Scott Kimberly, Daily News Journal, September 17, 2014
When city councilman Green Burham “Sap” Sawyer built his East Main Street home in 1927, he drew inspiration from arts-and-crafts-style architecture, but ultimately built the home however he pleased.
Green Burham “Sap” Sawyer built his East Main Street home in 1927.
Today, the home retains its unique curb appeal: Stone pillars and assorted shrubbery guard the home’s entryway, behind which an orange front door puts passersby on notice that there’s more to the home than appears. And that’s exactly how homeowners Scott and Beth Dempsey want it.
“It’s an honest home,” Scott says. “Mr. Sawyer built this home with his own ideas and, when it became available, we knew it was the right fit for us.” Scott works as a local nurse practitioner in Murfreesboro, and Beth teaches at nearby Providence Christian Academy. The couple purchased the home in 1998 and lives there with nine-year-old son, John, and Dachshund, Tarah.
Despite its long history, the Dempsey Home has only known four owners. MTSU History Professor Sarah Howell purchased the home from Mr. Sawyer, in large part because of its proximity to campus. Later, Eddy and Ruth Taylor, who owned Ole Taylor’s Candy Kitchen in Murfreesboro, acquired the home. After the Candy Kitchen closed its doors in the late 90s, the Taylors moved.
“My mother, Barbara Belt, worked as a real estate agent when the Taylors looked into moving,” Beth says. “I told her to not even put a ‘for sale’ sign in the yard. We loved the East Main Historic District and Cherry Lane. We wanted it.”
With the home came decades of character: A 10-foot-tall set of shelves that once housed candy at the Ole Taylor Candy Kitchen now stands prominently in the living room. Where a butler pantry near the kitchen once stood, the Dempseys have built a traditional dining room .Even the master bedroom features a set of blinds from the original house.
The Dempseys soon learned, however, that a historic home brings both character and complications. At the time of the sale, the Dempseys inherited an unfinished bathroom, an unfinished bedroom, and a chicken coop from the 1920s.
When they began their own renovations, they called up on a strong supporting cast. Beth’s father, General Contractor Wayne Belt helped with construction and renovation projects. The Dempseys also relied on family friends Ed and Janet Caffey for interior design consulting. Other contractors who helped through the years include City Tile, Steve Simmons Plumbing, and Paul Oliver Painting. When the Dempseys needed specialized stonemasonry work for the front of the house and had no idea where to look, family friends Shane and Ashley McFarland connected the Dempseys with Ashley’s grandfather, Jimmy Bryson, who was able to complete the project.
Now, 15 years and countless projects later, the Dempseys continue to improve the home. According to Beth, the next projects are the driveway and the kitchen.
“We love that Mr. Sawyer built this home with the idea of living in it,” Beth says. “He saw this house as a home and we see that too. It is living and breathing and growing and changing every single day.”