After years of renovations, family moves into old schoolhouse

FRANKLIN, Ind. — Do you ever imagine you’ll kick your feet up after a long day’s work in the same room where 100 kids learned the alphabet and turkeys used to roam?

That is what is happening for Stacie Grissom and her family after they renovated an old schoolhouse into their family home.

We spoke with Grissom in the early days of her project. The family is able to call the old schoolhouse a home after three years of renovations.

Every detail was meticulously thought out from the old school art on the walls to the signs on the doors and the salvaged table and school chairs sitting in the kitchen. Grissom says she tries to source what she can that has some kind of tie back to a school. For example, their bar stools used to belong to a classroom at Franklin College.

You can see some of the renovations here.

One of the biggest challenges during the renovation process was mapping out the space to make it practical for a young family. She has creatively placed furniture and added elements around the house that make it feel welcoming.

They restored the original brick in the main living space and sealed it to act as an accent wall that highlights the bones of the structure. Grissom was even able to keep the original floors in one of the hallways.

You can feel the effort that went into keeping as many historical elements as possible in the centuries-old building. There are nods to the history of the grounds all over the home from its time educating children to raising livestock.

While she said the projects will never truly be done, Grissom and her family are so happy to be able to live in the space they have poured so much love into.

Grissom has documented the renovations on her YouTube channel, which has grown to more than 366,000 followers. She plans to list her home as part of the Franklin Historical Homes Tour in 2026.