Man buys late wife’s dream mansion, only to uncover $150,000 in hidden damage

When Fred Parry’s late wife, Mary, first saw the stately 1914 mansion on West Broadway in Columbia, Missouri, she fell in love. Years later, after her death, Parry found himself facing a choice: let the historic home be redeveloped or step in to save it. He chose the latter, buying the property with the goal of preserving its character and restoring it as a single-family residence. But as crews began peeling back layers of paint and plaster, they uncovered far more damage than anyone had anticipated: rotted framing, compromised structural members and other issues that would eventually add about $150,000 to the restoration bill. His story, as told to the Columbia Business Times, is part love letter to a house, part cautionary tale about historic renovation.