Our Town Taylorville: House within a house
Updated: June 9, 2012
TAYLORVILLE -- Never judge a book by it's cover, or in this case by its brick. A Christian County couple thought outside the box and turned an old warehouse into their home.
"If we get a new UPS driver or FedEX they can't find this place even though we had a big house number out there because they are looking for a house," explained homeowner Vern Endsley.
The big looking storage building on the corner of West 2nd St. and Webster. St is Vern and Carol Endsley's home.
"A lot of people think it's an apartment building or they'll come and take their picture on our front door step so it's fun," explained Carol.
The big looking storage building is Carol and Vern Endsley's home sweet home.
"My first idea when I looked at it was I only looked at it to because I wanted to find a place to store my motor home inside," said Endsley.
The couple decided to turn the 1908 building into their next project. They bought the abandoned warehouse from Ameren about 11 years ago. It was used as a trolley car garage and powering station in Taylorville back in the 1920s.
"This area was where they actually pulled the trolley cars in and worked on them this corner over here was where the generator was to power the trolley cars," said Endsley.
The facts are in the tracks, they're still underneath the floor. It took them about 5 years to build the house within the warehouse.
They designed their home around the original glass block windows, and restored the brick wall in the living room. The only think they changed on the outside was adding two big windows.
"It just seemed like the thing to do everything is inside my shop is right here where I work on my street rods and that ends the garage and this is the house,"he said.
Endsley said the key to making this all happen was with the kitchen. He said the cheery wood that drapes all the cabinets and appliances was more a bribe for his wife so he could build.
"To move out from the country into town with no grass and no flowers which I love it was a bribe yes it was but I'm happy," said Carol.
The couple bought the warehouse for $45,000. The building is 5,000 sq ft. and they've only used up about a thousand so far. The rest of the place serves as a garage.
"If we get a new UPS driver or FedEX they can't find this place even though we had a big house number out there because they are looking for a house," explained homeowner Vern Endsley.
The big looking storage building on the corner of West 2nd St. and Webster. St is Vern and Carol Endsley's home.
"A lot of people think it's an apartment building or they'll come and take their picture on our front door step so it's fun," explained Carol.
The big looking storage building is Carol and Vern Endsley's home sweet home.
"My first idea when I looked at it was I only looked at it to because I wanted to find a place to store my motor home inside," said Endsley.
The couple decided to turn the 1908 building into their next project. They bought the abandoned warehouse from Ameren about 11 years ago. It was used as a trolley car garage and powering station in Taylorville back in the 1920s.
"This area was where they actually pulled the trolley cars in and worked on them this corner over here was where the generator was to power the trolley cars," said Endsley.
The facts are in the tracks, they're still underneath the floor. It took them about 5 years to build the house within the warehouse.
They designed their home around the original glass block windows, and restored the brick wall in the living room. The only think they changed on the outside was adding two big windows.
"It just seemed like the thing to do everything is inside my shop is right here where I work on my street rods and that ends the garage and this is the house,"he said.
Endsley said the key to making this all happen was with the kitchen. He said the cheery wood that drapes all the cabinets and appliances was more a bribe for his wife so he could build.
"To move out from the country into town with no grass and no flowers which I love it was a bribe yes it was but I'm happy," said Carol.
The couple bought the warehouse for $45,000. The building is 5,000 sq ft. and they've only used up about a thousand so far. The rest of the place serves as a garage.
