Historical Paris home preserves the past, provides comfort

Scott Keller chose the house at 571 Russell Cave Road in Paris because it reminded him of home.

And he selected a distinct piece of history. The 51-acre horse farm was long known as Townsend Springs Farm, settled by John Townsend around 1775 after he and Captain John Hinkston set out to explore Shawnee territory along the Ohio River and followed the buffalo trace to the area now known as Paris. The Federal-style main house was finished in 1803 — and much of its exquisite original detail remains.

“I grew up in horse country in Virginia in Middleburg. (The house) reminded me so much of the old properties in Virginia. The architectural style is very similar — the Federal style, which was being done in Virginia at the time,” Keller said. “I grew up on a very similar farm.”

The early 1800s-era interior details are what really drew Keller in. He said the farm’s first name was actually Blooming Rose, supposedly named from the murals painted on the dining room wall. The story dictates that John Townsend’s wife was the artist, and the murals were later covered in sheet rock for protection.

A couple of the previous owners put extensive work into the house, and when Keller moved in, he took the reins on the restoration.

“I wanted to bring house back to its former glory,” he said.

The behind-the-scenes improvements included new wiring, plumbing, and a furnace replacement, but Keller said he had the most fun breathing new life into features like the original ash floors.

“In the 1790s, they had to quarry the stone, make the bricks, or cut down the ash trees for the floors. Restoring that was really fascinating,” he said.

Keller also re-did the front portico, re-pointed the brick, and renovated the interior moldings, cabinetry, and kitchen ceiling, which exposed overhead wooden beams.

“The best thing about this kitchen is the original hearth. It’s an old limestone hearth and it’s really beautiful. Two of the iron pieces in the fireplace are 230 years old,” he said. “And with the rafters, it is really an amazingly pretty kitchen. If I were a cook, it’d be my favorite room in the house. It’s definitely my wife’s favorite.”

One of the many fascinating discoveries Keller made while refurbishing the home was a sleeping loft at the top of a staircase behind the hearth wall.

“If you were traveling or in the Revolution, any house had to give you (sleeping) quarters. A lot of local landowners like the Townsends would have a sleeping loft like a guest room. We call it an attic (now),” he said. “That’s how we discovered all the original roof rafters. It just oozes so much character.”

He found carvings on those roof rafters in the attic of names and schematic drawings of the house, similar to modern-day blueprints. He also located an underground tunnel that connects the basement to one of the two springhouses about 100 yards away on the property. Keller supposed the tunnel was related to the Underground Railroad, and local legend says a Native American tribe used one of the springhouses as a gathering place.

“It’s been fun uncovering (the house’s) hidden secrets,” he said.

Much of the glass in the house is authentic, too, and Keller noted the magnificent large windows in the master bedroom.

“We have a fireplace at the foot at bed, then with the southwest-facing windows, we get the sunsets, the clouds, the foliage. It’s one of the most beautiful rooms I’ve ever seen,” he said.

The home has three working fireplaces as well as high ceilings and open spaces that make each area livable and quite comfortable. The open concept was unusual for a house of the time, but Keller said it’s a great layout for entertaining because of the flow.

“The nice thing for me, it’s a real blend of real history updated with modern conveniences without infringing on the historical details at all,” he said. “In fact, it enhances the historical details.”

This story was originally published February 25, 2021 at 6:46 PM with the headline "Historical Paris home preserves the past, provides comfort."