2025-2026 Miller-Jinright Award
Scott & Peggy Rich
On April 2, 1912, Ola R. Mallette sold property on what became 502 E. Jefferson Street to L.A. Varnadoe for $1,000. The house constructed on the parcel was recognized as “Varnadoe Place.” Over the years, the property has had various ownership, remaining in the Horne family’s possession for an extended time. Mildred and Bennett Horne, of the Horne Candy Company, raised their family here.
Current owners Scott and Peggy Rich believe the current house consists of 3 separate buildings, constructed in 3 separate timeframes, with these buildings joined overtime to form a single residence. Construction of the house through this “phased approach” resulted in a wide variety of ceiling heights, random window placement, many patterns of exterior siding, and a multitude of subfloors. In the years prior to the Rich’s ownership, the house was challenged with vacancy, intermittent unstable tenants, and rodent infestation. Every family living on E. Jefferson grew increasingly worried about the property. The work so painstakingly completed by the Richs, is nothing short of miraculous.
Having purchased the house in 2023, work included emptying the house of abandoned items, reconfiguring interior walls, determining the appropriate ceiling height in adjacent spaces, and understanding how many subfloors should be removed. Former exterior siding, now interior space, was stripped of multiple layers of paint and refinished. Hundreds of nails and screws were removed from the newly created den, with Mr. Rich painstakingly removing each nail by hand. New bathrooms were completed and a kitchen installed with a new porch erected across the front of the house.
