After 20 years of renovation, Mimi and Richard Sies’ home gained one last detail: a certificate to hang.
The Sies were one of four recipients of annual preservation and beautification awards from the Hillsdale County Historical Society on Oct. 28 at the Will Carleton Poorhouse.
Two homes and two businesses were honored by the Historical Society, nominated by society members and chosen by the beautification committee. According to committee member Barbie Keiser, the awards are a long-standing tradition of the Historical Society, stretching back through the 20th century.
The Sies came to Hillsdale looking for a house to renovate. In 1973, they bought the farmhouse at 2820 Osseo road for $20,000. The home was built in 1901, and was in serious disrepair.
“When we bought it, it hadn’t been painted on the outside in 30 years,” Mimi Sies said.
They worked carefully, stripping out old drywall, rewiring the entire house, installing insulation, new windows, hardwood floors, and new siding. The renovation also included the addition of a sunroom and two separate updates to the kitchen.
“It would take us about a year to do one room,” Sies said. “For the woodwork we did in renovating the house, we had lumber actually milled.”
The Sies received the award due to their careful attention in using materials and techniques that remained authentic to the time the house was built.
“Most of the stuff we did ourselves,” Sies said. “It took us about 20 years.”
Though not present at the awards presentation, Ned and Deborah Raker were also honored for their work on their home on North Adams Road.
Beautification awards were presented to Jane Stewart, owner of Smith’s Flowers, and Kathy Newall, owner of The Blossom Shop, both in downtown Hillsdale. Both businesswomen agree that keeping downtown Hillsdale beautiful is key to maintaining prosperous businesses.
“We are one of the few cities in the area to have a nice downtown,” Newall said, explaining that the beauty of downtown Hillsdale often lures people driving through to stop and explore downtown. This provides more traffic for local businesses, helping them survive.
“I think we all promote each other,” Stewart said. “It’s easy to make things beautiful when your heart is in it.”
