THE HOMES OF AMBROSE A. CALL, PART III

After a short break to publish some special posts for various holidays, I am finishing the trilogy on the homes of Ambrose A. Call.

From "Picturesque Algona"

PLANS BEGIN

To celebrate their 25^th wedding anniversary, Ambrose and Nancy made plans to build a larger, more stately residence.  In the fall of 1885, the family’s home was moved to the north and west and a basement was constructed for the new house.  The excavation drew a lot of interest in the community.  In the September 30, 1885 edition of the Algona Republican, it was reported that “It is expected that Mr. Call will erect a residence which will be second in beauty and desirableness to no residence so far built among us.  It will overlook the river and bluffs south of town, which form a magnificent view.”

The next spring the Calls did some traveling. March of 1886 found them in Minneapolis meeting with architects and touring the city looking for ideas.  By the end of April contracts were let with Shadle & McMurray submitting the winning bid.  Local builder Sam Plumley would do all the masonry work.  On May 5, 1886, the Upper Des Moines reported that “The job is one upon which the boys have an opportunity to display no small amount of skill, and their reputation alone as builders insures a first-class piece of work.  Teams have been engaged during the past week in hauling the material to the ground.”

Built of high grade lumber, the walls were made with 2x6’s with a diagonal 2x6 every two feet and were back plastered.  The floors of the house were built of three layers of flooring and a layer of filling, making them sound proof.

The “boys” must have really pushed themselves throughout the summer as they finished a month ahead of schedule.  Inspection of the work was done September 11, 1886, and was accepted.  Painting and decorating the house quickly followed and the Calls traveled to Chicago in mid-November to shop for furnishings. Soon the new home was ready for occupancy. 

THE STATELY MANSION

Three stories tall, the mansion was built of wood in the style of the Victorian era.  The wrap-around porch on the north and east side of the structure invited occupants to sit a spell during the humid days of summer in the hope of catching a wisp or two of breeze.  Three balconies and a cupola out of the third floor gave an excellent view in all directions, particularly to the south toward the area where the state park is now located.  The windows of the structure were large and of plate glass, with several of them almost large enough for store windows.

Approaching the front entry, a visitor would notice the graceful elk design etched in the window glass of the large front doors.  With no central heating, fireplaces provided heat for the mansion.  The lower floor had seven rooms with four fireplaces.  Three of the fireplaces were of wood – mahogany, cherrywood and oak – and one of marble.  Three of the rooms on that level were finished in mahogany, with the fireplace being handcarved. 

Five of the fireplaces in the house were built on one three-sided chimney and the two marble fireplaces (one on the main floor and one on second floor) shared a chimney in another part of the house.  It is believed that the marble used for the fireplaces was imported from Italy.

The stairway to the second floor was of solid walnut and the corner post was hand carved.  The second floor had eleven rooms, most of which were bedrooms.  A stairway to the third floor was located in the rear of the home.  The entire third floor was open and housed a billiard table for the family’s enjoyment.

The house was thoroughly enjoyed by the family for over 40 years.  Besides family celebrations such as holiday gatherings and weddings, the Calls often entertained with formal dinners for select guests.  Ambrose died in 1908, but Nancy would live in the beautiful residence until her passing in September of 1922.  Her last few years were spent as an invalid after a fall.  Her son, Roscoe, and his wife lived with her and provided her care.

A NEW LIFE FOR THE MANSION

The house remained in the family until 1928 when the Kossuth Hospital was searching for a new home.  The house was purchased by Nita Isaacson and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. R. E. Vincent, who had been operating the hospital in the old A.D. Clarke home on Harlan Street since 1925.  Their lease on the property was about to expire and a permanent location was needed.  The Call mansion fit the bill.

Renovations soon began.  The front porch was enclosed.  An old hot-air furnace which had been installed sometime during the Call residency was removed and a steam system installed.  The oak fireplace in the hall downstairs was replaced with the marble one from the second floor and the other fireplaces on the second floor were closed.  The stairways were reconfigured with the third floor stairs moved from the rear of the home and placed over the stairway from the first floor and a stairway to the cellar placed under the main stairs.  Nine patient rooms were constructed in the open attic room on the third floor.  All patients housed on second and third floor who were not ambulatory were carried up the stairs on stretchers.

The hospital served the community well providing general patient care, surgical procedures, and obstetrics care.  In 1931 an addition to the west side of the structure was completed.  An operating room was moved into the new addition along with an instrument and sterilization room.  On the second floor three new rooms were added including a nursery equipped with five bassinets.  Another perk of the re-arrangement was the addition of a nurses’ station and medicine dispensary.  The ground floor of the addition was divided into three rooms—a dining room for the staff, a private dining room for Mrs. Isaacson and a small bedroom for her son, Vincent.

In 1946 the hospital was listed for sale.  The health of Nita Isaacson (now Mrs. George Boswell) was poor and she could no longer adequately manage the facility.  For some time the community had discussed the possibility of building a new, more modern hospital.  With closure pending, local doctors banded together to purchase the medical equipment from Boswell.  A committee was formed and a new hospital was eventually built.

The property was then purchased by Leon Merritt and his son-in-law, Neil Monoco, and was operated as a hospital for a year or so while the new hospital was constructed and then became a nursing home.  In 1951 the business was sold to Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Roberts.  The nursing home eventually became the Good Samaritan Home until 1966, when a new facility was built and the Call home sold. 

GOODBYE TO A LANDMARK

Despite several attempts to raise community interest in preserving the home, no formal effort was organized.  Call family members even traveled to Algona in an effort to raise awareness, but even they agreed that the interior of the house no longer resembled the home of their memories and that massive renovations would be required to return it to its original glory.

Ambrose A. Call family on their front lawn - Standing L to R:  Dr. F.E.V. Shore, Chester C. Call, Bertha Call Shore, Myrtle Call Dickinson, Edith Call Hutchison, Flora Call Cowles, Gardner Cowles, William Kirby Ferguson; Seated L to R:  Roscoe Call, Nancy Henderson Call, Russel Cowles, Ambrose A. Call, Helen Cowles Lecron, Etta Call Ferguson, Arthur Ferguson

The once stately mansion which had served both the Call family and their beloved Algona so well, was torn down in 1973 and a condominium erected in its place.

Until next time,

Kossuth County History Buff

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