American author Thomas Wolfe said, "You can't go home again." Try telling that to Ironton attorney Kevin Waldo.

Waldo threw fiscal responsibility, and some would say common sense, to the wind when he decided to restore his childhood home at 417 S. Fourth St. The aging brick house has been in Waldo's family since 1954 and has been a landmark in Ironton since 1852.

But, the years have not been so kind to the building and it needed a facelift.

"It has been difficult but it has been a labor of love," Waldo said as he took a break from the dusty renovation project on a rainy Saturday. "I have put a whole lot more money into it than what I would ever be able to get out. But when something is close to your heart, you will do that."

Ancient timbers stand exposed where the plaster has been removed but much of the stained wood remains in good condition. Wooden archways and a winding, spiral staircase are just some of the highlights of the historic structure.

The imposing house was built by the Ohio Iron and Coal Company, probably with John Campbell backing the project, Waldo said. Austrian Ironmaster Isiah Bird lived in it for awhile before giving way to the Culbertson family.

Eventually, it made its way to Waldo's family when his father purchased it shortly before Kevin was born for a whopping $9,000 dollars.

Waldo said he and his two siblings have many fond memories of the home including playing basketball in the back driveway. After his father passed away in 2002, Kevin decided to buy out his brother and sister and try to prove that Wolfe was wrong.

"It is just home. I have always loved this house. I was born and raised here and I always just wanted to come back here," he said as he leaned against a dusty wall. "Plus, it will be a nice memorial to my parents when it is completed. Mom and Dad raised three kids here."

The 5,500-square foot structure is listed on the state and national registry of historic buildings. That was something that meant a lot, Waldo said, and something he wanted to preserve. So he decided to restore the house rather than just remodel it.

In the process he found an interesting piece of local history: A hidden room that was probably part of the Underground Railroad.

"That was really one of the most amazing things I found," he said as he looked up into the exposed area that would have been above a bathroom.

Many people in the community think that Waldo is adding on to the rear of the structure but in fact he is only rebuilding what was there originally. The rear portion was the slave quarters and was built with inferior wood so it did not withstand the test of time as well as the rest of the home. It was torn down a few years ago and now he is bringing that history back to life.

"I am trying to do as many things as I can to put it back the way it was," he said.

From washing the original bricks to restoring a stained-glass window in the attic, once the home is completed it will be a mix of old and new.

The construction project has caused lots of rumors to buzz around town, Waldo said. Most of which are not true. The biggest is that he received grant money for the project.

"It is all my money," he said. "Well, mine and the huge mortgage I have with the bank."

Much of the structural work has been completed and the entire project should be done later this summer.

"Most people have been positive about the fact that I am doing this. It preserves a lot of heritage of the city of Ironton. It was probably the eighth or ninth house built in the city," he said. "I have had a lot of positive comments from older residents who are proud I didn't just knock it down."

But he didn't, and now he gets the chance to show how wrong Wolfe really was.