A House Nearly Lost
In January 2024, the Champion House was headed to public auction — a court-ordered foreclosure sale, the end result of years of vacancy and deferred maintenance. The Trust stepped in to acquire the property and stop that outcome, taking on a house that had sat empty and deteriorating, in order to give it a future instead.
Where We Started
Years of neglect had taken a visible toll: weathered siding, an overgrown lawn and grounds, and a roof well past its useful life. These photographs, taken around the time of acquisition, are the starting point for everything that's followed.
The Roof Comes First
Restoration began where it was needed most urgently: the roof. Water damage doesn't wait, so before any cosmetic work could start, both the house and the barn needed new roofs to protect everything underneath them.
Over the weekend of August 1–2, 2026, a crew tore the old barn roof down to bare decking and framed in new plywood sheathing — while the house's own gambrel roof was stripped to bare wood shingles near the dormers and chimney. It was loud, dusty, and genuinely satisfying work to watch.
More photos of the completed roof work coming soon.
The House Today
With new roofs installed on both the house and barn, the property is already looking more like itself. There's more work ahead, including finishing touches on the roofs themselves, but the hardest, most urgent phase is behind us.
More to Come
This page will grow as the work continues — new photos, new phases, and an honest look at what it takes to bring a 1790 landmark back.
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