JaSondra Schmidt and her husband, Jason, are restoring a 112-year-old house that belonged to her great-great-grandfather. It was built in 1914; the home is being relocated six miles to farmland the couple purchased near their existing property in North Dakota.According to an interview with PEOPLE, JaSondra Schmidt shares that their decision brings together two family histories, preserving a home passed down through five generations of JaSondra’s family while allowing the couple and their two daughters to live on land connected to Jason’s grandparents.The project began after years of searching for an old house to renovate. A comment on Facebook eventually led JaSondra to the home she had known about since childhood, giving her an opportunity to preserve her own family’s history.
How a Facebook comment led JaSondra Schmidt to her great-great-grandparents’ house
The couple had spent years looking for an old house to restore. JaSondra grew up in Medina, North Dakota, where passing things on to the next generation was familiar through the agricultural industry. She and Jason had looked at five to seven houses and received offers of free homes on farmland, but none felt right.Their search faced several setbacks. A house they planned to move was no longer an option after flooding in Iowa diverted the movers they had arranged. In 2024, their daughter became ill, forcing the couple to travel frequently between North Dakota and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. After nearly a year of travelling back and forth, the couple put their search for a house on hold before picking it up again in late 2025.
The 1914 home carries five generations of JaSondra’s family history
In late 2025, JaSondra came across a Facebook comment in which relatives were discussing a two-storey house. She soon realised it was the home her great-great-grandfather, Freiderich, had owned since it was built in 1914. JaSondra had known about the house since childhood and had seen photographs of it, but she had never visited it.She contacted a relative to ask whether the family planned to sell the property. Another family member had already expressed interest, so JaSondra agreed to wait. Eventually, her relatives agreed to sell the house to JaSondra and Jason, recognising their wish to preserve its history. The purchase gave the couple a chance to restore a home that had been part of JaSondra’s family legacy for generations.
How Jason’s family farm became part of the couple’s plan to preserve their family histories
In August 2025, Jason’s mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She died in February 2026, and about six weeks later, his father was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He then approached the couple about buying his farmstead. JaSondra and Jason initially declined because they had already purchased land and started working on it.Jason’s father had also stated in his will that the couple would have the first option to buy his farm if they changed their minds. Since the property bordered their existing farmland, they decided to reconsider the offer. After spending a weekend walking the land and deciding where to place the house, they agreed to sell their original farmstead and move to the new property.Work on the basement began just four days later. Jason’s grandparents had purchased the land in the early 1940s, making Jason, JaSondra and their two daughters the third generation of his family to live on the property.
How a 112-year-old family home was lifted and moved six miles to new farmland
The house measures approximately 30 feet wide and 60 feet long. Before it could be moved, workers separated it from its original foundation, inserted large steel beams underneath, and used jacks to lift the structure. Rollers fitted to the beams allowed the house to be pushed into position.Its six-mile journey required two power companies to manoeuvre lines along the route. Around 20 relatives gathered to watch the house being moved, just two days after JaSondra’s aunt died from cancer. Once the house reached its new site, it remained elevated on beams and tyres for almost two months while contractors worked on the basement.JaSondra estimates the move itself cost about $40,000, while the concrete for the basement and foundation cost more than $110,000. The overall project is expected to cost between $340,000 and $380,000. The couple have yet to move in and are removing modern additions to restore original-style details and woodwork.
