136-year-old house gets a lift

By STARLA POINTER

Of the News-Register

With snaps, crackles and pops, an 1873 home on First Street lifted off its crumbling foundation and took to the air Friday morning.

The lift, which will leave the home seven feet above the ground for about three weeks, is part of a renovation that includes a new foundation, a more useable basement and other improvements designed to give the 136-year-old structure renewed life.

Homeowners Mark and Robin Pederson were walking on air over the project. And they will literally be walking on air as they continue to live in the house during the work.

"They're going to build us a tall set of stairs," Mark said.

The house, located at 540 S.E. First St., was originally built as a parsonage for the Methodist Church across the street.

The Pedersons bought it when they moved to McMinnville and Mark became pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, then located on 21st Street. Trinity Lutheran subsequently moved downtown, and it now shares the Methodist Church's quarters under the banner of McMinnville Cooperative Ministries.

So once again, the house is home to the minister of the church across the street.

The Pedersons purchased the house from Dick Easterday, who had already undertaken some extensive retrofitting. They continued that process, remodeling the kitchen, upgrading the electrical system and refinishing the fir floors.

But it was obvious the house also had structural problems that needed to be addressed. Mark said the southeast corner had dropped several inches, indicating the foundation was failing.

Cellar Ridge Custom Homes of McMinnville is doing the foundation and basement work. Steve Hoskins Construction of Salem did the lifting, a three-hour process that involved raising the house a few inches, adding bracing, then raising it a few more.

When the house was fully off the ground, workers reconnected the phone, gas, electric, sewer and water lines so the Pedersons could continue to live there.

Carson Benner and John Mead of Cellar Ridge said this is just the type of project in which their company specializes.

"The Pedersons want to preserve the architectural integrity," Mead said. "And as green builders, we want to have a small carbon footprint. You can do both while preserving a home."

The Pedersons are pleased with the green building techniques used by Cellar Ridge, as well as the idea of having a structurally sound place to live.

But Mark is most excited about the basement, which will have a 9-foot ceiling instead of the old one, which was as low as 5-foot-11 in some places.

"Yay!" he said. "That's the last time I'll smack my head on that beam."

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