'Antique' home comes full circle

Bill McClure always gets a second chance at life. The house he owns in Mount Vernon was first offered to him around 1964 for $7,500. Rooted in history, this 6,600-square-foot plantation-style home was once the "poor house" in Lawrence County.

Before retirement accounts, it was a place where people sent low-income elderly "to die," his wife, Donna, said.

In the 1960s it was run-down, had broken toilets and was littered with hay. Bill said, "I wouldn't have it if you'd give it to me." Seated in the west wing of the home, he roars with laughter as he tells the story.

The estate was eventually purchased and renovated by Robert and Dottie Melton.

"They had the vision of gutting this place," he said. The estate changed hands and in 2002 the house was for sale. This time Bill couldn't resist.

"His life has always been a circle. He always gets a second or third chance at something," said Donna, his wife of almost 53 years.

It's like it was meant to be, down to the pair of stained glass lanterns that hang in the kitchen. Years before he bought the house, Bill spotted those lanterns at an auction. He arrived late to the sale and wasn't able to snag them. When he bought this house, the lanterns were already in it. Unbeknownst to him, the previous owners had won the bid.

A huge stained glass window in one of the dining rooms is another gem he scored. He had been in love with it for years after he spotted it in a store, which was repairing the window. Years later, he saw an auction in the paper and realized it was the same stained glass window that captured his attention. Again, he arrived late to the auction and the window had been sold to a dealer. After some haggling, Bill bought it from the dealer.

There are a slew treasures in this home. The oak staircase was imported from Europe in 1971 and is at least 230 years old. A clock in the foyer is from 1776.

Bill has always been a sucker for antiques and jokes he "antiques" the way some women shop.

"He does his antiquing when I'm not there and then I come home and find them in the closet," Donna said.

Bill and Donna married nearly 53 years ago. They started dating when Bill returned from the Korean War and Donna was working at Alexander Cafe, a restaurant Bill co-owned. He spent 60 years in the restaurant business and still owns McClure Plantation Restaurant in Mount Vernon.

Early in their marriage, they started buying real estate. They would run the restaurant by day and renovate homes by night. They both adore this home. Bill's favorite feature is a fireplace mantle that reads: "East- West- Home's Best." Donna loves the foyer.

"I think the entrance is most impressive. It gives you an uplifting feeling," she said.

Donna's favorite fixture in the house is "me," Bill joked as he leaned on a bronze statue.