In the upscale neighborhood along the 1600 block of Griffith Avenue, one home — a two-story, 142-year-old farmhouse — appears out of place and frozen in time.
Barely noticeable from the street, the property includes a horse stable with hayloft that sits in the shade provided by the large tree canopies that encompass the backyard.
In less than two weeks, on June 29, Kurtz Auction & Realty will sell the property at 1610 Griffith Ave. that has been part of the Jane Stevenson estate for generations.
Amy Whistle, the auctioneer in charge, said she’s been immersed in the history of the property since December.
“When they called and asked me to come look at the property, I had no idea the stable was back here,” Whistle said. “…It was almost like I had been snapped back in time.”
Whistle said the property was originally part of Robert Triplett’s 1,600-acre farm, and there’s evidence it was a dairy farm at one point.
The home was built in 1881, and the stable added shortly after the turn of the century. Just feet from the home’s back door, a hitching post for tethering horses remains.
Although the Stevenson family didn’t build the house, they moved into the home in 1937.
Stevenson’s father, William F. Stevenson, was in the oil business. According to Messenger-Inquirer archives, he died in January 1946 at age 54. Stevenson and her mother, Dora, remained in the home, which now sits on a little more than an acre.
“Initially, when they purchased this, it was 9 1/2 acres,” Whistle said.
Stevenson was a guidance counselor at Daviess County High School for 34 years. She died in November at age 91.
Whistle said Stevenson has no family in the area, with the closest living relative in South Carolina.
“Even after she left (the house), her caregiver would bring her back every so often,” Whistle said. “…She loved this place. This was home to her.”
The house, with its solid plaster walls, has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, an unfinished basement and a new central air unit that was added in 2020.
The PVA’s office has the property assessed at $266,900 for its working tax roll.
All of Stevenson’s personal property has already been auctioned off, with only the home to sell.
“Working inside the house, I felt like I got to know Miss Stevenson,” Whistle said.
Whistle, who’s been an auctioneer and real estate agent for nearly two decades, said she’s spent more time with the Stevenson property than any other in her career.
“I would love to see somebody revive the home,” Whistle said. “…It’s still very sturdy and not at all what people would expect.”