The Livingston County Historical Society wants to extensively remodel the Jason W. Strevell house, 401 W. Livingston St., which was an apartment building before the society bought it a year ago.

Society member Donovan Gardner said the group wants to bring the house back to its original glory.

"We are trying to make it historically accurate," he said. "It's a unique house, and there is really no other house in town like it."

The society is looking for volunteers and for money; the exterior work is estimated at $100,000. Work should start next summer.

The society already has found that the 1850 house was built in two parts, with Strevell enlarging the original when he bought it.

The Albany, N.Y., lawyer settled in Pontiac in 1855 and married the widow of the owner, who died before moving into the house.

Strevell also adopted her son, and the couple had a daughter of their own, Gardner said. Strevell later became active in state politics.

Legend has it that Lincoln visited the house before he was president. In a dispute over Lincoln's height, he was measured against a doorframe where his height was marked. Strevell collected the doorframe and other Lincoln artifacts, eventually donating them to schools and universities in Utah. The items have since disappeared.

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