A couple bought a 100-year-old abandoned school for $175k to live in and raise their children.
Stacie Grissom, 32, and her husband, Sean Wilson, 34, an orthopedic surgeon, purchased the former school in August 2021 after moving back to Franklin, Indiana, US, from New York City.
Stacie said she had always wanted to live in a quirky home but never anticipated buying a school – complete with four classrooms and a cloakroom.
The couple plan to turn the 4,000 square foot building into a four-bedroom home with two bathrooms, a kitchen and living space.
Stacie says renovations have been a challenge but she hopes to move in with her husband and two children – Arlo, two and Margot, one – by January 2024.
Stacie, a marketing and PR consultant said: “It has definitely been a challenge, I have always wanted to live in a quirky house and always loved old things.
“We didn’t quite anticipate getting this quirky a house.
“I love that it has a story – we found it funny how it used to be a barn too.
“It is fun to be playful with your house and daydream about doing little themes for dinner parties and stuff like that.”
Stacie and Sean had been living in New York City for 10 years and wanted to move back to Franklin to be close to family.
While looking for properties, the pair came across the old school – which was closed in 1934 – and purchased the property in August 2021 for $175k before immediately getting to work.
Stacie said: “There was a lot of stuff still left in the property that we needed to clear – it needed a lot of work.
“It needed a new roof and foundation work.
“We stripped the school down to its original bones. We put a new roof on, strengthened the foundations, placed new windows.
“We are now putting in new plumbing and electricity.”
The renovation project hasn’t been smooth sailing, Stacie said that the pandemic meant things would take a lot longer to get done.
She said: “Some unexpected things happened during the pandemic.
“Things took seven times longer than you originally thought they would take.
“We found a 72-inch snake skin in one of the walls.
“We haven’t seen that large of a snake yet but we do have some critter tenants that we need to work on.”
Currently, the family are living with Stacie’s parents nearby until the project is finished but they hope to move into the space early next year.
Stacie said: “We would not be able to do the construction without them.
“My parents are kind of crazy and they think it is a good idea to restore a 100-year-old school.
“My husband’s parents are here too and they have been very supportive.
“It is nice to be around them and build a place where the whole family can come together.”
