Driving on Highway 100, you could pass through the river town of New Haven, Mo., in about three minutes. To the layperson, it looks like many small Midwestern towns — a bank, some schools, a market and a smattering of residences. But it’s bigger — and more charming — than first impressions allow. For Ellen and Mark Zobrist, it’s home. It’s historic. And it needs to be preserved.
“Ellen is a New Haven native,” says Mark, BA ’76. “Her family has lived here for generations.” Meanwhile, Ellen, BS ’76, quips: “Mark is a newcomer. He’s only been here 30 years.”
Together, the two have made their mark on the community (population 2,029) by purchasing, restoring and renovating a number of abandoned or dilapidated structures, including a 1939 movie theater, several homes built in the 1800s and the five-bedroom which they reopened in 2004.
Reviewed 2013-02-18