History has always fascinated me. Nearly my entire life, I’ve spent countless hours thinking about how people lived in the past; what their everyday life was like, what their fears were, what they aspired to be, etc.

Last week, a well known historical home in Ravenswood caught fire, likely caused by electrical wiring. The McIntosh House was built in the late 1800s and with the dedication of city officials, the home was beautifully preserved and was filled with furniture and decor that ties into the home’s past.

Even though I am not from Ravenswood, this news broke my heart. Through my job, I have gotten to know a few city officials in Ravenswood, particularly Katrena Ramsey, the superintendent of the Ravenswood Board of Parks and Recreation.

A few months ago, she took me on a tour of the home and pointed out notable events and people who where there. We stood in the kitchen where John F. Kennedy drank a cup of coffee after giving a speech in town and she showed me the piano Louis Armstrong played during his visit.

While walking through the house, Ramsey talked about the plans for the house; all the renovations to be done and the events that would come back with COVID-19 restrictions lessening. Her passion is evident and when I heard about the fire, my thoughts went immediately to her.

Ramsey took to the parks and recreation Facebook page to share her thoughts after that horrible day.

“I’ve never cried over a building before but today I did and I was not the only one. Kids cried. The ones that play in there during Music at the Mac. But we will soldier on,” she said.

In the coming months, Ramsey and other community members will work to bring the McIntosh House back to life and thanks to the hard work of local firefighters, only the second floor sustained major damage and a lot of the valued furniture was saved.

A fundraiser was started by community members and everyone is pooling together to raise money for the renovation. Ramsey said it perfectly when she described the house as being on life support — but not dead yet.

In my conversation with Ramsey, I had a thought; the devastating fire is adding to the house’s history. Years down the road, when people come to listen to live music, attend a wedding or baby shower, they will be shocked to hear that the lovely home they’re in once suffered a fire.

The support of the community is touching. That’s not something you can get everywhere.

Several people flooded Facebook to offer comforting words and volunteer their time to help clean up the property. This is small town living at its finest, folks. Small communities get to know each other on a personal level and when one grieves, the whole town grieves.

Ramsey shared some words someone said to her about the house: “With challenge comes opportunity.” How true that is. I know that with Ramsey’s passion and vision and the help of the community, the McIntosh House will return as a special and treasured community space.

“I don’t know what we will do next, but we’ll figure it out. I promise. I thank everyone who helped us today and pledge to help in the future,” Ramsey said.

Candice Black can be reached at cblack@newsandsentinel.com.