Indiana county's former poor house on the market for $200K

ROCKVILLE, Ind. (AP) - A western Indiana county's former home for the poor has hit the market, with an asking price of $200,000 for the grand but well-worn building.

The old Parke County Poor Asylum was built in 1930 in the Gothic/Greek Revival style and features soaring columns with a brick exterior of steel-reinforced concrete construction. The three-story building was originally built to house people with no income, including the unemployed, widows, orphans and those with mental health issues.

It was last used as a nursing home, which closed in 2010, and since then it's had three owners. The current owner realized that 'œit was time to let it go," said Eric Wolfe of Prime Real Estate Group.

He said the property, located about 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of Indianapolis, would make a good hotel, rehabilitation facility, condos or rental apartments and there's enough land to build cabins.

'œYou can envision that this could be an amazing property,'ť Wolfe told the (Terre Haute) Tribune-Star.

The building, located north of the town of Rockville, abuts the Parke County Golf Course and the county's 4-H Fairgrounds.

It's in need of a full renovation and restoration, but it's documented as a county home in Indiana, which could expedite its listing on the National Register of Historic Places, said Tommy Kleckner, director of the Western Regional Office of Indiana Landmarks.

Such a listing qualifies properties for several rehabilitation incentive programs, he said.

'œIt's been disheartening to watch such a grand building deteriorate over the past decade or so but given its solid construction, I've remained hopeful rehab and reuse would be in its future. The fact that it's finally been listed on the market after a long period of limbo bodes well for preservation,'ť Kleckner said.