It’s hard to say when Thomas B. Hagen began to care about old houses.
It might have been when he was growing up on West Sixth Street, across from the Watson-Curtze Mansion. That building is now the home of the Hagen History Center, named in honor of its largest benefactor.
His interest became a passion over the years as Hagen — a billionaire and former chairman of Erie Insurance — led the company’s effort to purchase and restore homes in its eastside neighborhood…