We are located at 617 Nebraska St, Alma Kansas, 66401. This house/studio is one of the oldest in Alma, built in 1873! We have obtained records of the original owners, and have an account of their adventures from the Prussian war of the early 1870's, migrating through Europe
and into the United States, eventually ending up in Beloit KS, then Alma, to begin
construction of this house, adding to the original one room stone structure which was erected in 1873.They added onto this stone structure for the first time in approximately 1885, then expanding it for the final time in 1893. The downstairs interior walls
are really thick, ranging from 15 inches, to 28 inches! This pic is Stephanie
showing just how thick the downstairs walls are. This wall, leading into one of the downstairs bedrooms is 28 inches thick!!

(June 11, 2006)....UPDATE....

We found out from the Kansas State Historical Society that ourhouse/studio is eligable to be listed on the National List of Historic Places. We'll find out by the end of the year whether or not it is accepted. Much of the exterior and interior is original. The architecture is late Victorian, Queen Anne style with the interiors

showing Eastlake's designs, popular from the 1880s to the early 1900s. This is a picture showing the staircase, put in around either 1885 or 1893, the second or third remodeling/addition. Various projects are underway to restore the house/studio back to its late 1800s form. We are currently working on the guests parlor, adjacent to the living room (soon to be guests lounge, photography sitting room, and display room). Remodeling is challenging as the trim, all original, from the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, is covered in 5! layers of paint, and the walls were covered in 5 layers of wallpaper. The walls are lathe and plaster. The plaster is strengthened by horse and animal hair. Other projects include...restoring the porch to its past glory by expanding the porch back to the length it used to be, and by implementing the spindlework that the porch had at one time. We will re-expose the hard-wood flooring still in place under the lanolieum flooring.

The house built in 1873 was a single room, stone structure. It has been perfectly preserved inside of the current house. Plans are under place to expose the rock walls. They are currently covered up by sheet-rock. Even the old roof remains in the attic. There are 40 windows, 23 total doors, and 5 entrance/exits! We have nearly 4000 sq ft. of space, counting the partially finished attic. A unique feature of this house is a sub-cellar found off of the side and below the main basement, having 10 foot ceilings and is about 15'x10'. It has native limestone walls, along with the basement and foundation. With temperatures in this sub-cellar staying at a near constant upper 50s-upper 60s, reguardless of outside temperatures, it proved ideal for the creamery storage of dairy products such as milk, butter, and creams.This house used to house the Stuewe Brothers Creamery, was headquarters for the Stuewe Brothers Cattle Company, then the Stuewe Brothers Ice-cream shop. A carton of icecream produced here survives in the Wabaunsee County Historical Society! This house has 5 levels counting the sub-cellar as #1, basement as #2, first floor as #3, upstairs as #4, and attic as #5. We have obtained photographs of the house dated 1892, and another photo taken in the late 1880s.

August 7, 2006....

Renevations continue on the home. We have nearly all of the paint scrapped out of the soon to be studio room downstairs. Also, Stephanie has stripped much of the paint in what will be the upstairs living rooms. The wood upstairs is some of the most beautiful wood I've ever seen. A friend of ours whom restores old houses says the upstairs wood is a "swirley pine", which is a highly sought after, rare wood! This wood could only be found in Maine and points north and east in Canada. Notice the many swirls and knots in the wood in these images! All of the wood looks similar to this upstairs, even the 10 and 12 inch baseboards! The pic on the left is a section of the window trim, and the pic on the right is a section of baseboard trim! Check out our fully restored late 1910s - early 1920s wood/coal burning stove. Plans are in place to install it into the chimney, buried in the wall. We are in the process of getting/receiving estimates on fixing the exterrior and various interrior portions of the house. Another project in the planning phase is exposing the original one room stone portion of the house, perfectly preserved inside the walls of the downstairs master bedroom. This master bedroom used to be the stone structure! The historical society will influence what we do. We will find out in November whether this house will be listed as a state historical site, and whether it is eligible to be listed as a national historic marker, opening us up for possible grants! We want to preserve this house as close as possible to its original condition. I plan on cutting down some of the walnut trees this fall and making room to plant more fruit trees next spring adding to the existing 2 apple, 2 pear, 2 cherry, pecan, and other walnut trees. I want to plant plums, elderberrys, and peach trees, and possibly turn the sub-cellar into a small wine making area. The wine making is still not a definite plan, just a thought. Also, the 4 trees lining the road in front of the house will be cut down. I believe they are Birch, which do not withstand the storm winds that roll in off of the flint hills. The photo below is bedroom #8 (7.5), which will be our living room when it is done. The entrance in the left leads into bedroom #9(8.5).

More to come....... probably in September!

October 17, 2006....

Sorry about the delay in updating this page. We've been really busy photographing families, and setting up our upcoming seniors. Lots has happened since my last posting in August. Our woodburning stove in the above picture has been installed and looks wonderful. It really fits the era of this house! Ron Castle of Castle Painting has come in and is working on the walls for the studio/guest room. He is doing an amazing job! I can't wait to see the finished product in a few weeks, and post it for all to see. The upstairs living room is NEARLY DONE! I will post pics of it, too. We've made an amazing discovery in the downstairs living room. The old mural painted on the ceiling over 100 years ago IS STILL THERE!!!!!! After peeling off 5 layers of white paper off of the ceiling, we came to a layer of very old wallpaper. Under this wallpaper are the remains of the painted mural I've read about in historical documents! It was understood that this mural was destroyed many years ago, but that has proven to be untrue! It needs to be restored, but it remains as seen above. The corner flower design matches the flower design on our doorplates, dated back at least 120 years! The mural spands the entire living room ceiling (18'x22). 'Also of exciting note, our studio is nearing completion, hopefully by the end of November it will be up and running. We find out on November 17th if the Kansas Historical Society accepts our house as a state historic landmark, and we will find out if it gets forwarded to Washington D.C. to possibly be listed as a national historic landmark!! I will post completion pics of the walls of the guests lounge and adjoining studio in the next few weeks.

December 25, 2006

Merry Christmas all. We have been accepted as a historic site! On November 17th, the state board approved us as a state historical site, and approved nominating us as a NATIONAL historical site. We will find out in January whether or not we attain national status!! We can't wait. Our studio sitting room is now complete. Our studio is also complete AND fully functional. Need studio pics, please contact us. Below are some pics of our newly completed studio work. The cold weather has slowed progress on the house, but my winter goals will include cleaning out the basement and cellar. I am going to put in a rock floor in the cellar. Its currently a dirt floor. I shall use some of the limestone found around various foundations to crumbling buildings scattered around. Another project I'm working on is getting all paperwork together for a possible grant. This is no small task!! I have broken down all projects which compromise the structural integrity of this home, and will ask for assistance in the form of a Heritage Trust Fund Grant. Its state funded. I must submit all work by Jan 16th, and find out May 10-12 in Dodge City if we are to be awarded the grant. Its quite competitive there were 63 different submissions for 2006. 17 were actually funded. I'm excited that we stand a better chance then the 27% would indicate as our circumstances are unique. We're more than just an old house with all of the history behind this place! I can't wait!

December 31, 2006....FINALLY, updated pics!!

Below are the pics of the finished portions of our house and studio. The pics directly below are the before and after pics of bedroom # 8(7.5). The only thing not completely done yet is the floor. We will sand and re-stain the flooring next year.

This photo below is the before pic of the living room which is now the studio room. Notice the chimney hidden within the walls on the left side of this image. The below image is the finished sitting room/studio. Each room is 22 feet long! The finished photo below is in the opposite room, facing the room in the photo to the left. This room was in worse shape than the unfinished room pictured!!

I'm still putting together all information, proposals, historical reports, fully illustrated photographs, digitalized application pages, explainations, and much more for our grant application/illustrations to be submitted to the State Historical Board for a possible grant. Now I see why specialists charge thousands of dollars to do this. I feel that I should try to do it myself, as it allows me to utilize my other degree...English, writing. I have broken down the grant into subsequent sections, all of which are necessary to prevent any structural damage, and other possible future damage to the house.