After 30 years of searching, the Richland County Foundation has finally found a new home—the William Ritter House in Mansfield at 181 S. Main St. Foundation members are looking forward to moving into the historic building in January of 2015 after the renovation process is complete.
Brady Groves, the Richland County Foundation president, said renovation of the 123-year-old building began in January of 2013.
“We wanted to try to maintain the historical integrity of the building,” he said. In doing so, Dan Seckel of Seckel Group Architects used old photos to take the Queen Anne Victorian brick house back to its original grandeur. The color palette, window and floor treatments and new furnishings will reflect the turn of the 20th century style.
Other than an additional entrance added to the east side of the building that leads to a new reception area and boardroom, the structure of the house remains the same. Groves said there wouldn’t be much difference throughout the house, other than modern amenities and technology devices that will be added.
“I think most of the changes and transitions have been to the site rather the building,” Seckel said. He described that some of the nearby properties were demolished, along with concrete retaining walls across the street, “which really opened up the area,” he said.
The open area then allowed for more parking to be added on the north side of the building.
Groves noted, “We really feel that we can have a presence on this corner, which we feel is important.”
Groves believes that not only will the renovated location enhance the foundation’s operations, but he’s hopeful that it will spark a movement for more renovation to occur among downtown buildings.
Engwiller Properties of Mansfield serves as the general contractor, with Junior Wood serving as the project manager.
An anonymous donor purchased the home for the foundation in December of 2012. Groves said the foundation invested $300,000 in restoration expenses. MT Business Technologies is also helping fund the restoration.
Because the building had previously been used as a residence, Seckel said they’ve needed to make some alterations to get the building up to code according to regulations required for businesses. “But we’ve tried to alter the floor plan as little as possible,” he added.
According to Seckel, the house had passed through a number of residents’ hands and had seen various beginnings of restoration that were never fulfilled.
The house originally belonged to William Ritter, son of Joseph Ritter, owner of Joseph Ritter & Sons Company. The house was built for a man of some importance with the tastes of the city’s then upper-middle classes. Its location on South Main Street, however, is something of an anomaly. Most of the larger homes were located in the more popular western side of the city on Park Avenue West.
The house has three floors; although, Seckel said the third floor will be used strictly for mechanical purposes. Each floor consists of about seven to eight rooms.
Seckel said that many of the large Victorian houses had a ballroom in the attic, which was the case for the Ritter House. He said the entire attic was plastered, but unfortunately water leakage caused some structural disintegration, which they have had to repair.
All of the woodwork in the house had to be custom made. “There was absolutely no woodwork in the house; it was completely stripped, including the staircase,” Groves said.
The windows also had to be rebuilt—some of which will be outfitted with stained glass. Bill Vidonish of Vidonish Stained Glass Studios in Lexington is helping with that project.
One the classic Victorian features of the home is the corner tower, which overlooks the city. Maura Teynor, Director of Donor Services and Communications, said one of her favorite parts about the building is the view.
The renovation process is nearly complete. Groves said the remaining tasks involve clean-up and some trim work and exterior work, “but from an interior standpoint, we’re pretty close,” he said.
Julie McCready of McCready Interiors and Norwalk the Furniture Idea is furnishing the home. A significant amount of furniture from the foundation’s current office will be moved into the Ritter House.
Teynor noted that a couch made in the early 1900s that was previously used in the home was refurbished and recovered to be used yet again at the property.
Groves said that once they move in they hope to host a number of community events so people can tour their new facility.
The Richland County Foundation is currently located at 24 W. Third St. They were previously located at a property on Mulberry Street, which caught fire, and then moved to South Park Street.
While they could have torn down the Ritter House and start from scratch, Groves noted the importance of preservation and said the house served as a “perfect opportunity.” “It gives us the presence that we’re looking for in town, plus it really makes the statement that what the foundation stands for is we’re here for good forever,” he said.
The Richland County Foundation is one of the largest community foundations in the state and the largest private source of grants in the county. The foundation’s mission, as stated on their website, is “to improve and enhance the quality of life in Richland County through strategic philanthropy and community leadership.” The foundation’s grant-making covers a broad range of areas, including education, health services, arts and culture, community services, children, youth and families, human services, environment, and employment and economic development.
“It gives us the presence that we’re looking for in town, plus it really makes the statement that what the foundation stands for is we’re here for good forever,” said Brady Groves.
