The long history of the house in Sturgeon enchanted former owner Floyd Oglesbay and current owners, the Hollands, into buying the home. The brick house is currently uninhabitable and requires major renovations, but both Oglesbay and the Hollands voiced excitement in the potential of the house.

"I was excited 15 years ago to fix it up…and made a mistake and bought it" said Oglesbay, who now lives in Columbia. While Oglesbay's dreams of restoring the house never came to be, the Hollands, who bought the house in April 2008, are already making headway in restoring the house.

"We come out here as often as we can," said Jennifer Holland. The family continues to live in Columbia, visiting as many as four times a week, while the house is made habitable.

Oglesbay is excited for the Hollands. "I'm just happy someone wants to do something with the house other than tear it down."

"Stuff like this won't last if people like us aren't crazy enough, insane enough to take them on and fix them up," said Jennifer.

Although the house records were destroyed in a fire, the house is believed to have been built by Dr. J.S. Lockridge in the late 1860s to early 1870s. Lockridge was the first physician in the community, and a busy one according to "Sturgeon Missouri: Then and Now".

The doctor was known to treat Confederate soldiers on the battlefield Union soldiers in town during the Civil War. The Hollands have found small glass medical vials around and under the house as evidence of Lockridge's practice.

The house may have been busy with visitors in another way. Although not confirmed by any records, Oglesbay said Sturgeon residents told him there were rumors of a tunnel running under the house to the barn as part of the Underground Railroad. Neither Oglesbay nor the Hollands have located this tunnel.

Ghosts are not known to reside at the house. Jennifer said, "There are stories, but I have never felt anything here. With all these years of being here, people would think there would be ghosts, but I have never felt anyone."

More recent history included some very unique residents.

"At one point somebody owned it and there was a lion in it," said Jennifer's son, Ben Holland, 10. "And she had to get rid of it because whenever it got hungry it would roar and scare off all the elderly people and neighbors."

Oglesbay developed his own history in the house during the 15 years he owned it. He and his wife, Colleen, would stay at the home during the weekends to work on their respective arts that they sold during the week at their antique store. One room was converted into Colleen's studio, where she painted, while he worked in the barn on his woodwork.

Colleen past away in 2007 and Floyd decided to sell the store, but was left with hundreds of pieces of wood furniture. Although he sold over $7,000 worth of furniture before he moved out, many pieces remained. When he decided to sell the house this year, he had no desire to clear out all of the things. As a result, the Hollands received a house and stable full of mismatched furniture.

"All of this stuff was in the barn. I mean it was stacked to the ceiling literally and the house was full of stuff," said Holland.

On Saturday, June 14, the Holland family held an auction to sell the furniture left behind by Oglesbay and also raise money for the renovations. Tables, chairs, desks and even pews were scattered across the front yard, and everyone from antique dealers to curious community members came out to see what was available.

Both Oglesbay and the Hollands favorite part of the house is not a specific room, but the history of the house.

"It's just like finding out about the plaster and thinking about the hands a hundred and forty years ago that you know, running the plaster on the walls," said Jennifer. "We're just the keepers of this gift for now and we need to get it back up so it will continue to be passed on.

The Hollands now look to make their history in the home. They hope to restore the house to its original design, while also adding modern amenities. Set to move into the house in six weeks, the Hollands are excited to see their four children grow up there.

The family is eager to celebrate Charles Holland's 40th birthday with a barbeque in the home on Sunday, June 22. They are calling it their "Bbq and a Toilet" party as they are excited for their first toilet to be installed that day. They are sure it will be one of the first of many wonderful memories in the house.

Reported and Written by Carla Schaffer and Jacqueline Brixey