What will Dekalb County do with the historic Sunny Meadows property?

At 2315 Co. Rd. 40 in Auburn, you’ll find a brick building that has housed residents for the past 100 years. Today, it sits empty, as the people of Dekalb decide what should be done with it, and how to honor its history.

The building’s age and outdated features led county commissioners to vote for its closure last spring, according to Bill Hartman, vice president of Dekalb County Commissioners. 

“It served its time. It served its purpose. Back in the day it was very functional and very needed, but it become a greater thing of yester year and not so good this year, its been a place for these people, all of them have a better place that they’re in now, and they all seem to be happy, that was the main goal and we’ve seemed to acomplish that,” Hartman says.

Sunny Meadows was one of the last few county homes, or “Poor Homes/County Homes,” as referred to in the past. In late 1816, per Indiana’s 1816 Constitution Article IX, Section 4, all counties were required “to provide one or more farms to be an asylum for those persons, who by reason of age, infirmity, or other misfortunes, may have a claim upon the aid and beneficence of society.”

Sunny Meadows was one of the last few county homes, and now, as it sits empty, only eight of these homes remain in Indiana.

Last fall, the commissioners put up for demolition bids, in part to get an understanding of what it would cost to tear down the building. Bids ranged from $140,000 to $300,000. As The Star reported in Nov. 2025, plans were to tear down the buildings and leave the lot as a “green space.” 

But on January 5, citizens came to the Dekalb Commissioners meeting to voice their thoughts on the future of Sunny Meadows. 

At the beginning of the meeting, the commissioners announced that all bids to demolish the property were to be rejected, so they could hear input from the community.

Many residents who spoke at the meeting, like Steve Provines, a neighbor to the home for the past 60 years, were against the idea of tearing it down completely.

 “I feel that the home and barns deserve to be maintained and used out of respect for what they have provided for literally hundreds of our citizens,” he says, sharing his memories of his family working for the home and connecting with the residents.

Both of Provines’ parents worked alongside residents at the home. His mother was a full-time cook, and his father helped at the county farm during the 70s. Provines says he feels very adamant about keeping the property, as he feels it’s a part of Dekalb County’s history.

“I just think out of respect for them and the home, which was a big part of their history, that’s where they spent their last days, a place to give them some dignity and be who they were,” Provines adds.

Others shared the same sentiment, like David Kimmel, who was a tenant farmer for 40 years, working at the county farm alongside Provines’ father. The farm was funded by the county to help provide supplies and revenue for the residents. The barn is across the street from Sunny Meadows, and some residents worked alongside Kimmel. Now the barn and fields are rented out for others to use.

“When I went there, I didn’t think much of it, but the more I worked there, the more interesting it got to me… And I took care of it like a place of my own, and I hate to see it go down,” Kimmel says. “It tears me up.”

While some would like to see the buildings maintained, others raised concerns about their condition. Lita Haulinger, a previous employee of Sunny Meadows, says the building is in bad shape. 

“The residents that have moved out, which I’ve been involved with, are in a whole better place,” she says. Haulinger also claims that they often dealt with bed bugs and were frequently understaffed.

Commissioners had tests completed for asbestos and lead to help guide future decisions about the building. Results showed minimal asbestos, at levels below one percent, which is considered low risk. The test also showed less than one percent lead paint. 

Others were more worried about letting the property leave the county’s hands, citing concerns about letting a private investor buy it. Some shared ideas of what could be turned into. Examples included a community center, park, or even a museum dedicated to the history of Sunny Meadows.

With the demolition on pause, and citizens sharing their concerns and ideas, a decision will have to be made about the building’s future. To weigh those options, the commissioners are forming a committee. Each commissioner will pick two candidates, and then will vote to pick one candidate for the counselor position.

At the next Dekalb County Commissioners meeting, they will announce who has been elected for the council position.