Preserving History: The Restoration of the Bloomfield Apothecary

When people walk into the Bloomfield Apothecary today, they usually notice the light first. The tall windows, the tin ceiling overhead, the wooden floors that creak in all the right ways. It feels like a place that has been here forever.

It almost wasn't.

A Second Restoration

Our restoration journey began with the Bloomfield Schoolhouse, a 1904 brick building on the outskirts of LaGrange that had stood empty for years before we found it. That project taught us something we hadn't fully understood before. Some buildings still have life left in them. They just need someone to see it.

Once the farm and the apothecary line began to grow, we knew we needed a home for the business downtown. We could have leased a modern storefront somewhere easy. But easy has never been the point.

When a For Sale sign appeared in the window at 107 W Spring Street, we started paying attention.

Finding 107 W Spring Street

The building was empty. It had been for a while.

From the outside, the brickwork was still handsome, though weathered. The trim needed serious help. The original columns and window frames had layers of peeling paint. A For Sale By Owner sign leaned in one of the front windows.

Inside, the story was harder. The tin ceiling was beautiful but water-damaged, with tiles missing and paint flaking away in sheets. Fluorescent lights hung from the ceiling in awkward positions. Modern ductwork ran across the tin. The floors were rough. The whole space felt tired.

But it also felt right.

The tin ceiling, even damaged, was original. The wood floors, once we sanded down decades of wear, were still solid. The bones of the building were good. The architectural details still told the story of what it had been.

We purchased the building in July 2024.

Four Months

Greg and I are the first to admit that we tend to say yes to more than we should. When we announced the purchase on social media, I actually listed everything else we were juggling at the time. Two renovation projects. A lavender farm. Homeschooling twin fourth graders. A chaos toddler. Three dogs. Two cats. Twelve chickens. Fifteen hundred strawberry plants. A hobby orchard. Greg's more-than-full-time anesthesia career.

My honest question at the end of that post was, "Because why not fill this one beautiful life with as many experiences as possible?"

We set a goal to open by November.

The next four months were a blur. We repaired the tin ceiling piece by piece, sourcing replacement tiles where the originals were beyond saving. We refinished the wood floors. We painted the exterior trim in a deep, dignified navy that felt right against the warm brick. We hung Edison string lights over the storefront and lined the windows with our new Bloomfield Lavender Apothecary signage.

Inside, we built out the space slowly and thoughtfully. Antique dressers and farm tables became display surfaces. Vintage cabinetry from local finds lined the walls. Every corner was designed to feel less like a store and more like walking into someone's front room.

Opening Day, November 2024

We opened the doors of the Bloomfield Apothecary in November 2024.

Standing in the finished space with our children on opening day is one of those memories we'll never quite let go of. All the late nights, the sanding, the painting, the second-guessing, all of it settled into something quiet and complete.

The Apothecary has been growing steadily ever since. Every visit, every kind word about the restoration, every neighbor who walks in and says "I remember when this was..." reminds us why we chose the harder path.

What's Next Upstairs

The story of 107 W Spring Street isn't finished.

Above the Apothecary, on the second floor of the building, we're in the middle of another restoration. The plan is a small Lavender Bed and Breakfast, giving visitors a place to stay right in the heart of downtown LaGrange, just steps from the Apothecary. We're aiming for a fall 2026 opening.

Like every project we take on, we're moving carefully. Preserving original details where we can. Letting the building tell us what it wants to be.

The Bigger Vision

Restoration has become part of who we are.

The Schoolhouse. The Apothecary. And most recently, the old LaGrange Standard publishing building, which we purchased with the goal of eventually bringing that piece of downtown history back to life as well.

Three buildings, three different stories, all tied to the history of LaGrange County. Each one had reached a point where its future was uncertain. Each one deserved better than a wrecking ball.

We believe places shaped by community should continue to serve the community. That's what pulled us into the Schoolhouse restoration, and it's what pulls us into every project we take on downtown.

Come Visit

The Bloomfield Apothecary is open at 107 W Spring Street in downtown LaGrange. Come see the tin ceiling. Walk the old floors. Smell the lavender drying from the beams. Ask us about the restoration if you like. We could talk about it all day.

More than anything, we hope the building feels like what we set out to make it. A place shaped by history, brought back with care, and made ready to serve LaGrange County for another hundred years.

With warmth,
Marion
Bloomfield Schoolhouse Lavender