Lafayette Square Parlor Tour 2024

14 | Lafayette Square Parlor Tour | 2024 August C. L. Hasse purchased 2½ lots on Albion to build his home in 1889. Haase was the head of a wholesale fish market. He and his family lived in the house until 1911. Interestingly, Haase’s granddaughter, great- granddaughter and two great-grandsons drove by the home to see where their family once lived and happened to meet the current homeowners. Jim and Carolyn invited them in for a grand tour of the house! The visitors watched largeVictorian pieces purchased at a Ivy Selkerk Auction maneuvered up to the 3rd floor, and shared photos of the house when first built and of Haase, his wife and 2 of their children on vacation in Arkansas. The Queen Anne style home was designed by OttoWilhelmi. It features a Dutch stepped roof and a rounded oriel window.The home is one of the more architecturally unique buildings in the neighborhood. Like many homes in Lafayette Square, it became a rooming house in the 1940s. Greg Niedt purchased the home 1972 and faithfully restored it. Jim and CarolynWillmore acquired thisVictorian jewel in 1999. The exterior of the house is among the most ornate in the Square.The magnificent oriel window is a tour-de-force of craftsmanship.A curved stained-glass window was recently rebuilt.The bold arched brick entry and stepped Dutch gable roofline create a facade of astonishing richness. The front door, ornate wood staircase, marble floor and light fixture in the entry hall are original but were restored. Paintings throughout the home reflect the owners’ love of Lafayette Park.The parlor retains its original pocket doors and shutters, hand painted fireplace, and plaster crown molding.The Christmas tree features nativities and angels. Carolyn’s collection of nativity sets can be found throughout the house. The octagonal dining room is set at an angle to the other rooms and is connected to the kitchen, library, solarium and parlor.The oak flooring (from a Brown Shoe Company building) is trimmed with maple salvaged from the original floor.The fireplace and hearth are original. The solarium and library, originally a game room, were added 5 years after the house was built.The burled maple bookcase was added during Neidt’s restoration. Jim’s watercolor paintings of Oslo Fiord and other vacation locals are displayed in the library and throughout the house. 4 2327 Albion Jim & CarolynWillmore