BOERNE – Sam and Kristen McGee didn’t mind tackling a renovation project years in the making, especially if divine providence played a hand, they say.
Thanks to the local entrepreneurs’ efforts, the Boerne Area Historical Preservation Society recently enshrined its first preservation award in more than a decade on the front porch of Crestmont Private Wealth at 604 S. Main St.
The once rundown and unassuming structure along Main Street nestled between West Hosack and Evergreen streets – plagued by fleas and lined with worn-out carpeting – caught the eye of the couple.
The painstaking restoration of the downtown site marked one of their many forays into community involvement since putting down roots in town. They own and operate Crestmont Private Wealth.
“We moved to the Boerne area about two years ago and absolutely fell in love with the community,” Sam McGee said during an interview for “The Boerne Brew” on Boerne Radio 103.9 FM, a partner with The Star. “Especially the historic Main Street, and we were really attracted to the idea of being downtown and kind of in the flow and the heartbeat of the town.”
The pair originally wanted to lease a local property but were able to convince the owner to sell 604 S. Main, once a part of the Dienger family holdings.
The Diengers, one of the founding families of Boerne and Kendall County, owned several properties across town from the mid-19th century up to the late 1900s, including the two-story structure which now houses The Dienger Trading Co.
The McGee family had a dream of bringing a historic building back to life when they came to town, and they had their heart set on the Hill Country Mile.
For them, the 604 S. Main address represented a truly lucky find.
“That was really kind of our dream: Preserving a building and restoring a building, but it was a little bit of God’s hand there because it’s really hard to find anything on Main Street,” Sam McGee said. “The house looked exactly like my grandmother’s place in Norton, Kansas. And when I saw it, i just absolutely loved it.”
While this was the kind of property they had longed for, with its front porch and quaint serenity, it took a lot of work to get the site to its current state.
A walk through the building now shows a freshly painted front porch, pristine hardwood floors running the length of the main structure and sleekly tiled countertops in the kitchen and bathroom with modern appliances.
However, McGee painted a very different picture of the building when the two took a chance on preservation.
“When we moved in, I thought, ‘Well, this is fine,’” McGee said. “My wife said, ‘Hey, we really ought to remodel this.’ What actually did it was we had fleas. … Finally, I threw in the towel, and we got the remodel.”
McGee said the process took a village.
The Historical Landmark Commission helped with ensuring the burgeoning business’s signage fit Boerne’s codes; Maples of Boerne planted several big tooth maples on the front lawn and The Native Plant Society of Boerne helped ensure the owners’ front gardens were drought resistant and beneficial to local wildlife.
Research into the building by the McGees revealed the last inhabitant was Lewellen Dienger, who lived from 1899 to 1985.
The dive into local lore inspired the McGees to reach out to the local historical society to look into one of the preservation plaques they’d seen hanging on properties around town.
Little did they know, it had been some time since the nonprofit had handed out one of those honors. In fact, the original mold had been lost over the decade.
“Our mission is to preserve Boerne history. To promote. To teach,” said Julie Gossell, society president. “These rewards were created for buildings that had been restored or renovated or repaired or preserved their historic character.”
She added her organization has given about 70 honors since 1981, halting the citations in 2009 because board membership was on the wane.
However, the McGees’ efforts to get a new mold reignited the program, so now Gossell said a second award is already up for consideration.
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