn more about Indiana Landmarks’ loan program, contact our Western Regional Office at 812-232-4534 or west@indianalandmarks.org.