HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – A retired musician and a kindergarten teacher are living in a story book fantasy as they continue to restore their historical home on South Main Street in Hopkinsville. John and Jeri Lynn Richardson are the proud owners of The Trice Castle, dedicating their time exploring the intricate legacy of the home, and sharing their knowledge with the community.
“We don’t go to the lake, we don’t golf, this is our hobby,” said John. “It’s kind of cliche to say ‘they don’t build them like that anymore’, but they really don’t build like this anymore. Once these houses are gone, you’re not getting them back.”
Jeri Lynn grew up in Hopkinsville and always knew about the famous castle house. When the couple was looking to buy, it had been on the market for two years already. The stone home was built in 1905 for Anna Mallory Trice, who lived in the home until she was 89 years old. The Richardson’s became the 13th owners of the home in 2018, instantly diving deep into its history and connecting with previous owners, including Trice family descendants.
“I’m creating a detailed archive of the house, so I have notebooks full of documents. Past owners are sending us their pictures they had, kids are finding pictures from when their parents lived here,” said Jeri Lynn, with her husband adding, “There’s a lot of history in these houses that’s important to save for the community. It’s part of the story of this town.”
Restoration process
Aside from necessary modern updates and some aging white paint Jeri Lynn is slowly chipping away at with a dental pick to expose detailed molding, the house managed to dodge several renovation trends throughout the years. Most of the original windows have stood firm since 1905, and the original roof was still intact when they bought the house.
The Richardson’s have dedicated the past six years to making the home as historically accurate and beautiful as possible inside and out. Jeri Lynn has had a fascination with antiques since she was a child, and she expressed her love for ornate furniture to Christian County Now while sitting on a velvet red chair from the 1870’s.
Antique pieces fill every corner of the home, including artwork, decades old furniture, elaborate chandeliers, and dozens of sepia photos telling the story of the home. Their senior shih-tzu seamlessly blends in with the regal features of the front sitting room, that is currently fully decorated for the spooky fall months.
They find the majority of their items at auctions and online, where they patiently wait for the perfect piece to pop up at the right price. “Once we pick a piece for our collection it stays in,” she said. “It has to be the perfect one.”
Their reach on social media has created a sort of family tree of connections to people who lived in the house previously, blossoming all around the country. Each story and photo inspires their next steps with the restoration process and provides a timeline of how the house has changed.
They both feel that their work on the house will never truly be finished, but they are ready and willing to tackle any projects that pop up whether it is a necessary repair or aesthetic touch. “Something always comes up,” John noted.
Opening doors to the community
With so many aging, historic homes in the area they are both hoping more buyers are able to come in the neighborhood soon. The longer the homes sit, the harder and more expensive the restoration process is. In the meantime, they have created their own community with other nearby homeowners and are always exchanging ideas and supporting each other.
They have noticed a significant change in restoration efforts in Hopkinsville over the past five years, and hope that trend continues. As a non-native to the area, John has realized that residents in the city really care about the local history of the area, with Jeri Lynn feeling like she has a responsibility to maintain and share the knowledge she has acquired.
This mission is expressed through their recent outreach to the community, including speaking at History on Tap with the Pennyroyal Museum, and opening up their doors in October for a community tour with the library.
“We just love it. I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else,” said Jeri Lynn. To find a more detailed history about The Trice Castle, find their Facebook page.
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