"I'VE ALWAYS KNOWN WE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING WITH THE PLACE," SAYS JESS MCNEILL, who is the sixth generation to live in the Americus, Georgia, farmhouse first purchased by his ancestors in 1853. "When MeriBeth and I got married, we knew it was where we wanted to wind up, but we also knew that since it was almost 200 years old, [restoring] it was going to require a lot of effort."
Well before the couple was ready to tackle fixing it up, they unexpectedly crossed paths with architect Jim Strickland of Historical Concepts and shared with him their dreams for the old family place. "I'll never forget it," says MeriBeth. "He sketched it right there on a bar napkin and said, 'If you want six more generations to live here, we need to rebuild it. Keep the soul of the home, but rebuild a modern-day version." In 2016, just after the arrival of their first son, the McNeills decided it was time to revive the farmhouse. "I reached out to Jim, who already had plans drawn, and within a month we were disassembling it literally board by board," says Jess.
The team took great care to preserve everything they could-down to the fireplace mantels, studs, and floor joists. "We were able to repurpose almost every piece of wood and brick that we took out," says MeriBeth. “Just about anything that isn't painted is from the original structure."
Denne historien er fra October 2024-utgaven av Southern Living.
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Denne historien er fra October 2024-utgaven av Southern Living.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Thumbs Up
Three twists on the classic chocolate-filled cookie
SUPPERTIME: Elegant Made Easy
Tender braised short ribs are fancy enough for Christmas dinner or any special occasion. Bonus: They're even make-ahead
A Big Easy Christmas
Let the good times roll in New Orleans
TIMELESS DECOR: Good as Old
Natural elements and folksy finds infuse this 1886 Georgia cottage with warm-fuzzy charm
Classic Pattern, New Spirit
Four tastemakers put their fanciful spins on an old-faithful Spode collection
MEET HER IN ST. LOUIS
Trimmed with ribbon and wrapped in wallpaper, designer Amy Studebaker's 1950s Missouri home proves there's no such thing as too much of a good thing especially this time of year
A TENNESSEE TREASURE
For nearly 115 years, The Hermitage Hotel has been Nashville's holiday mainstay
The Powerg Poinsettias
A little while back, a neighbor knocked on my door, hoisting up a ruby red plant so enormous it concealed her completely from midriff to head. I was new to the area, and this was her way of welcoming me. A poinsettia, vividly colored, overflowing its pot, and endearingly ill-timed-it wasn't even Thanksgiving yet. But the plant seemed to brighten up the whole world just a bit, as if daring anyone to reject the early holiday spirit. You could say it kick-started my love for the leafy shrub and what it seems to represent: a simple kind of goodwill.
WRAPPED WITH CARE
In San Antonio, Christmas isn't complete without a plate of steaming tamales on every family's table
PARTY LIKE IT'S 1984
Entertaining now is quite different than it was 40 years ago, but our recipes stand the test of time
