Innkeeper Dreams in Indiana? Restored Italianate Classic Awaits a Bold Buyer

Innkeeper Dreams in Indiana? Restored Italianate Classic Awaits a Bold Buyer

For under a half-million dollars you could be the next owner of this Italianate brick estate—and either run it as a bed-and-breakfast or enjoy it as a single-family home.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Inn at the Old Republic comes with 33 parking spaces and currently operates as a venue for special events. It was built in 1861 for Jeremiah Service, owner of a local dry goods shop.

The local historical society, which operates a museum out of the former summer kitchen, shepherded the building’s restoration in 2001. After sitting vacant for decades, it reopened in spring 2005.

“The group received grants, donations, volunteer labor and services, and held many fundraisers to restore the home,” says listing agent Laura Davis of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage.

Among the improvements were a new roof, tuckpointing, rebuilt porch, window restoration, plaster repair, refinished floors, and new bath and kitchen features. New HVAC, plumbing, and electrical were also installed to bring the home up to date.

It’s been on the market since 2017, when it was listed for $524,900. It’s now priced at $424,900.

“If sold as a home, the owners would probably want to redo the kitchen,” says Davis. “The room (where the museum is) would lend itself to an open-concept family room off the kitchen or a master suite on the main floor.”

Touching up the exterior paint would make the home sparkle. Two brick outbuildings—a smokehouse and an icehouse—are required to be restored or retained.

Other key architectural features include “one of the few residential cupolas in the country that is topped with a Turkish onion dome,” says Davis. “The home is prominently perched on a hill just as you enter or exit our lovely town. The sloping, paved driveway draws the eye up to this gem.”

The charming town of 1,600 people features many local homes on the National Register of Historic Places, and the downtown—within walking distance—is lined with cafes and diners. New Carlisle is 10 miles west of South Bend, home to Notre Dame University. From its hilltop perch, this property is part of the town’s skyline.

Upstairs are four of the five en suite bedrooms (with a toilet and sink in each, plus shared access to a full bath with a claw-foot tub) puts innkeeper dreams within reach. Two accessible baths are on the main floor.

And if you’re looking to unwind? “The front porch spans the width of the home and is perfect for morning coffee, an evening cocktail, or reading a book,” says Davis. It’s on a 3.5-acre lot, so there’s also room to set up a garden or create more outdoor living spaces.

But it’s the gorgeous renovations throughout that give this 5,765-square-foot dwelling its bucket-list status. A property of this caliber would easily cost seven digits in most areas of the country.

What kind of person will buy this home? Davis is fairly certain it’ll be “someone who values historic homes and their unique character—either someone who would like to buy it as a home or continue as a B&B and event center, which is definitely needed in New Carlisle.

“There are no other lodging facilities in town, and it is a very popular place for small weddings, baby and bridal showers, and graduation and anniversary parties,” she says. “This type of business would thrive in the area.”

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