Ted and Jennifer Powell knew when they moved to Yankton that they wanted to find a historical home in the historic home district.

They waited quite a while until they found a home that was large enough for their 4 children and was a fixer upper. They both love old homes but they also knew that it needed to be a home that fits into their family’s lifestyle. “It was not going to work for us to live in amuseum.”

Their home was completed in March of 1874 and just for a time reference, Custer visited the area in 1873. The house was built by I.M. Higbee and his wife Charlotte. Higbee was a clerk for the General Surveyor of Dakota Territory. At the time, Higbee had built his home around a couple of prominent friends out in the country.

Higbee’s son was the architect for the house and designed it in the Italianate style.

The house was a team effort between Ted and Jennifer. Since both of them are teachers, they spent many summers working on projects but they still have many projects they want to complete. They haven’t done much to the outside because they would like to find a photo of what the house originally looked like. There’s not a picture of the house until the 60s and by then the house had already changed. There is one photo where you can only see a tiny corner of the house, but you can see that there was some sort of porch and molding that is common with Italianate homes. Ted also believes because of this photo that the home might have had a tower of some sort, which is also common in Italianate homes.

The home had also been turned into small sleeping rooms/apartments, which is actually quite common of a lot of the houses in the historic district. This was during a time when many of the big homes weren’t being appreciated. Ted and Jennifer found when they moved in that the upstairs doors had been keyed for individual locks. One guy who had lived in their home had said that there was a distillery in the basement and they threw hops up on the side and when it rained you could still smell the hops.

Their home is decorated in two styles; they have decorated it with many antiques and family items from both of their families while also adding some modern things in. “These pieces we love as there are stories with each piece of furniture or other pieces. Wedding presents from 1885. Books from the old country. It makes us cherish what it was like in Dakota Territory and Verdigre Nebraska, where Jenniferis originally from.”

However, many things in their home were missing when they moved in and they took great care in selecting things that would give their home a semblance of what might have been there.The music room is the latest project Ted and Jennifer have worked on. The room right off the dining room has been renovated and turned into their music room. Other projects that they have finished are adding the crownmoldings, redoing the tin ceilings, and modernizing their kitchen. All ofthese projects were done with careful consideration of what had been therebefore. “Although welove old things, we are not afraid to add a contemporarypicture.” The fireplace in the living room and the staircase are original to the house. The floors are at least 100 years old but they don’t believe they are original. The windows are also original. You can’t see from the outside, but there is a curve at the top of the window. The curve meant wealth as it was harder to cut a curve than a typical 90-degree angle. Ted credits Jennifer for a lot of the design of their renovations. Many times the pair would go to the library, and now the internet, to figure out plaster techniques, plumbing, crown moldings, etc. They also credit their neighbor who lives next door and enjoys working on old homes.

Last year they took out the ash pit. An ash pit is where they would haul coals and ashes.

When they cleaned that out they found bottles, dishes, and even shoes. They have a few bottles on display in their dining room.

Outside of the projects in the home, they enjoy scouring rummages sales, architectural junk stores, and auctions for new pieces to add. They are looking for a new chandelier for their dining room.

“Our neighbors have joked that we all live in the ‘hysterical homes.’ You work and work on your house until you die or you give up. There is some truth in that with older homes. No corner is ever quite square and many times replacement parts that usually work in homes do not work in older homes. But the greatest time in an older home is Christmas as that is the time we really have fun.”