Commentary by Heather Lusk
Last month the Village Residents Association selected two homes to receive the group’s Lamplighter Award for 2014. VRA president Scott Lusk presented the honors at the annual neighborhood picnic on Sept. 20. The homes are located at 425 West Cedar St. and 480 West Ash St.
The Cedar Street home is owned by Vicky Savidge and contractor John Pataky. The Savidge/Pataky home is listed in the Boone County Interim Report as a “Notable Carpenter/Builder, Circa 1845 architecture.” They have retained the slate roof, the original fireplace, recreated the gingerbread trim on the second story balcony with other exterior renovations and have retained the previous owner’s porch, window and entry door footprint on the original structure.
The owners of the Ash Street home are Scott and Jennifer Zvokel who have owned their property for six years. They did extensive exterior restoration, and reused original doors and hardware along with new materials. They were also able to establish a permanent foundation on an existing old barn and saved a potting shed at the back of the property. This home is listed in the Zionsville Interim Report as “Contributing Carpenter/Builder circa 1865 architecture.”
The Village Resident’s Association Lamplighter Award was first presented in 2000 with 14 residential homes in the Village honored since then. The purpose of the Lamplighter Award is to shine a light on a recent project that has maintained the original character of a historic house within the VRA membership boundaries. Keeping with the lamplighter theme, a lantern is presented to the homeowners who are “lighting the way” of renovation or restoration and preservation. The goal of the award is to retain the stock of older homes, which continues to contribute to the spirit of the Village.
