Historic home restoration reveals musical surprise
JULIE POLLOCK ELLIOTT
Sandy Pickett is pictured on the front porch of the Adams Street home with the Victor/Victrola panel she found in the loft of the garage which is an old carriage house.
A home built more than 150 years ago in Versailles is getting another chance, and one unexpected discovery made its restoration even more meaningful for homeowner Sandy Pickett.
While cleaning out the garage at 207 S. Adams Street, Pickett discovered a wooden panel from what appears to be an old Victor/Victrola shipping crate. The panel still features the familiar image of a dog listening to a phonograph, along with the words “His Master’s Voice” and “The Gift That Keeps on Giving.”
For Pickett, who is also a singer-songwriter and will be in the line-up at New Harmony Blues Festival: Women of the Blues on Nov. 8, the find seemed especially fitting.
“Finding it made me smile. I took it as a little wink toward my music career and perhaps a sign that I had found the right house to restore,” Pickett told The Versailles Republican.
The home, built in 1875, was in poor condition when Pickett took on the project. Although work remains, the exterior has already undergone a noticeable transformation.
“I’m extremely pleased with how the exterior is coming together. I hope the improvements add something attractive and positive to the town center area. There is something special about helping an older home come back to life,” Pickett shared.
The project also ties into Pickett’s longtime work in real estate and property rehabilitation. Pickett has been a Realtor with Meisberger & Associates Real Estate for more than 20 years and also owns S. Pickett Properties, a rehabilitation company.
Through that work, Pickett helps homeowners whose properties need repairs before they can be successfully sold. Depending on the property and circumstances, Pickett can coordinate and fund agreed-upon improvements, with the costs repaid at closing. The arrangement can provide an option for homeowners who have equity in their property but may not have the money available to make repairs upfront.
The Adams Street home will eventually be offered for sale, but with rehabilitation work still underway, Pickett is not yet ready to announce a price.
For now, the project is bringing new life to one of Versailles’ older homes while preserving some of the character found within it.
The words discovered on the Victrola panel — “The Gift That Keeps on Giving” — have also taken on a fitting meaning as the project progresses.
“Both music and an old home restored with care can continue bringing happiness to people for generations,” Pickett said.
And for Pickett, finding the forgotten panel was another reminder that the past doesn’t necessarily have to stay there.
“Old homes, old music and forgotten treasures can all have another chapter,” Pickett concluded.
