Indiana Landmarks recognizes restoration efforts of Shinns

Clinton Zaring House at Vine and Poplar streets as restored by Tim and Kim Shinn of Greencastle. (Courtesy photo)

Indiana Landmarks singled out the owners of an 1887 house in Greencastle and a 1929 home in Terre Haute as winners of its Western Region preservation awards.

Tim and Kim Shinn of Greencastle won recognition for their rehabilitation of the historic Dr. Clinton Zaring House at 9 E. Poplar St.

The 1887 Zaring House, located between Greencastle's downtown and the DePauw University campus, had been divided into apartments and served as rental housing. It had suffered decades of hard use and lack of maintenance.

The Shinns bought the dilapidated house at an auction and put on a new roof, restored the stone porch, repaired the wood shingle and clapboard siding, rehabbed leaded glass windows and repainted.

Inside, the Shinns recaptured the original character. They also rehabbed a smaller building on the property that has served as an office.

The Shinns opened the main floor as 9 East on Poplar, an upscale guest house that's a unique and welcome addition to Greencastle's accommodation options, popular with parents and family of DePauw students. They finished the second floor as a stylish market-rate apartment.

Meanwhile, Drs. Thomas and Norma Schmitz of Terre Haute won an Indiana Landmarks Preservation Award for the rehabilitation of the historic F. Burch and Helen Ijams House at 54 Allendale on the city's south side.

Designed by New York architect Harrie T. Lindeberg, the 10,000 square-foot Tudor Revival mansion had in recent years undergone changes that diminished the home's original character.

Tom and Norma Schmitz bought the house at auction in 2011. They spent a year recapturing the home's historic elegance, based on the original plans.

They repaired the roof, masonry and windows. Inside, they stripped paint added to the original wood paneling and trim, repaired and painted plaster walls, reinstalled

original light fixtures found stashed in the basement and sought out period fixtures where the originals were gone.

The Schmitzes' in-depth research, attention to detail, and respect for the original design combined to produce a high-quality restoration. The Schmitzes had previously restored another historic home in Allendale and the historic Guthrie House, a 1937 Tudor Revival gem near Gobbler's Knob in Parke County.

Indiana Landmarks will present the Western Region preservation awards on Friday, June 27 during its Moveable Feast, a sold-out progressive dinner using three historic venues in Terre Haute, including the Ijams House.