Jeremiah Baughman was so excited to get the Central Illinois Landmarks Foundation plaque for his historic Moss Avenue home that he didn’t stop to find drill and screws before hanging it – he used duct tape.

“I’m not sure where I’m gonna put it,” Baughman, 28, said on a recent weekday morning while standing on his spacious front porch viewing the plaque tacked beside the front door. “I plan to install it permanently this weekend.”

Baughman, a first-time home owner, purchased the house in November. Getting it listed with the Central Illinois Landmarks Foundation, a group created to recognize and preserve historic architecture, is a big deal to him – he spent hours researching for the application.

“It’s prestigious,” said Baughman about owning a CILF house. “It raises the value of the neighborhood when you have houses that are true to their history.”

Baughman’s house will be featured May 20 during The Grand Tour of West Bluff Homes, an annual event showcasing some of the area’s oldest architecture. Also featured in the tour will be two other private residences and two commercial buildings – the Amvets Post 60 on Northeast Monroe, and the Cornerstone Building on Madison Avenue.

In its 29th year, the tour is an annual tradition for people who appreciate antique details simply not found in new architecture.

Baughman loves the patina of age on his house. Details like solid wood paneled doors, stained glass windows, built-in cupboards, and three elegant fireplaces attracted him to the house, which had been lovingly restored by the previous owners.

So far he’s done little to the house but enjoy it, though he has plans to restore a narrow back staircase once used by servants. Old wallpaper, apparently original to the 1889 structure, covers the crumbling plaster on the staircase walls. Baughman hopes to salvage some of it to donate to the Peoria Historical Society and hang something similar in its place.

Baughman’s house was built for about $3,000 for a middle-class client named James Aitken Smith. Of the Queen Anne style, the structure is fairly modest, though elegant enough to blend with the more expensive homes in the area. Some homes built in the same time period on nearby High Street and Randolph Avenue cost anywhere from $15,000 to $25,000, according to the history compiled by Baughman.

Being a modest structure, the rooms are not quite as large as those in some nearby mansions, but there are plenty of them – four bedrooms, two parlours and a nice formal dining room. The kitchen has been remodeled with new cupboards that harmonize with old architecture. In spite of his love of history, Baughman appreciates having a modern kitchen. He installed a dishwasher, where the previous owner had not because of concerns about hard water.

“I installed a water softener, too,” Baughman said.

After renting in the area for several years, Baughman knew he wanted to live on Moss Avenue. He walked the neighborhood frequently and each outing led to the delightful discovery of architectural details missed on previous excursions.

“It’s a nice neighborhood. I’m glad I chose this area of Peoria,” said Baughman. Along with the architecture, he also loves the diversity of the residents.

“You can have a doctor on one end of the street, and an artist on the other,” he said. The one thing that seems to unite them all is a common interest in historic preservation.

“Everybody cares about the area, there’s always improvements going on,” he said. “People are always talking about the history of their homes.”

______

 What : The 29th annual Grand Tour of Homes.

 Wh en:  Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 20.

Tours: Six historic homes and businesses on the West Bluff and downtown Peoria.

Tickets: $12 before the tour, and $15 the day of the tour, and can be purchased at Floral Expressions, Sterling Flower Shoppe, Marilyn’s Bow-K, Haddad’s Downtown, The Old Hair Shoppe, Fred’s Shoe Repair and Rhythm Kitchen or at any of the homes/businesses on the tour the day of the event.

Proceeds: The proceeds will be used to fund future preservation projects in historic neighborhoods.

More information: Please call 309-673-2504 for more information.

______

Leslie Renken can be reached at 686-3250 or lrenken@pjstar.com. Follow her on Twitter @LeslieRenken.