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\u201cI never envisioned myself moving back to my hometown,\u201d she said. \u201cBut when John talked about opening a law office, I told him, \u2018If you buy the house, I\u2019ll start the business in my hometown where we know people.\u2019 That was the trade-off.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The home became both residence and law office for the couple\u2019s new firm, Nicoll & Nicoll. The restoration was no small feat. It took 18 months, federal preservation tax credits, and an almost obsessive dedication to detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe wanted to preserve as much of the original structure as we could,\u201d John said. \u201cWe got with the Tennessee Historical Commission to figure out what we needed to qualify for the National Register of Historic Places.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Nicolls said they\u2019ve always been interested in history, and the house is almost like a fancy farmhouse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a great balance that you might not find in some Gilded Age Victorians,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the Nicolls peeled back layers of decay, they uncovered the house\u2019s rich history \u2014 quite literally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe found a telegram from 1897 behind one of the fireplace panels,\u201d Chasity said. \u201cThere were Thomas Edison light bulb boxes, old Prohibition-era artifacts, and even a book report from the son of the original builder, dated 1908.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the most unique finds was the ceiling wallpaper, now considered the oldest known surviving example in Tennessee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s got a little water damage, but otherwise it\u2019s in pretty good condition,\u201d Chasity said. \u201cWe had a restoration expert who\u2019d worked with the Smithsonian come out to preserve it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The brick on the house was made on-site, and the gingerbread was cut without electric tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was almost like a time capsule,\u201d John said. \u201cYou never know what you\u2019re going to find.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The home is listed as the Wilkinson-Keele House to honor two of its most significant owners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n J.G. Wilkinson, a local businessman who helped found Coffee County Bank, built the house in 1888. Though he moved to Texas in 1903, the family returned to Manchester during the summers, keeping ties to the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Judge Robert Keele bought the house at auction in 1937. He and his family lived there for nearly 50 years, hosting soldiers during World War II and maintaining strong community ties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOlder folks in town know it as the Keele House,\u201d Chasity said. \u201cWe\u2019ve had their descendants visit and share stories like how their mother wouldn\u2019t let them leave the yard during the polio epidemic or how she brought home soldiers from the square to feed them during the war.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Nicolls no longer run their law office from the home, but their connection to the space remains personal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor me, this house feels like a warm hug after a rough day,\u201d Chasity said. \u201cWe sit outside and look back at it. It\u2019s had beautiful families and so much life inside these walls.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even after 20 years, the house continues to reveal new secrets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA couple of years after we moved in, a local historian pointed to a concrete bench under a tree in our yard and said, \u2018That\u2019s the old high school sign,\u2019\u201d John said. \u201cSure enough, if you crawl under it and look up, it says \u2018High School\u2019 on the bottom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Nicolls have invested not only in their home but also in Manchester. The home\u2019s restoration has played a role in revitalizing interest in the town\u2019s architectural heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019ve hosted a wedding, engagement parties, and community tours,\u201d Chasity said. \u201cPeople used to come by constantly just to say how glad they were that we saved it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Looking forward, they hope to celebrate the home\u2019s 150th anniversary in 2038 with a party worthy of its legacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis house isn\u2019t just about us,\u201d Chasity said. \u201cIt\u2019s about honoring the people who came before us and preserving something for the people who\u2019ll come after. In today\u2019s world, people feel so disconnected. This house gives you deep roots in a way that maybe you don\u2019t get with new construction.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n For others considering a similar undertaking, Chasity is direct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t get into it for the investment. The ROI is emotional, not financial. It\u2019s a labor of love,\u201d John said. \u201cIt\u2019s stressful, expensive, and time-consuming, but it\u2019s also rewarding.\u201d GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" WHEN JOHN and Chasity Nicoll first drove past the Wilkinson-Keele House in Manchester in 2003, its foundation was crumbling, the paint had long ago weathered away, and the lawn had grass and weeds chest high. Built in 1888, the Queen Anne-style home had once been a jewel of Coffee County, but by 2003, it had […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":24254,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24252","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/manchester\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/10\/7-2-1024x683.png\")
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