Couple plans to rehab former Crain Sanitarium in Richmond

RICHMOND, Ind. (AP) - One year after stabilization work began on a Richmond landmark, new owners are tackling the extensive project with new dreams and goals.

A crew again can be seen working on the former Crain Sanitarium.

This time, the owners are a California couple, Heaven and Ben Johnson, who plan to live in the home eventually.

"I see it for what it can be, not what it is," Heaven told the Palladium-Item (http://pinews.co/21XrSS).

She is an interior designer, and Ben is an astronautical engineer. They have six children, ages 3, 5, 6, 7, 13 and 19.

It's been a long time since the laughter of children has been heard in the stately Queen Anne-style home at the corner of East Main and 22nd streets. The building has stood empty for several years.

A for-sale sign went up in the yard recently, and the listing drew local and national attention.

Heaven discovered the home on a national website for old houses. She said she was attracted to the architecture and was pleased to learn it had "good bones."

She said her family wasn't looking to move, but restoring an old home is always something she's wanted to do.

"I want to bring her back to her former glory," Heaven said.

She said the family doesn't see similar homes where they live near Los Angeles because everything is new construction.

The Johnsons will do some of the work themselves and are hiring to have some of it done. Heaven and Ben are in Richmond now to get the renovations started.

"We want to get the curb appeal back," Heaven said.

One of the current projects is replacing the roof on the porch.

Other concerns include preventing further damage from water leaks and replacing rotten wood. Work was done Monday on the home's roof to get it sealed tight.

Heaven was pleased to report they didn't see any big leaks Thursday after heavy rain earlier in the day and late Wednesday.

Thursday's work also included dry-walling the bathrooms. Heaven hopes to have at least two of the four bathrooms functional very soon.

She estimates the home will be ready to live in in the next couple of months, and the family can move in while final projects are being finished. She's hoping to have it completely restored in a year.

Beyond the restoration project, moving to the Midwest also appealed for family reasons. Ben originally is from Wisconsin. His dad still lives there, and he has a sister in Cincinnati.

Hoosier hospitality already has been shown to the family.

"I think we're going to like it here," Heaven said.

She said everyone has been friendly. Neighbors have come over to bring cookies and offer encouragement.

"They're happy someone has taken an interest in the house," Heaven said.

The Johnsons' purchase is just one of several signs of progress along U.S. 40.

In the past seven months, four mansions along East Main Street have been sold, said Jamie Clark, associate broker for Lingle Real Estate.

Clark said it's neat to see new owners from outside the area become excited about restoring and maintaining the properties.

"It's a real draw and asset to have all these houses," she said.

Clark handled the Johnsons' transaction. The sale closed on March 24.

The Crain home was built around 1890, according to an Indiana Historic Sites and Structures inventory, and was operated as a sanitarium by osteopathic physicians Drs. C.J. and Elisabeth Crain, beginning in 1921.

It also has been used as a hospital, inn, tourist center and, most recently, as an apartment building.

The residence most recently was owned by Kris Nelson and his wife, Jill, who acquired the property in 2010 in a unique agreement between First Merchants Bank, Preserve Richmond, the Richmond Historic Preservation Commission and Indiana Landmarks.

The former sanitarium and the building next door were in foreclosure and were given to the Nelsons.

The Nelsons had planned to put businesses into the former sanitarium, but those plans fell through. Work began last year to reduce water damage through projects such as roof patching.

The 2016 and 2015 renovation projects have drawn attention from passers-by because of the home's prominent location along U.S. 40 just west of Glen Miller Park.

"There was a lot of discussion about the house," J.P. Hall, director of the eastern regional office for Indiana Landmarks, said in 2015. "I think it shows that the community cares what happens to it.

"It's a significant building," Hall said. "One of the most important elements of the house is where it sits. It's significant to the community and that corridor because it's an entrance to downtown."

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Information from: Palladium-Item, http://www.pal-item.com