COLUMBUS, Ga., July 17 -- Columbus State University issued the following news release:

Historic. Charming. Quaint.

These might be some of the words Columbus State University's study abroad students have used to describe the Edwardian-style house at 182 Woodstock Road in Oxford, England's Summertown neighborhood. Since 2002, the Spencer House has been a second home for globetrotting CSU students and a signature element of the university's international education initiatives.

"Well-loved" might be another way to describe the Spencer House. Built in 1913, the century-plus-year-old, three-story home has been in desperate need of a makeover.

This summer's Honors College program was the first to reap the full benefits of the massive, top-to-b...