Simpson Takes Pride in his "Illness"

KAYSVILLE, Utah-A newcomer to historic home preservation and renovation, Scott Simpson, president and CEO of the Utah League of Credit Unions, calls the 1884 Queen Anne-style home he and his wife purchased a couple years back “a painful subject.” This was something he always wanted to do, Simpson explained. “This one kind of fell into our laps,” he said. The house “had a grand look to it,” he said. They low-balled the offer and it was accepted. Ironically, Simpson added, it was built by the founder of one of the largest community banks in the area. His is only the third family to own the home in 120 years. The Simpson family has been working hard to make it their own. They have been sanding and painting their way toward completion for more than two years now; the kitchen alone took six months to finish, as did the laundry area. There had been a “great deal of deferred maintenance, he said. They are doing most of the work themselves, which is what is taking so long, he explained. Renovating a home is never an easy task, but they also have three children between ages four and nine to work with and around. Still, Simpson said he enjoys the handiwork and is a fan of Norm Abrams and Bob Vila. In addition, his wife picked up some of her father’s skills as a handyman in a house full of daughters. “It’s some of the best therapy we have,” he said. Exterior work is coming up, most of which the Simpsons will not be handling. They are having the windows replaced with new ones of hand-blown glass and some exterior masonry work done. “The house is listed on the national registry,” Simpson said. “We’re being very sensitive to the historical nature of the house.” While modern windows would be more energy efficient, he admits there is a tax break for maintaining the historical integrity and keeping it on the historic registry. Every wall is 10-12 inches thick of solid brick, Simpson added. It really is a beautiful house, he said with pride and noted the “ornate woodwork that doesn’t exist today.” [email protected]