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That’s what the folks at the La Crosse County Historical Society have discovered as they’ve slowly taken the Hixon House back to its more glorious past.
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Kathy Casberg, left, and Pam Brose point out some of the work needed to finish the restoration of the servants quarters in the Hixon House.
Erik Daily |
Analyzing paint chips, recreating fabrics, and putting the house back as it was when Gideon Hixon’s family lived there in the late 1800s and early 1900s costs a lot of money.
Though much of the house already has been restored, the master bedroom, servants quarters and exterior work still need to be done.
Luckily, the Jeffris Family Foundation, which funded much of the already completed restoration, is willing to continue supplying funds, said Erik Gundersen, president of the historical society. But this latest grant, like the first grant, is a double-matching grant. Jeffris will give the historical society $250,000 to help complete the renovation if the society can raise $500,000.
The group is still about $15,000 shy of its goal, and the deadline is Sept. 30.
“Our society exists about 80 percent to support the Hixon House. We put much of our resources into keeping the Hixon House going as a museum,” he said, and he wants to see the project completed.
With the original matching grant, the group hired historic experts and plunged into the restoration project.
“It turned out to be more expensive than anyone thought,” he said. “We have to pay attention to historic accuracy.”
And as good as the first part of the restoration has been, the house isn’t finished.
“There are parts of the house that haven’t been done yet — the servants quarters and some bedrooms that have not been renovated yet. We have to do it historically correct,” Gundersen said.
“We have a couple of conservators that have been hired to do the research and science. These people are so expensive you wouldn’t believe it.”
Because the usual sources for fundraising have been tapped out — the Hixon family, corporations and private donors — Gundersen said it’s time to ask the people of La Crosse to raise the rest of the money.
“Here we are $15,000 short, and the deadline for our having the money or pledges is Sept. 30. That’s one month away. We’re trying hard to meet the conditions of the match, so it’s time to go public, which we hadn’t done before,” he said. “It would be a heartbreaker to be that little bit short.”
To contribute, send your donation to: Hixon House Preservation Fund, P.O. Box 1272, La Crosse, WI 54602-1272.
Wonder what all the fuss is about?
Then maybe it’s time to check it out for yourself. Marilyn Wood is a docent (that’s museum speak for tour guide) at the Hixon House, and she says a walk through the house will likely convince you of the value of restoring it.
“I’ve always been interested in history, but when I was working and running (Marilyn School of Dance), I never had time to do anything but run the dance school,” Wood said.
“When I retired, I saw an article in thr paper on the Hixon House and went and volunteered. It’s such a beautiful home, and it’s so surprising to me to have a home like that in La Crosse that’s open to the public. I think it’s unusual, because you think of a Victorian home of being very over the top and overdone. It’s very homey.”
