Fixing up a family home: The Simon-Ridgeway House

Kathrine Alderman
ECB Publishing, Inc.

The old Simon-Ridgeway house on Washington St. now has new owners! The Hall family purchased the home on September 14 and has been working on it since then.

The Simon-Ridgeway house has been sitting in disrepair for quite a while, overgrown with leaves and vines, some of which are creeping into the house through the windows, and the roof caved in places. Whoever bought the house would have to put a lot of work into it, and the Hall's were ready to take on the job.

Originally from Monticello, Lee Hall spent most of her life in Tallahassee. Tim Hall, her husband, is actually from a small village in England. They met on a website called Yahoo Personals back in 2000, which was a way to talk to people online before online dating was even popular. “And there were no pictures,” Lee Hall says. “So you kinda had to go on the person's say so.” And it was a good thing she trusted Tim because now they have been happily married for 20 years and have three daughters: Lily - 14, Rory - 12 and Fiona – 7, who they all homeschool.

Though living in Tallahassee, the family has been very active in the Jefferson County Homeschool group and had been looking to move to Monticello so that their kids could be closer to their friends, and they wouldn't have to keep driving back and forth. They also just love the small-town feel, Lee originally from Monticello and Tim coming from a smaller village, and loved how friendly everyone in the community was. One day, Lee and the girls were driving by and saw the Simon-Ridgeway house and were caught by it. They pulled in and looked all around the house and absolutely loved it.

The Hall's actually renovate houses for a living and have been in the business for six years full time. They like a challenge, and the house was definitely that. Lee says they have a track record of buying homes that many people say should just be given up on and fixing them up and giving them the love they deserve. Like those, this project would be an undertaking and would require a lot of love, but they were enamored with the house and really wanted to fix it up and make it their home. They did some research and tried contacting the owner, but, after no response, they were worried they would have to give up. Pretty soon, however, they found out that the house was going up for auction at a tax deed sale, so they immediately got together some funds and prepared for the auction day.

When they got to the auction, there were a lot more people than they were expecting, about six or seven bidders. Lee was already letting her girls know that it wasn't very likely that they could get the house, but they would still try. If they were supposed to get this house, they would. As the auction went on, it ended up between the Halls and one other lady. In the middle of the auction, one of her daughters pulled out her purse and offered Lee the 154 dollars she had, trying her best to help. Fiona, the youngest, was clutching Lee Hall and crying. They all wanted the house so badly, and they were scared that they just weren't going to get it. However, the lady they were bidding against turned to them and said, “you take it. You can have it. You need it.” Lee says she started crying and everyone at the auction applauded. “She was an investor,” Lee said. “And, I mean, we're investors, but we were buying this for us.” She was so touched and said it was crazy that everyone was cheering for them like that at a sale where they lost, some even approaching them and saying they were glad it was going to a family. “We've had nothing but good things from everyone around here,” Lee says. “So many people have stopped by, some even offering to help work on the house or pitch in.” The Halls really love the community and enjoy hearing all the stories and history surrounding the house.

Though the family doesn't yet know all the house's fine details, Lee Hall says she is super excited to delve into it and learn everything there is to know about it. As of right now, they know that the Simon-Ridgeway house was built in 1888. Lee says she was told that the Simon family built it and assumes that then the Ridgeways either married into the family or bought it, making it the Simon-Ridgeway house. She isn't entirely sure, though, as she says she's seen it called the Simon house, the Ridgeway house and the Simon-Ridgeway house.

A friend of hers told her that the columns on the front porch originally had to be driven in by oxen, due to their large size, “but that hearsay at this point,” Lee recalled with a laugh. They are excited to dig into the history of the house and learn all they can about it. “I'm sure it was a B&B plenty of times,” Lee mentions. They've already had some people stop and tell them of marriages and ceremonies they've had held there, as well.

Though they don't know all the history yet, they've already discovered some of the house's quirks. Such as a shower up on a stage, open to the whole room in one of the bedrooms, and a bathroom nestled into the corner of another bedroom with a slatted window and door that don't lock.

It's a large, old house with a lot of character that the Halls are already in love with, even in disrepair. Lee says that it will take a while before they are completely done with it, at least a few years. Still, they hope to get it to a point that they can live in it while they work, which she says will hopefully only take around six months. Though it will take a while before it's completely done, the Halls are excited to be part of the community and fix up a house that contains many memories and a lot of history.