When Juli Jameson views an old building, she doesn't see the cracks, broken windows or the caved-in roof top.

She sees a historical legacy worth saving.

"If it doesn't have a wall or roof–call Juli," Ms. Jameson said someone told her, teasingly.

Since she and her partner Matthew Hatch moved here from California a year-and-a-half ago, they've turned the most eyesore properties into heavenly abodes.

"To turn something someone may have wanted to tear down into something beautiful and beneficial to the community" is rewarding, Ms. Jameson said.