Stone homes line highway
Staff writer
Cities aren’t the only places in Marion County to see classic stone architecture.
A trip along US-56/77 between K-256 and Lincolnville passes by six stately old buildings constructed of stone more than a century ago. They have been updated and still are occupied.
The house at 2294 220th Rd. was not always a house. It was a church, according to owner Melissa Zieammerman. When she bought the house in 2000, she discovered a cornerstone leaning against a rock that bore the inscription: “Pleasantview M.E. Church, 1908.”
She has pictures of the original building with a bell tower.
Original windows in the back wall of the building have pointed stone headings, often used on churches. The side where a bell tower was attached is plainly visible.
“I wish I had the bell,” Zieammerman said.
The building has a rock root cellar with narrow steps.
Somewhere along the way, someone made the building into a residence. The owner created a second story and built extensions from the roof in front and back. The first floor was one big room when Zieammerman bought the house. She partitioned it to accommodate her family.
In 2004, she extended the front, saving and splitting stones to line the new front. She also added a porch.
“It’s a job to keep up an old rock house,” she said, “but it’s home.”