Bawsel-Lovelace House - 840 Grant St SE

The Bawsel-Lovelace House was built in 1952. Maxie Bawsel designed and built this house with her bridge club in mind. Ahead of its time in many ways – with an open concept floor plan, sunken living room, tons of built-in storage, interior planters, and automatic lights in every closet, this mid-century gem was the “smart home” of its day. The original den was clad with pine paneling, flagstone floors and a large fireplace made of Indiana stone – often the signature feature in houses of this era. Also original to the house was an integrated outdoor fireplace, built-in grill and entertainment patio. Over the last 70 years, various owners have made renovations, removed built-ins and planters but much of the mid-century charm remained. On Christmas Day 2017, a house fire destroyed most of the house. Only the Indiana stone fireplace and flagstone den floor were salvaged - along with a few pieces of furniture. The newly rebuilt and renovated house hasn’t changed much on the exterior; but, significant updates were made to the interior. The Lovelaces moved back into their renovated house in August. This home will surely delight this year’s tour attendees.