A group whose goal is to preserve the past has made quite a find in Franklin: A house donated for renovation, where inside, it's as if time stood still.
From the outside, the Jefferson Street house looks dingy, dirty and in disrepair. It's a seemingly ideal target for demolition, more fit for animals than human homeowners. But inside is a window to the past and a home full of history.
"It's really like finding a time capsule," said Rob Shilts, Franklin Heritage, Inc.
Franklin Heritage, a non-profit that buys and restores historic homes, is renovating this 1895 Queen Anne at 425 E. Jefferson Street and uncovering secrets sealed up for decades.
"They spent some money when they built this house," said Shilts. "You can't find that kind of stuff anymore."
Around every corner are timeless treasures untouched. "To find all of the fixtures still in place, all of the dishes in the sink, that's rare."
In fact, most of the furniture, fixtures and glassware are perfectly preserved: Depression glasses and old lemon reamers that you just don't see anymore. "It's just fun to find this kind of stuff and figure out what was the history behind it."
It's not only the home's history, but Franklin's.
In peeling away layers left by years of neglect, Shilts discovered the home's original abstract which revealed Franklin's founder once bought the property.
Now, Franklin Heritage volunteers are matching and marking items for an estate sale to fund the restoration.
"I'm not into dishes but look at that! There's an entire set and I just know there's a collector somewhere that's going to walk in and just go, 'Oh my gosh!'" said one female visitor.
It's a thrill, too, for this urban archeologist who's bringing an old beauty back to life. "I think it was waiting to be found because there's a great story here in this house," said Shilts.
The home tour and estate sale is Saturday from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm at 425 E. Jefferson Street in Franklin. A $5 admission and all proceeds go toward renovations.
This will be the seventh property restored by Franklin Heritage. They say it's their most exciting find yet.
