With the restoration of her grandparents’ home in Sallis, Paula Van Every has experienced many emotions in the process of preserving the past along with reliving memories of her childhood.
Keeping alive the memory of her grandparents, the late John and Minnie Brown Simmons, and keeping the home in the family, she said, is her way of instilling in her children and grandchildren the importance of preserving the past and leaving a legacy.
“You can’t get the past back,” she said. Realizing that if the house was ever torn down there was no getting it back added to her zeal for its restoration, she said.
“I came to visit my grandparents every time I could get here. I was Granny’s girl. I enjoyed all holidays and many summers here and seeing other relatives that lived nearby,” she said.
Van Every is the daughter of the late Allie Simmons Tardy and the late Paul Tardy. The family lived in Kosciusko – affording her more opportunity to visit Sallis — during her father’s time as editor of The Star-Herald.
One of her “finds” in the house is a scrapbook compiled by her grandmother containing clippings of her column “Sugar and Spice,” written during her father’s tenure with the paper.
The turn of the century house was built in 1905, just outside of the Town of Sallis. It sits on acreage where cotton, corn, sugar cane and a large vegetable garden were grown.
Van Every and her husband, Gene, started the renovation-restoration following her retirement from the Jackson Public Schools and he from social work. They divide their time between Sallis and their home in Castlewoods in the Ross Barnett Reservoir area.
“Our aim has been to make the house like it was in the 1930s,” said Van Every.
Typical of farmhouses, the wrap-around porch is supported by columns and has a roof of pressed tin shingles. Floor-to-ceiling windows provide natural air conditioning. Van Every said they believe the house was built by a traveling construction crew who may have also provided the floor plan.
James Greenwood, who has worked on the restoration, earns praise from the Van Everys for his talents in construction and restoration.
“He literally re-assembled the front porch columns, which were scattered over the grounds. He knew the family and loved the house,” said Van Every. She said he took great care in making the house as much like he remembered it, she added.
The home features a wide hallway, used for a sitting area or a gathering place when visitors came. Much of the furniture is original to the house. Two bedrooms are located on each side of the hallway with an ornate fireplace serving as the focal point in three. A fireplace can also be found in the living room. Iron bedsteads, floor-to-ceiling armoires and other furnishings are in keeping with the farmhouse style.
A bedroom and adjacent office is identified by the décor as being occupied by grandchildren.
The all-white kitchen, with the exception of bright red window treatments, is flooded with natural light from the tall windows.
Van Every, who has been recognized for her photography skills, has used several of her pictures throughout the home. Art of several other family members is used in the décor, as well.
Of special note is art work by Sarah Rick, Van Every’s first cousin.
“I could not have done this without Sally,” she said. Rick, who grew up in Connecticut, also remembers her visits to the house during summers and holidays. Their sharing of remembrances has been beneficial in the restoration, they agreed. Rick’s mother, the former Elizabeth Simmons, was an accomplished artist and some of her paintings can be seen in the hallway and in other spots in the home.
Through her efforts, Van Every said she has taken a step toward the preservation of history and emphasizes the importance of leaving a legacy.
“The house is ready for the next generation,” she said.
