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Update: Historic House Saved – Acorn Hall in Process of Restoration
July 6, 2021
139 Ridge Ave, Greendale, IN 47025 – Sold and in the Process of Restoration
OHU50K first featured Acorn Hall in 2016 when it was up on auction. Two of my kids live outside of Lawrenceburg, and my daughter was given a tour by the elderly owner during a yard sale in 2015. She reported that the interior has a three-story staircase with decorative woodwork that is exquisite. I drove past the house today (it’s right around the corner from a brick home we featured today), and I thought you might like an update. A few photos of what the home looks like today are at the bottom of the page.
William Squibb, a distiller, and his wife Mary built Acorn Hall in 1883. Renovated in the ‘80s as a bed-and-breakfast, Acorn Hall fell in recent years into dilapidation and mortgage foreclosure limbo. Indiana Landmarks helped iron out the legal tangles so the house could go on the market.
Second Empire and Italianate features, combined with a central tower, made the house impressive, even in decline. Bill and Nancy Smith admired the property every time they visited a bank located in the historic house next door. When Acorn Hall finally came up for auction earlier this year, the Smiths snapped it up. “Even though it turned your stomach to see the damage, we couldn’t let a house like that go,” says Nancy.
Vacancy and vandalism had left their marks on the interior—holes chiseled in the floor, mantels stolen, graffiti on the walls, and windows cracked or missing altogether. A leaking roof caused ceiling collapses and buckling floors. Raccoons made a home in the box gutters.
William Squibb used to play the organ with the doors open to entertain passers-by.
Before the house was purchased by the Smiths, previous owners had plans to make Acorn Hall into a B&B. Bathrooms were added to that end, chopping up the original floor plan somewhat.
Before. From Indiana Landmarks.This photo was taken before angels’ share fungus, a black fungus which resides in the vicinity of distilleries, attacked the exterior. Apparently, homeowners were each given a $1,500 settlement for fungus removal, but many of the homes are still covered in black.Plus, the fungus will come back.
Before. From Indiana Landmarks.
From Indiana Landmarks.
From Indiana Landmarks.
From Indiana Landmarks.
From Indiana Landmarks.
From Indiana Landmarks.
From Indiana Landmarks.
From Indiana Landmarks.
From Indiana Landmarks. First floor front parlor.
From Indiana Landmarks. First floor rear parlor.
From Indiana Landmarks.
From Indiana Landmarks. Second floor bath.
From Indiana Landmarks. Second floor hallway.
From Indiana Landmarks.
This is what the exterior looks like today. From what I have been told, a $250,000 grant was awarded to restore the home.
And the main parlor
After Before
The home sits on high ground, and during the 1937 flood that devastated Lawrenceburg, tent cities were set up along Ridge Avenue. Today, a large part of Ridge Avenue is filled with beautiful homes, not as amazing as Acorn Hall, but lovely still.
Does anyone know if this William Squibb is related to Edward Robinson Squibb? (Founder of E.R. Squibb and Son’s, a high grade ether distillation company – think Breaking Bad, but for good. And now a part of the huge Bristol-Myers Squibb medical company.) Edward and his wife had two sons, Dr. Edward Hamilton Squibb and Charles Fellows Squibb. Was William one of their sons? (or grandsons maybe even?) The last name and the distillation connection caught my eye and would be an interesting link to an absolutely amazing part of history! (The birth of anesthesia as we know it today. If you’ve ever had any sort of procedure where you had to be knocked out, you owe your comfort to Edward R Squibb, who took the mantle of figuring out precise doses and producing a pure product from Thomas Mütter) Either way, the house is gorgeous, and fantastic job on the reno!!!! *edit* did a little more digging and William would’ve been closer to “nephew age”. ??
After Before
4 Comments
sherry hood
I am so glad it is being saved!!!! 🙂
Amy
Bravo to the Smiths!
Pete Turner
Such a beautiful home. I’m glad that it is going to be like new again soon.
Carla Mandal
Does anyone know if this William Squibb is related to Edward Robinson Squibb? (Founder of E.R. Squibb and Son’s, a high grade ether distillation company – think Breaking Bad, but for good. And now a part of the huge Bristol-Myers Squibb medical company.) Edward and his wife had two sons, Dr. Edward Hamilton Squibb and Charles Fellows Squibb. Was William one of their sons? (or grandsons maybe even?) The last name and the distillation connection caught my eye and would be an interesting link to an absolutely amazing part of history! (The birth of anesthesia as we know it today. If you’ve ever had any sort of procedure where you had to be knocked out, you owe your comfort to Edward R Squibb, who took the mantle of figuring out precise doses and producing a pure product from Thomas Mütter) Either way, the house is gorgeous, and fantastic job on the reno!!!! *edit* did a little more digging and William would’ve been closer to “nephew age”. ??