Landmark Looks: Dupont & Madison

With its Landmark Look series, Indiana Landmarks offers tours of historically significant and intriguing properties throughout Indiana. The nonprofit organization hosts a double Landmark Look on May 19, giving visitors a peek at two historic homes in Dupont and Madison. The houses may not officially qualify as tiny, but they’re both “mini” versions of high-style mid-nineteenth century homes.

When Indiana Landmarks discovered the Levi Butler House in Dupont, 10 miles north of Madison, it was hidden beneath ivy gone wild on a site overtaken by nature. The 1847 diamond-in-the-rough had holes in the roof, vanishing paint, and a crumbling chimney. Indiana Landmarks peeled away the ivy to reveal a Greek Revival gem, fixed the roof and chimney, and found a buyer in Mark Hopkins.

Hopkins checked out the property on Indiana Landmarks’ website from his home in Miami, Florida, and saw a beautiful little house rather than a wreck. With his two-year restoration nearly complete, he outfitted the home with his eclectic mix of modern and antique furnishings.

Sally Wurtz, a realtor and experienced rehabber who specializes in historic homes, downsized from 3,000 to 1,000 square feet when she bought a Federal-style house on Madison’s West First Street. She restored the main façade of the one-bedroom brick cottage, recreating the original front stoop and door that a previous owner had replaced with a window. Inside, exposed brick forms a warm backdrop on the living room fireplace wall and kitchen.