Historic Building to Undergo Renovation

(photo courtesy Indiana Landmarks)

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A 115-year-old building in Oldenburg is set to begin the process of a major renovation. An Indiana Landmarks grant will allow the Sisters of St. Francis to commission a feasibility study for renovations to the Franklin County convent’s Mother House.

Indiana Landmarks says the Mother House serves as an academic space and includes living quarters for the sisters. The proposed renovations, which are expected to cost more than $2 million, include repurposing two floors for of the building as living space for retired sisters.

The convent has been in existence for 165 years and construction on the Mother House took place between 1879 and 1901. Indiana Landmarks says the convent provides education, parish ministry, social services and healthcare to the Franklin County community and also operates the 300-acre Michaela Farm.

The $2,000 grant comes from Indiana Landmarks’ Efroymson Family Endangered Places program, which provides funds for the types of studies needed for a restoration project of this kind.