ROME CITY, Ind. — Noble County Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) officials have moved into a historic farmhouse they’ve been restoring, with plans to use it as the headquarters of their Farm to Fork program.

The restoration, which began more than two years ago, is a work in progress. Quite a bit of outside work, such as the removal of aluminum siding, has been completed, and most of the house has been repainted. Inside, the house received a new furnace, air conditioning and a bathroom renovation to allow for wheelchair accessibility. Other necessary repairs – inside and out - will be finished as time and finances permit.

The CVB staff moved into the house in early June.

The Sower family built the two-story home near Sylvan Lake in 1888. It was constructed in the Vernacular Italianate-style, which features a rectangular plan and ornamentation over the windows and doors. The farmstead – the house and a large barn – are a part of the Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site. Stratton-Porter, an Indiana native, was a naturalist and author of such books as Freckles and A Girl of the Limberlost.

"(The house) is important to preserving our history," said Dave Ober, tourism asset coordinator for the CVB. "Its magnificent woodwork and other features will be kept for future generations. It’s part of the identity of this town."

The agency’s move to the house was a proactive way the CVB could help enhance the county, noted Sheryl Prentice, CVB executive director.

"With the farmstead, we can show what farms used to look like," she explained. "They didn’t always look like they do now. We can showcase where agriculture has been and where it’s going."

Ober estimated the cost for the work completed so far at $30,000-$40,000. It would have been more had volunteers not done a lot of the renovations, he said. Funding and support have come from various organizations and agencies, including the Dekko Foundation and Indiana Landmarks.

Repairs to the barn should begin this summer, Prentice said. Together, the house and barn will be used for various Farm to Fork activities, possibly including draft horse plow days and antique equipment displays, she said. For more information about Farm to Fork, see www.visitnoblecounty.com and on the site’s main page, click on the "what to do" tab, then "attractions" and then "Farm to Fork."

A Tomato Tasting, featuring about 50 varieties, is scheduled for Aug. 9.