House Tour: Learn The History of Our 1858 Southern Mansion 

I’m so happy to find a community of restorationists. I grew up watching This Old House and in the last 10 years stopped. It kills me to see them literally take the historic homes down to studs and call them restored. You guys are doing it right. You guys are bringing us with you like This Old House did in the 70’s - 90’s. Keep going and keep the history alive.

I adore following y’all! I cried when Louise burned & donated to the fund. I’m so glad to see y’all back at it, especially in Helena. I do have to say though, please please get a wireless mic for your phone. I truly appreciate all that you share, but the audio is simply horrific. I couldn’t understand a third of what you said. Inexpensive wireless mics are easy to find on Amazon and I know y’all would probably enjoy the finished project as much as we would. Thanks again and keep up the good work!

I give you my oath never to be nitpicky about anything you post.. how you post it or when you post it ..I absaloutly 100% thank you for taking the time to film these videos and post them!!! It was your choice to take us on this journey with you, we should ALL be singing you praises!!!!

I love the dogs hanging out in the background. They are beautiful.

If walls could talk! Love Southern homes! Glad you are saving history. Kind of wonder if it’s haunted?!?

That bed!!! OMG! It's gorgeous!

All kinds of goodies to go with the house.. awesome 😎 🙏🏽🦋💙🦋

I love old southern homes! Will be excited to see this when finished!!

I love that you are not afraid to "rough it" a bit and live in it while you work on her. That is the only way I have been able to afford to remodel all the homes I've done over the years, outside showering included, (with 3 kids in tow as a single mom) :) They are all a "chip off the old block" as a result. Unfortunately the pacific NW does not have near the inventory of old homes that the south does. My oldest daughter is wanting to buy her revivalist retirement home in the south which I hope she does so that I can be a part of fixing up a real treasure! Also, you have a great persona and come across warm, authentic and enthusiastic. Come the video's coming...

So many beautiful pieces of furniture left in the houses!

This was my very first home which I lived in for 3 years after being born in Helena in 1960! ❤️

What a charming home ,,and those beautiful gentlemen sweet dogs they seem to be claiming the house and yes indeed it's exciting when you learn that some houses had survived the civil war times ,,as it was a very hard time for homes and people ,,I just love historic places and there history ,,and so much enjoy the videos ,,yes if walls could talk they,d have a lot to say ,,thanks for showing of these beautiful homes

Going through a house like this is FAR FAR BETTER THAN ANY CANDY STORE 👍👍❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️👍👍 Love when you give us the history. You must do tons of research on this homes...God bless you!!!! Love it . So happy to have found this channel ! I have to say after watching your first videos of Louise... I couldn’t get her off my mind last night. She certainly touched my heart ....☹️

i love hearing the history of the homes!!!!

I’m only a few days of being a new subscriber n I’m falling in love with every home you show that I can’t keep up. Just want to thank you n your husband for having the love n desire to bring these homes back to as much original as you possibly can. It takes a lot of time n cost but it’s well worth saving a part of history. This home was magnificent n has some interesting history to it. It’s a grand house n love every nook n cranny of it. It was difficult to understanding you when you spoke bcuz of the echo in the house but I got jist of it. Hoping I’ll find the next video of this home as you restore it. I admire the both you to be taking on such big tasks. ♥️♥️😊👍👍

She’s since gotten a better mic but the closed captions make this video great.

My name is Helen...that home is beautiful 😍

I've always wanted to visit a plantation home I live in Texas I'm sure some exist here they are a rarity I'm a history fan I love old homes!

Love ya'll passion and energy ,' I am from Texas and we are not Blessed with all the beautiful estate's and history , so I very much enjoy all the information , thank you

Love it, so glad to find you guys, we have a new favorite 👍.Those houses up here in Ma would go for a ridiculous amount , thank you for saving them. I’ve house painted for years and my favorites are the old ones, the results are satisfying and the biggest reward.Looking forward to binge watching your past videos, please put the dogs on more as we are nuts about them ❤️🐺.Wayne + Deb Hancock.

There could have been a ball room on the 2nd floor opening to that large porch. That would also explain why the trim was so nice in the hall.

I grew up in Phillips County but have been gone for almost 30 years. I’m so glad for the restoration on some of the gorgeous homes. It breaks my heart that so many of the old beautiful homes there have been destroyed. I love the history of Helena.

So many beautiful things about Helen: the mirror, wall paper discovered but then found in tact in a cabinet, so cool! Love all the Goody Good Furniture Finds! The old velvet furniture has always drawn me in too. The Portico Balcony, wow! Just Wow! What an amazing to find you are also connected to the home through your ancestry, this house is a definite meant to be!

Can not wait to see a tour of that original kitchen!! You both are a blessing!

Sometime within the next two months I plan to start building my Victorian dollhouse. I’ve been collecting different features of older homes from the mid-late 1800s to use as inspiration in/on my dollhouse. My first build will be an attempt at a model of my grandparents house. It’s actually 3 old houses from family members, and put together in about 1952.

Thankyou for the beautiful tour

I'm so glad I discovered your channel -- you do such a wonderful job as our "guide" and I loved your furry cohosts. What a wonderful house -- how cool that you're connected to the family that bought it, and I can't wait to see more!

i love the double doors so much, im obsessed with old doors.

I love what you do. These wonderful homes are a part of our Ancestery.

Another beautiful old home with amazing history! Thanks so much for showing us this house, and sharing tons of interesting information about it!

Hello fellow restorers! It's good to see you back into a new project and what a great house you've found. I'm subscribing. Please consider buying a proper camera with a top mounted shotgun mic. Looking forward to more videos!

So much fun history and mysteries to solve! Thanks (as always) for sharing with us!!! ❤️

The kitchen, am with you there 100% and just think how much less work it could mean to keep the general placement as is. Think you are making wise choices...love the doors in the kitchen with the leaded glass, it’s just so amazing that you all are bringing that lovely home into the 21st century with such a deep bow to the past, as hard as it is to think of brothers going to war with their brothers...it IS our history and if we look with a bit of detached scrutiny, we will perhaps learn not to repeat, right? 🏚 ➡️ 🏘 Thank you for the honor of tagging along while you are already loaded down with such a full plate!! Great job! 👍❤️😉

Sensitive restoration and bringing the house up to date!

I love those detached kitchens! I would build a walkway to the outdoor kitchen and use it. 😊

This is a wonderful site and so educational. I truly enjoy the history of the houses and Laine's incredible knowledge of architectural history.

I just found you and am enjoying your videos. I love all the knowledge you share you are so blessed to purchase a home your family is connected to. A dream of mine that will never come true

That bed is beautiful with the canopy! Enjoy all the fireplaces and woodwork. Hope you do an update on finished restoration.

Almost a year to the date of this video and a second video is what we need. To see the progress 🥰🥰🥰🥰

would love a video of you exploring your goodies that you bought with the house, antiques are as fascinating as old homes are. What a gem this place is. The front door and hallway is what really got me, there are a few houses like this in Greenfield village, and I would go to that place as a school child and think, now this is my dream home.

Can’t wait to be a part of the journey! Thanks for sharing her with us!💕💕💕

Absolutely fascinated by this.

So excited I found you and can't wait to go on this journey with you!! I love old homes and what you are doing is great!! Good Luck!! :)

I really love your videos! I only recently discovered them. Your knowledge of history and architectural detail is just great to see. I admire your respect for historical accuracy and attention to detail in your restoration planning and preparation. You do a GREAT job with your videos. I look forward to seeing more! Thanks for sharing these with us.

That is such a beautiful house you are so lucky! 😎

with the spindles i would say its interesting that one only sees the old and plain ones as one goes up to the family's private quarters

I LOVE YOUR VIDEO'S!!!! I am so happy you are restoring Americas history homes! 🙂

Love it!

Yeah, i know what happened with the transom and the change of spindles...and the trim along the stair treads says it all, love!

Fantastic tour! Looking forward to seeing how this project turns out!

My 4th Great Grandfather, a man named Captain Sylvester Wallace was an officer in the 80th Ohio Regiment. It is likely he either stayed in the house or on the then property of the house! He was in charge during the Battle of Helena and the Battle of Chattanooga, and the Sherman’s March to the Sea!

so beautiful! so many mysteries!

Don’t forget you can have wallpaper reproduced from old samples if you have a large enough samples.

Beautiful

She's beautiful, my favorite channel by far 💜💜💜🙏

That’s so cool to find out that you are “related to “ the house!😁 I really like this house, and I’m sure y’all will do a wonderful job fixing her up.

I’m binging your videos and just found your channel!! So excited!! 💞

Stairs were lowered, 100%. Original stair heights were tall with skinny steps, and with leather soled shoes, long skirts, carrying anything, its INCREDIBLY dangerous. Many old homes had to have stairs lowered to prevent injury or death of maids. That or family hid valuables behind transom when war happened

The turned staircase spindles in Helen are exactly the same as the spindles in our 1894 home. Our house is not grand so, I suspect that the turned spindles are mail order or a common design stocked by the local hardware/lumber yard? Loving your videos and was horrified by the loss of Louise. A fire is the ultimate nightmare of of all old home residents/lovers.

There were so many beautiful homes that were decimated by the Union Army. It’s a treat to see the ones that were spared.

Great history!!! This is an incredible house. Can't wait to see what you do with it.

Do you restore and then I presume sell on? These homes are amazing. I am glad there are people like you who have the passion and more importantly the skills to bring them back to life.

Lovely so much still there wonderful.

Fascinating, incredible , quite a echo with the sound.

Helen is absaloutly stunning, I am really curious about the transom windows... that's a mystery, I thought that maybe they lowered the ceiling, but you debunked that so, I am all excited... I hope Helem knows how much she is loved and adored, I can't wait to see the outside kitchen!! Btw the scoring with the stone construction design was BRILLENT!!!

what a sweetheart you are ,,you make a good tour guide

I love that front hall! Lots of houses in Savannah have that fake stucco stonework

Love your pups 🐶❤

Good luck with Helen!

left all those goodies ! wow wat fun

Another beauty

There's a manor house I've seen in England that has false windows but are backed by mirror to give the appearance of a real window. Wonder if that's the treatment with your stairs? Lovely home.

Laine, my hubby and I recently purchased a Greek Revival in upstate NY, built in 1810, by Claude Bragdon, a famous architect. 11 bedrooms /9 bathrooms! It had been completely modernized, stripped of its original windows, doors, moldings, etc. It had light fixtures from Walmart for crying outload! I gasped in disbelief. ""I know isn't it breathtaking?" Our realtor had said. I've had an enema less painful. To add insult to injury, she offered that it has been approved for multi-family housing and that we could turn it into condo units, if we wanted it as an investment property. Oh no you didn't!" I wanted to smack her like a red-headed stepchild (joking). To restore it is going to be a monumental task and quite costly. No pain, no gain, right? Wish us luck!

I think you need a proper microphone attached to you, it would greatly add to the viewer experience.

Helen is beautiful ❤️

So since she doesn’t move, will she likely be the first to open as a B&B? Merry Christmas! The idea of the backyard garden is so exciting!

I've watched several of your videos now, but have yet to find one where you are actually doing the work, with a tour following of the completed house. Am I missing something?

The front of this home strongly resembles Lakeport Plantation at Lake Village, Arkansas, the only surviving plantation on the Arkansas side of the Mississippi River. Even the color is very close. Were these homes built from the same floorplans I wonder?

Did you all get the remaining furniture when y,all purchased this house? Great history. Never mind you answered my question in the video.

Neat history.

My guess to the stairs is something happened to it during cival war period. They've touched the spindles so I bet they touched the stairs too in some way or a nother. And with the reno after the cival war, it got changed a little for lowering the costs or something like that.

I bet that pier mirror and console was one of an original pair.

Arsenic wallpaper is deadly! It off gases. You need to remove it.

Helen is lovely! Is this one of the homes you sold recently, Laine & Kevin?

I live in an old house built in 1941 it's small though only 900 square feet. I'd love to own an old Victorian mansion. They're all in the millions here jeez.

Helen is gorgeous inside and out! I love to hear the history of old homes, so thanks for sharing. I also like the pattern on the arsenic wallpaper but am also well aware of its deadly history. Maybe keep a piece and seal it in a frame for historic purposes if that’s possible?

Is there an update on this home?? Just found this channel and I know what I’ll be binging now.

how do you heat a big home like that ..how many bedrooms an bathrooms ,,an whats the total footage,,an how is it heated,if you dont mind thanks for the history tours,,love history, what a find on this beauty

I have noticed that the camera man goes a little rogue at times not filming what you are talking about. he does his own thing

Just Gorgeous....as usual😉💖

I sure would love to see some of your final projects.

please please show us the outside kitchen

Would love to see the outside kitchen

God. Lov s your dogs!.

Theory about the mystery transom: I think it was a construction woopsie. It looks to me like they put it on the outside to try to keep the expected symmetry but with the staircase in place there simply wasn’t room for it to be seen from the inside. Just my thought.

Make me a room I’m moving in. ❤️

Gorgeous! Love the big windows and fireplaces! Love the bedroom wall paper!! Will this be moved? Will the fireplaces work?

Please bring the summer kitchen back to it's former glory

the added bathrooms ,why take them out ,,you found a gem ,, but you found a gem when you found your husband ,'smile'

I enjoyed this so much!!! Helen is just so very interesting - I never knew there was such a thing as "arsenic" wallpaper. How come the entire fire place is cast iron, including the mantel? With cypress floors, I sort of expected the mantel would be wood also, possibly cypress. Was it common to use an entirely cast iron fireplace? Just curious! Thank you for this video and bringing us on this journey!!!