A couple ditched NYC to renovate a $175,000 schoolhouse in their Indiana hometown. It's over 100 years old, but will soon be a spacious, modern 4-bed family house.

Maria NoyenApr 15, 2023, 16:15 IST

Stacie Grissom and Sean Wilson standing in front of their new house.Courtesy of Stacie Grissom and Sean Wilson

Stacie Grissom and Sean Wilson bought a $175,000 schoolhouse in the small town they grew up in.
The couple, who are high school sweethearts, lived in New York before deciding to return to Indiana.

For years, Stacie Grissom said she could never picture her and her husband moving from New York City back to their Indiana hometown.

The couple and their two children.Kate Wilson

What cemented the couple's desire to move back to Franklin was their experience of living in NYC in 2020.

Medics and hospital workers prepare to lift a COVID-19 patient onto a hospital stretcher outside the Montefiore Medical Center Moses Campus on April 7, 2020, in the Bronx borough of New York City.John Moore/Getty Images

A few weeks later, Wilson and Grissom's realtor — a childhood best friend — called them with a unique sale: an old schoolhouse.

The couple and their children stand in front of the Indiana schoolhouse.Kate Wilson

The schoolhouse was listed for $175,000. Grissom said they bought it without ever seeing it in person.

An aerial view of the property and the surrounding greenery.Courtesy of Stacie Grissom and Sean Wilson

Originally built in 1914, the 9,500 square-foot schoolhouse definitely needed a lot of work to make it a comfortable home, Grissom said.

Inside the schoolhouse.Courtesy of Stacie Grissom and Sean Wilson

Given the couple's lack of renovation experience, they're thankful to be working with professionals to transform the schoolhouse.

The couple is working with professional contractors.Courtesy of Stacie Grissom and Sean Wilson

A couple of big changes they've made include putting in a new roof and an entire set of new windows, which have been the most "painful" expenses so far, Grissom said.

The couple installed a new roof.Courtesy of Stacie Grissom and Sean Wilson

One of the biggest challenges the couple face is ensuring the internal structure of the old schoolhouse can function as a family home.

The internal structure of the schoolhouse required changes.Courtesy of Stacie Grissom and Sean Wilson

But Wilson and Grissom are keen to honor the history of their schoolhouse, especially because of how much it means to the surrounding community.

Former classrooms are being converted into bedrooms.Courtesy of Stacie Grissom and Sean Wilson

And there was a good chance that the schoolhouse may have been torn down, an eventuality that Grissom said she's grateful never happened.

The schoolhouse is over 100 years old.Courtesy of Stacie Grissom and Sean Wilson

Of course, renovations can sometimes become archaeological digs and deliver some interesting finds, like this clown doll.

The couple discovered a clown doll during the renovation.Courtesy of Stacie Grissom and Sean Wilson

Grissom said they hope their schoolhouse will be the go-to spot for gatherings in the future, as well as inspire her own kids to think twice about moving away.

One day they hope to host family parties at their schoolhouse.Courtesy of Stacie Grissom and Sean Wilson

I traveled with just a backpack on a 5-day trip to Europe. Here are 4 things I'm glad I did, and 1 mistake I made.

Cookies on the Business Insider India website