A facelift for this old house

By Curt Swarm

Mike Clark, of Kalona, a retired Washington County Deputy Sheriff, was riding his motorcycle one afternoon, when he passed through Mt. Pleasant. There are a lot of old stately homes in Mt. Pleasant that Mike was admiring. But then he saw a behemoth, old, two-and-a-half story Victorian home, on the edge of Mt. Pleasant?s downtown (on the 400 block of North Jefferson Street), that was sorely in need of some TLC. And it was for sale! The house seemed to say, ?Make me yours, Mike. Fix me up.?

He talked it over with his better half, Mary, and, to make a long story short, it is now theirs?to renovate and live in. Mike and Mary are obviously experienced at major reconstruction to take on such a project. Right? Nope. This is their first renovation. In Mike?s words, ?It?s like jumping off into the Grand Canyon.?

Built in 1898, by Joseph Green for his sister, Alice, and himself, it was designed by the famous architect George Barber. The one-time showpiece of Mt. Pleasant has seen many changes. It has been a residence, a fraternity house, a sorority, a TTT meeting place, and an apartment building.

Of course, there have been many changes to the home over the years. Mike and Mary are in possession of the original floor plans, and their intention is to return it to its original state. Walls have to come down, windows replaced, and even a brick chimney removed. They are having the double-hung, weighted windows rebuilt, transoms replaced, and the gingerbread and porch posts replicated. Mike refers to himself as a ?picky petunia.?

In 1927 there was a fire upstairs, and there has been major water damage to the house. Because the absentee owner forgot to pay the utility bill, the electricity was shut off, and pipes froze and burst. There was a frozen waterfall down one side of the house and major water damage inside. Mike and Mary, to date, have hauled out two tons of plaster in five gallon buckets. They have stripped out all the old wiring and plumbing, and are working with no electricity or water. But Mike and Mary plan on moving into the house this fall, with complete renovation completed in two-to-four years. It?s a 4,000 sq ft home, with 15 rooms and, according to Mike, ?is not a flipper.?

Mike is working at the Walmart Distribution Center in Mt. Pleasant on the weekends, and working on the house during the week. Between the lifting at work, and the lifting with the renovation, his 54-year old body feels the stress. Mike buys the large, economy size of ibuprofen. He?s looking forward to the time that Mary and he can live in the house and eliminate their 45-minute commute to and from Kalona.

Is the house haunted? Mike and Mary don?t really believe in ghosts, but when Mary enters the house to start work, she says, ?Hello house! Good morning Alice and Joe!? Mike and Mary may hear an occasional door slam, or notice something that?s been moved. They have also noticed a few orbs in photographs they have taken of the house. But that could just be dust in the air or specks on the camera lens. Right?

Mike enjoys taking a break from his work to tell the story of the house to inquisitive passersby. He will also stop work to chase squirrels away from the house. There are still a few holes here and there, and Mike doesn?t appreciate fury little critters living in his house, rent free.

Have a good story? Call or text Curt Swarm in Mt. Pleasant at 319-217-0526, email him a curtswarm@yahoo.com, or visit his website at www.empty-nest-words-photos-and-frames.com. Curt also reads his stories at www.lostlakeradio.com.