An Old House Love Story: How One Man is Saving a 9,000 sq. ft. Victorian Fixer-Upper 

I’m 15 and I want to do this. I love historic houses. Especially pre 1910 Victorians

I bought an 1896 Victorian monster house about ten years ago that was about the same condition as this one. I had just retired so I had plenty of time on my hands. I worked on it for a year getting it just good enough to move into, then put another years work. I'm still here!

He not only restored the house for himself but for the whole community. In a sense he is a real hero.

Love it. I'm not necessarily into huge houses, but I love Victorian Architecture... which are often very large. I HATE huge new slapped-together McMansions, but I do love old homes like this, regardless of the size.

Cross house saved by Ross!! He has such a happy enegry, love it!

I have always dreamed of living in one of these homes and be able to restore it. It is wonderful that you are saving this home.

I love old Victorian homes. this one is a beauty.

It is fantastic knowing that there are people with the energy and passion to save our history. Often the large restorations are placed in the "too hard and expensive basket" - I live in Australia and I always cringe when I see our historic buildings being bulldozed - its happening far too often. Well done Ross

I love this! I am one of those people that drives by amazing old homes and wants to save them all. I am so happy other people do but become so afraid of the people that just gut them and "modernizes" them. It is amazing to see the perfect person with just the right circumstances find this home to save.

Just found this video and loved the whole interview, the pictures and the feel of the project. Congratulations on your beautiful home; restoring is invigorating. The best to you.

Stupendous! Thank God that man and that house found each other.

I love that this house is being restored to it's original glory! This makes my heart insanely happy!

That has got to be the most honest responses i have heard in years... literally. And the best interview as well. I wish these people were my neighbors.

it's nice to see old become young again.as I'm a master plaster and work with the Alberta heritage foundation and restore builds or 100 yrs old. good job.

GOOD FOR YOU!! KUDOS & ACCOLADES Mr. MacTaggert!! Before restoring our 1855 Queen Anne (which I grew up in & my husband & I purchased from my mother), I did massive research & attended many workshops given by the California Office of Historic Preservation. These beautiful old homes DO NOT have to cost an arm & a leg to restore.......but plan on getting your hands VERY calluosed & dirty! Our home became a full time job! The hardest & worst part for us was finding competent carpenters & laborers. Many flakes in these professions! After 5 long years, there IS light @ the end of the tunnel & all we have to complete is the final coat of paint!! The LOVE & pride of helping to preserve this 160 year old house for future generations, has made the many, many hours of hair pulling, nail biting, moments of true INSANITY & frustration worth every minute!

As far as paranormal activity in old houses....The oldest we lived in was a home built in 1836, on a hill. A Civil War battle was fought in the valley below. The latest is a 1905 home. I also collect funereal items, and post mortem photographs. Not once have I ever encountered a spirit, or felt anything in these old homes.

Wow! You're The Perfect Owner for This Beautiful Historic Home With Your Background in Architecture😊 You Have to Have a Strong Passion for This Type of Property in Order to Bring it Back to its Former Glory.💝

Amazing that your doing this. There so many abanded places..I wish I could save them all

The right guy for the job enough experience to know what to do but young enough to do the work needed

I love ❤️ the cross house. It was a pleasure listening to Ross MacTaggart. Please keep us informed with recent updates to his beautiful house. I wish it was mine.

After listening to your interview, it is so clear that you and this house go together.. This house and community chose you too... I owned a small farm house and pole barn on 20 acres.. same kind of beautiful trim. when i owned it, I was very young (19-22), Wish I still had it..

Appreciate U sharing your background and the journey you've been on, how it has led U 2 this beautiful house. When U stated that "U always had a feeling U were waiting 4 something' and now that feeling has dissipated with this house. We have 2 pay attention 2 the signs during our journey. I believe U loved this place B4 and were connected 2 this house long ago in another lifetime. So glad your no longer waiting and at peace now. Inspiring 2 all.

I've been a single man my whole life and I'm now 40 years young and I have saved three 100 plus year old houses and built a new East Lake style house , a new mini Victorian and one new carpenter's Gothic on top of starting and running three companies.

His approach and mindset are on point. The little void he felt in his life that has gone away when he took on this wonderland /peacock wallpaper is mind-blowing. Some say you make your own destiny and others say it is destiny when things occur. Given the beautiful childhood story of his memories between him and his mother at the lumber yard and the peacock wallpaper. I think it was his destiny to be the true owner of this house. I like the fact that he went into it looking at it has just a house, of cause he did love the house. Lol, All in All, what an amazing story. May he find that special person that shares his same passion for making things beautiful. Great Sory, Thank you for sharing.

Ross you must write a book about Cross House! You already have a gift with expressing yourself. I would have before and after pictures and about that era of time too. Personally many people love old homes and your experiences are so interesting! Love your story and looking forward to your book. It is truly a love story and just think of the money you could make from the publishing proceeds! More restorations!!

Wow looks great thank you Ross for your hard work! It's so important to restore and save our American heritage !

Wow!!! That 's all my fantasies rolled into one! Lucky man....

The craftsmanship shown here is amazing! It's so sad that a place such as this wasn't maintained as it deserved. So wonderful to see it restored....

Thank you I love old houses too.. been restoring a Georgian structure built in 1838, I understand the feelings on restoration . The more I stay at my house , the more I love it. Sadly it is facing an uncertain future now with the council wishing to tear it down for the expansion of a industrial park . I am fighting to save the last merchant structure . I had a love affair with the house since I was a child .

Holy fantastic - what a place. Those old photographs are great as well. Just beautiful - it truly does feed my soul to find that buildings like these are loved and being saved.

This was a wonderful interview. This gentleman is amazing and humble as well!

i am restoring a 1929 farm house. it takes blood sweat and tears to this type of thing.

this is the most informative, down to earth, realistic home renovation video on the entire internet.awesome job !! thanks for sharing.

the wood work reminds me so much of what my grandmother's house was. I live in Des Moines, Ia, she had been there for 33yrs. it was the house I grew up in it was home for me, we had 3 generation in the house

An 1890's Queen Anne/Colonial Revival that fell into disrepair at some point in time; I can only imagine how magnificent this mansion looked back in its early years! I'm glad that someone/body decided to make the place over, and it surprises me that many of the original details -- especially the unpainted woodwork -- are still intact in spite of its neglect! If I had the money, I'd either save one of such places from the Victorian Era (whether it's an Italianate, [French] Second Empire {or a combination of both styles}, Queen Anne, Folk Victorian, etc.) or have one built that contains as many details from that era as possible. The very same would apply to a Craftsman, Colonial Revival, Mission Revival, Mediterranean or Spanish Colonial, and even a Mid-Century Modern!

The Cross house is beautiful, and I'm so glad someone is restoring it, but Emporia is a real cesspit of a town.

Absolutely fantastic. There's one here in Montgomery that's 8,000 square feet that's tied up in legalese as it rots. Heartbreaking. So happy to see this beauty restored!

I worked construction and remodeling for 35 years let me tell you I have worked on worse:) Love the house and good luck!

I love hearing you talk about how you love this house!!

I am right their with you Ross I love working on old houses and I love lumber yards and antiques send us an update on your home please or I could just come visit LOL

Im so glad this house is in Kansas,as far away as possible from the Detroit area. Had it been here it would have been stripped and trashed years ago. Sad but very true. So so many of the beautiful Detroit homes have gone that way. Kudos to you and the people of Emporia,Kansas for helping save this gem. They must have good ethics and have taught them to further generations.

Amazing architecture. Beautiful, beautiful.

WAY TO GO THAT OLD HOUSE IS GORGEOUS

I now pronounce you ... man and house! I know the feeling, you can be married to your house.

What a pleasure it was to see this story. All my life I have wanted to live in an old Historic Home, I love Antiques, and maybe some day my dream will come true. This is so wonderful that none of the woodwork has been painted and the stain glass windows are so magnificent, if I owned this home I would just wander thru it all day long in awe of this wonderful home. I live in Pa. in a town where there are still some beauties like this that still exist, and in my house hunting I saw homes that I would have liked but alas, they painted all the woodwork!! God Bless you with this wonderful endeavor.

This is a amazing home, I love the stain glass. Your very welcomed in this home, that's way your waking up at 3:00 am. The house is at peace with you there, that's way it came for you to be there, everything happens for a reason. The house found you, it drawed you to it. Enjoy and your new home. Your amazing.

Lots of men put long hours and love into her !. Thanks for saving her.

Great interview! I hope someday my wife and I can restore a beautiful old home as well. We have done some fantastic improvements to our little 700 square foot starter home. Really cosmetic things that anyone with the desire to try new things can learn. Painting walls, new kitchen faucet, gardening, painting our front door, etc. my wife actually gave up half her closet space and we put in a little sewing space. We're learning the importance of coming home to a space you love. Also learning not to stress the projects. It's better to have all these things take time and your creativity flow from room to room.

OMG!!! This home is GORGEOUS!!! Even before it was redone, all the different fabulous stained glass and woodworks etc.... I LOVE THIS HOUSE!!! Some of the furnishings are STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL, especially the huge beds and armoires! I ADORE antiques and this is just making my mouth water!! ❤️. Well done!!

This house I absolutely breathtaking. I ah over the beautiful original windows and woodwork. Especially the staircase.

This is incredible! There are no words to describe how beautiful that home is. So envious...Major props to Ross for doing this. So great to see people preserving bits of our history. A project like this is my bucket list! Great to hear some insight from folks that have taken on tasks like this.

Wow, I remember that peacock wallpaper from my grandmas house. The more green version. She had it in the small half bathroom downstairs. It was semi washed out from sunlight. My grandfather hated it, but knew better than to tell my grandma what to do. Hahaha And the timeline is right they bought that house in 1967, and added some upgrades. The mustard yellow sink, and toilet, and the stained glass light fixtures. I loved it.

Great story and interview and of course the house itself and Ross too. Loved it.

I love old houses! my mom owns a victorian home built in 1917 just right 5min out of DTLA.

I enjoyed this so much. Thank you for posting.. I love old houses too!

I love antiques and I think it's awesome

Ross,your home is amazing, reminds me of the set from" Meet me in St Louis",its truely spectacular !!!##

When you take on a house project so large and work so hard (this man obviously invests blood, sweat, and tears into this project), you really do (in a sense) infuse your very soul into the place. How absolutely lovely this home is and how magnificent it will be when he has redone all that needs to be done!-I know firsthand, that work on an old place is never really "complete," but it's nice when you rectify all the big things.

My boyfriend and Myself's first apartment was in a turn of the century large duplex that had been further converted into at one time 6 apartments. It was love at first sight when our 23 year old selves walked in the door. My town has many old homes, especially downtown where we were, some taken care of and then some owned by cheep skate landlords that collect the rent and put nothing back into the property. Sadly we HAD to leave the apartment, the foundation of the house was sinking and bulging on our side to the point that it worried us and the cost to heat it during the winter was more then our rent! It was a lovely Christmas though, we even through a party to show it off to friends and family. The original woodwork in the living and dinning room was too die for! A fireplace, that wasn't too fancy but was still a great piece that had wonderful glass cabinets on either side. Wood trim work for days...and the columns in the archway, I still swoon. I grew up in those old houses turned apartments and have always loved the challenges of them and the quirkiness they get over time. I loved to hear the passion in this story, makes me hate my cookie cutter apartment I'm in now...

i think the radiator was in the middle of the wall because often they had twin beds.

Wish I had the money to buy that house and restore it!! It is such a grand house. I would turn it into bread and breakfast or for wedding parties etc. Wow!! "So glad to see you giving it life again.

Beautiful! Love that one more old house is saved! It's gorgeous !

Wow, wow, WOW!!! I have a late-1800's/early 1900's house that isn't even close to how gorgeous this house is, so I have a rough idea of what you're up against. You're doing a magnificent job of the restoration. I am so happy that you have a business that is successful enough to fund this project; we got hit with the recession in 2008 and have had to scale back a lot. Now I'm going to go re-install some trim that we had to take down when the downstairs hallway ceiling collapsed several years ago...you've renewed my faith!

In the early 1980s while attending ESU, I rented the second floor bedroom with bathroom in the turret. What I loved most about that room was waking up to all the light coming through the stain glass windows. I didn’t live there long because I didn’t have access to the kitchen, so I had to eat out on all my meals. I wasn't the most serious student, so it is a good thing the walls can't talk, the stories they would tell. My friends from Hutchinson would come up on the weekend and stay with me and loved the room. I about peed myself when this video came up and I immediately recognized the home. I am so glad someone saved the home and is restoring it back to its original grandeur.

This is sooo amazing!!! And this guy sums up my feelings about taking on an old restoration project too.... I mean, the feeling of... it being meant for you. So real.

Applause!1 Love your enthusiasm and positive attitude.

THANK YOU for Saving a GREAT House. Love can fix anything. Thanks again for SHARING

10:25 you are so right. Wow, I am so impressed with the work and dedication this man has given to this beautiful house. Well done for sure. :0) Now if he would just rent me the attic.... lol

After watching a number of urban exploration videos filmed by brave youngsters, I came across your very professional presentation of the Cross House and its renovation and was delighted! It's good to be in the company of others who are passionate about historical properties.

Beautiful home...love that is being restored!

Please save my old childhood home before the city tears it down soon, there are so many memories at that house if only my family had the money to save it :,(

I love big old homes! I can't afford them, but love them! Midtown in Memphis, TN has a lot of them. Plus, the Antebellum homes in Holly Springs, MS has theirs as well. Right now Id settle for a log cabin type house on the property here in MS if and when I can get the title worked out.

absolutely beautiful..i would love to live in this beautiful home

just beautiful - I have a 1901 farmhouse and I so love what you do

Thank you so much for sharing this.. awesome and gives me hope to find mine!!!!

1978, 28 yrs. old, 2 kids 5&7, a 1901 2 story house, in small RR town in Nebraska panhandle. Background, farmers daughter, parental motto, necessity the mother of invention and figure it out yourself. Ended up moving 8 yrs. later and the people that bought it refinished all the original wood work I never got done. 30 yrs. later and I still miss that house and the claw foot tub. Learned as was necessary. Quitting wasn't an option. And yes, construction loan of 35g. Your home brings back lots of memories. Watched it twice. Loved to see all the stain glass you brought back to life. Thank you for the grand tour. :)

you are one lucky guy to own this home! I like these type of houses,

I love this house, this story. Thank GOD there are people like this that are able to afford and have the desire and love to fix up these wonderful homes rich in historical backgrounds with lots history. i can only wish I was able to take on a project like this. Its nice that he is keeping it the same and not changing or splitting it into apartments, but keeping it whole. Maybe someday something good will happen that will enable me to do the same with a big old house that i can save. my solace, is to watch through social media and wonderful sites like this that allow me to watch and enjoy from afar. I cant wait to see it completed.

As he said that his life's work had somehow taken him to this house. We'll I truly believe things happen for a reason. He instantly fell in love with this house and I know that feeling though sadly I have been unable to work due to my second back surgery which failed leaving me with no use of my right leg for almost a year and since then for over 5 years I still have no full use of it and severe back pain due to a loose screw etc.....so my dream of fixing up a beautiful home such as this will never be nor do I have someone to share my passion for restoring. What an amazing love story and passion for this house and it shows it with all the detailing. It does take time and resources to make it as it once was. Awesome restoration indeed. Would be a beautiful home to visit.

My father in law "found" a huge bannister from an OLD house. I might still have it in Muskegon, Michigan

What an inspiring story. Please post a link to more recent updates.

He is wonderful and I love the peacock wallpaper. I love his story and the one funny thing I wonder. Does he ever look at the house and think it's really mine. This gorgouse beauty is mine. Great job sir. I hope soon you get to enjoy your beautiful home restored Who knows maybe the house will bring you the love of a person who stops by just to look at the beautiful house. Just like you did when you first moved to Kansas. That would make the perfect ending to such a beautiful journey

its not hard to fall in love with this house. it was crafted lovingly to begin with.

this house is amazing!! :-) this guy is so so lucky to have this place!

I'm in love!! What a beautiful old home given a new life by an apparently very sensitive and caring man. I want to say "Thank you" to him for breathing new life into it. I'd love to be able to see it in its full glory, but pictures will have to do. Thanks for the video!! The intricate woodwork, the windows, the staircase, the fireplaces and the mantles....everything is just beautiful!! I just wish more people would do the same. I do take exception with one statement he made.....he said he wasn't rich, he's So wrong! To have the talent, the opportunity and the drive to revive such a masterpiece....he's Very rich!

This was always a dream of mine. I'd give 20 years off my life to live in a home like this.

he bless on what he did. beautiful

What a beautiful home 😍

Love the story about the peacock wallpaper and that you and your mother loved the same wallpaper and almost 60 years later you have that same wallpaper wonderful story wonderful

beautiful treasure ,wished you had of shown more of the AFTER pics of inside .TFS

My favorite houses are in the first generation neighborhoods. So many have been lost already :(

this house is incredible love the inside I wish I could've afford a wonderful house like this hopefully one day it could be a muesam were people pay to vist the inside have weddings on the grounds it just a magical place so glad your saving it

There is a house in Waxahachie,Texas that is built just like the Cross House.

I would love to meet Ross. I love his personality and his love of old houses and things. I dreamed about this house a few days ago. I hv had it on my mind since. When i had the dream someone i cldnt see kept saying something i cldnt fully hear but the word taggert. I find that strange. Well, i started looking in utube at videos of old abandoned houses looking to see if i cld find any house associated w the word taggert. It was a cssual search, just when had time, and today i came across this video. It feels like i back in that dream! The housr is TOTALLY AMAZING And it the same one as in my dream. Also in my dream was a beautiful metalic looking multi color peakock feather wallpaper. The darker color was the one in my dream. I cannot convey to you the feeling of actually seeing this! I hv no words. I hv sat here and cried and i not sure why but it feels like happy i found it and tears of longing to be home. Well, i will stop now. Maybe said too much and scare some people off or get bad comments but i donot care. The words just fell out. Anyway, meeting Ross and seeing the house in person would be the answer to my dream. Have a lovely day, week, month, and year. Happy renovating! You are doing a lovely job!

Stunning!!!!!

Riveting!! We owned a Victorian for 11 years and never able to afford to properly restore it. Thanks for sharing your journey.

I guess I would start with the roof and windows,if the house is pretty much weather proof including all exterior walls,then the interior could be worked on any time all year round.

What a beautiful place .. if only we had updates on it each Step of the way until completed .

I'm an Interior Designer and own my own business. I too hope to one day buy a fixer upper. I hope to find one with history. Can't do any-thing now due to my work, but one day. The house looks great by the way. The home has nothing to do with me, however I'm "proud" of the house. Lastly, I really enjoyed the video. I posted it to my face book page also. Oh, I too "LOVE" the wall-paper. I wish you the best. Preston Higgins

I have rehabbed several old houses with now ex- husband, I still would like to do old Victorian style, hope I'm not too old...love all your stained glass, carved wood, etc