Hough's Historic House on Tri-Kappa Home Tour
The
house's original owner was
J.F.D. Lanier in the 1800s
By
Chrissy Stewart
Contributing Writer
MADISON, Ind. (October 2004) – There’s a little
piece of the South right here in Madison, Ind. It’s located on
the northeast corner of Elm and Second streets, opposite the Lanier
Mansion State Historic Site.
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Photo by Chrissy Stewart Dr.
Toby Hough and husband, James, |
Dr. Toby and James Hough are currently restoring their
home at 302 Elm St. to emulate what it may have once looked like when
it was originally built nearly 200 years ago. The home will be included
in this fall’s Tri Kappa Tour of Homes, which takes place Oct.
15-17.
When the Houghs moved to Madison from Savannah, Ga., in 2001, Toby immediately
spotted this fascinating home. It seemed as though everything fell right
into place for their purchase of the historic house. Soon after the
Houghs moved from their hilltop home to a condominium in downtown Madison
so that Toby could be closer to the hospital, the house on Elm went
up for sale.
The couple toured the home and fell in love with it. “It reminded
us so much of a house you’d see in Savannah,” said Toby.
Still owning their hilltop home as well as the condominium was the only
thing holding them back from the purchase. However, to their good fortune,
the owners of the downtown home were willing to trade the Houghs for
their hilltop home. They moved into their new home in August 2003.
The Hough home entered its first tour just three short months after
the purchase was final. It was featured in the Nights Before Christmas
Candlelight Tour of Homes in late 2003. Not much had changed at that
time, though.
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Photo by Don Ward The
Hough's house on Elm Street |
The Greek Revival style home, with its large columns in
the front, five fireplaces, pocket windows leading from the living room
to the porch, and original woodwork throughout, has taken on an entirely
different facade for this year’s tour.
Knowing that this home should never have been painted white and black,
the Houghs decided to give it a little color. The white has transformed
into a vibrant terra cotta with dark green shutters and cream trim now
adorning the four-story home.
“We modeled it after a home we liked in Savannah,” said Toby.
She also noted that the more affluent people with the larger homes in
the South would paint their homes in the brightest boldest hues as a
symbol of their wealth.
Other changes the Houghs have made in the past year include refurbishing
the wrought iron in the front of the home and cleaning up the small
overgrown yard to try to gain more space for their three young daughters
to play. A side brick patio was rebuilt using old handmade bricks that
the Houghs pulled out from beneath the sod in the backyard.
With the exterior nearly complete, the new owners have now begun to
concentrate more on the home’s interior. The earthen tones from
the outside carry on indoors in a warm arrangement pleasing to the eye.
“We’re working on making it our home,” Toby chuckled.
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Home Tour Sites •
The Cafe Express, 703 West Main St. Owner: Gary McConnell |
New light fixtures inside and out, a wine cellar and recreation
room in the basement, and conversion of the top floor into a bedroom
suite for their oldest daughter are examples of the projects the Houghs
plan to undertake next.
Few homes in our area carry the history this one does. Daniel Colby
built the home in 1837. “The Hough home is definitely set off from
the others in our tour by its history,” said Chris Bilz, chair
of the 2004 tour.
Renowned financier James F.D. Lanier was the home’s original owner,
finding the 4,100-square-foot abode a suitable residence while his much
larger home across the street was being built. His daughter, Elizabeth,
was later married at the Elm Street home, and Lanier in 1853 eventually
sold it to Elizabeth and her husband, William McKee Dunn, for $1.
Dunn, a prominent attorney and congressman of the 19th century, later
served as Judge Advocate General for the state of Missouri before being
promoted to a brigadier general under President Abraham Lincoln.
Several other well-known visitors have reportedly stayed at the home.
It is believed that Lanier played host to William Henry Harrison when
the newly elected U.S. president was on his way to his inaugural address
in Washington, D.C. Benjamin Harrison and Zachary Taylor were also Lanier’s
guests at the home.
Along with the Hough home, several other private homes will be opened
up to guests of Tri Kappa’s biennial event. Proceeds from the event
support scholarships and philanthropic ventures in the community.
• For more information, visit: www.trikappatourofhomes.com or call 1-800-559-2956.