By Katie Scarvey
kscarvey@salisburypost.com
CHINA GROVE ó It took them a while, but Wayne and Martha Sechler have finally come home.
After living in Clemmons for many years, the Sechlers moved back to China Grove several years ago, to Wayne’s home place at 610 E. Church St.
The home was originally built around 1900 by the Ludwig family and came into the Sechler family around 1920.
A smaller “grandmother’s house” was built on the property by Troy Sechler in 1940 for Henry and Jessie Stirewalt and now serves as a guest house. Martha and Wayne lived there while the main house was being renovated.
Wayne’s parents, Troy and Elnora, lived in the home for more than 50 years and raised their three children there. Wayne and Martha purchased the home from Wayne’s sisters and completely renovated the one-and-a-half story house in 2007, under the direction of their son Scott Sechler.
Because the front of the home faces a heavily traveled street that is often backed up with traffic, the renovation turned the back entrance into the home’s main entrance, adding a spacious columned back porch space.
The home features the original hardwood floors and beadboard ceiling in places.
There are many wonderful family treasures throughout the home.
The second floor features a children’s den and guest bedrooms ó it’s an area that gets a lot of use since the couple has eight grandchildren, five of them living just down the street.
Martha says that Wayne’s parents really used only two rooms of the house ó but they take advantage of the whole home. “We enjoy the house,” she says. “We use all of it.”
The home is beautifully decorated for Christmas and is full of antiques and memorabilia.
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The annual Christmas Tour of Homes and Progressive Dinner sponsored by the Historical Society of South Rowan will be held Saturday, Dec. 5. Two tours will be offered beginning at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.. Each tour begins with hors d’oeuvres served at the historical China Grove Roller Mill at 308 N. Main St., China Grove.
The entr e and dessert will be served at the homes.
Four homes, including the Sechlers’, are featured on this year’s tour.
One is the Houston House, at Wellington Estates, an elegant two-story brick house built just last year. The entr e will be served here.
Dessert will be served at the the Collins house on Miller Chapel Road.
Also featured is the Grissom House on Patterson Road in China Grove. This 1890s farmhouse is believed to be the original Patterson homestead, and at one time, the front portion of the home served as a community post office.
The home has original glass windows and pine flooring, with original plank walls and ceilings in several rooms.
Bus transportation will be provided for the tours.
Tickets are $30 each and can be obtained by calling 704-425-5323.
Proceeds will be used to maintain the Roller Mill.