The historic Oliver House in Jackson is celebrating the return of warm weather by showing off its spring face lift.

Within the last year, the house has undergone numerous renovations and additions, said Pat Fosse, board member and past president of the Jackson Heritage Association. Although some of the renovations were completed several months ago, he said it's all finally coming together.

"Now we just want to show off what we've had done," Fosse said.

The renovations -- extended sidewalks and brick paths, replastered walls and a new porch and pillars -- were made possible by community and business donations. The Jackson Heritage Association, which maintains the house, is a private corporation that receives no state funding, Fosse said, so it depends on donations.

"We get a lot of help from our members, banks and other businesses," he said. "A lot of people help us in a lot of ways."

Fosse said local Boy Scout troops have renovated areas outside the house. The Eagle Scouts of Troop 8 laid bricks, built benches and planted flowers.

"My son did his Eagle Scout project laying a brick path from the porch to the sidewalk to make it more handicap accessible," Fosse said. "We have a lot of scouts that come tour the house for merit badges and then ask if there are any projects they can do around the house."

The house is an example of a Federal-style home, an American architectural style popular in the 1700s and 1800s, Fosse explained. It has been home to many leading citizens in Jackson's history, including Bernard Ferguson, who engineered and installed the first telephone in Cape Girardeau County.

Eventually, the house was purchased by R.B. Oliver, an established lawyer in the community who went on to become prosecuting attorney for Cape Girardeau County and then a state senator. Losing the Oliver House would mean losing rich local history, Fosse said, that is why the Jackson Heritage Association is working to preserve it.

"It was actually proposed that this house be condemned back in the late 1970s," he said. "Then the Jackson Betterment Organization decided to save it before we took it over. But if people don't know Jackson's history then they don't know the true value of this house."

When he gives weekly Sunday tours of the house, Fosse said, he frequently hears citizens, even longtime residents of Jackson, say they had never been to the historic home. Now that the renovations are all but complete, he said, promoting interest and bringing in more volunteers are priority goals for the Heritage Association.

"We offer private tours. We let people use the grounds to take photos. We're really open to the community, I'm just not sure people are really aware of that," Fosse said.

Although there still is some work to be done to the garden, Fosse said the house should look "pretty nice" before the organization hosts its annual wine tasting event on May 5.

To find out more about Jackson Heritage Association events or tours of the Oliver house museum, visit jacksonmo.com/orgs/jha/oliverhouse.html or call the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce at 243-8131.

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641

Pertinent address:

224 E. Adams St., Jackson, Mo.