About a year ago, Kent and Vickie Mikkelson purchased a neat old house with a beautiful big front porch at 81 Waupaca St. in Clintonville.
They had been looking for a fixer-upper as an investment opportunity. It was only after the purchase that they learned the home had important historical significance. It had been the city’s first hospital.
“Often people would stop to tell us they were born here or they knew someone that was born here,” Vicki Mikkelson said at a recent open house that attracted several potential buyers.
It is believed that the house was built in 1900. Mrs. Floyd Stevens and Mrs. Mildred Brill opened a private 11-bed hospital there in 1932, according to early history books. Later, Brill purchased Stevens’ interest in the hospital and remained as the manager for about 10 years.
The house remained as the hospital until 1946, when the services of the hospital were moved to 20 N. Main St. By 1950, a new community hospital was built on North Main Street.
The Mikkelsons preserved the beautiful and stately architecture of the past, but the home has been completely renovated inside with the maintenance-free conveniences and latest technology of a newly built home.
“We want people to see and appreciate the quality in what we have done,” Kent Mikkelson said. “We feel we can find the right buyer. People want quality.”
The Mikkelsons are hoping to sell the home for about $250,000.
In addition to the large porch, the Mikkelsons liked the large city lot, the apple and plum trees, the grape vines and the beautiful back yard.
“I was impressed with the poured cement block basement. You would expect it to be stone,” Kent Mikkelson said. “You will not find a sump pump, as the house is built on a sand knoll so there is no water problem.”
As you enter the front entrance, you will notice the original hardwood floors have been restored. A set of pocket doors and a stair landing remain but everything else is new.
On the main floor the original wood floors are 1½-inch wide hard maple and birch refinished in satin stains. Several rooms have an intricate pattern turned on a 45-degree angle.
“You usually don’t find floors like this in a house; they are like you find in a gym floor,” Kent Mikkelson said.
The Mikkelsons have a son-in-law in Michigan who helped them with many ideas, and they worked with professional contractors to complete the work. Vicki selected all of the paint colors, which are based on the kitchen counter top.
“We renovated the home to what a buyer would want,” Vicki Mikkelson said.
The Mikkelsons recently learned that a new housing committee has been started in Clintonville to focus on new construction and helping to improve the existing housing. They hope others will follow their lead and improve some of the older homes in Clintonville.
“Life is a risk,” Kent Mikkelson said. “You can put money on Wall Street or in something like this.”
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