Historic tour offers look at pink granite Victorian home

(Sentinel photo by Beverly Van Buskirk) This pink Victorian-style house, now home to a fine dining establishment, Berdene's, at 11 Sixth Ave. S.W., is one of five stops on the 2009 Historic Tour of Homes and Churches this Saturday in Le Mars. Tours start at the Plymouth County Historical Museum, and run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. [Click to enlarge]

Pink granite from quarries around Sioux Falls, S.D., and a location on the curve of Highway 3 West make the Victorian style home at 11 Sixth Ave. S.W. stand out.

The house, now owned by Randy and Berdene Barta and home to Berdene's, a reservation-only dining establishment and the Bartas, is one of five stops on the 2009 Historic Tour of Homes and Churches this Saturday.

It took real estate developer George E. Richardson more than two years to build this home in 1905-06.

As visitors tour the house, they will find that no expense was spared in the construction of the home which features a wrap-around porch with square stone columns, oak columns rather than solid walls which support the second floor, and unusual sliding doors in the living room.

From the front sitting room, Richardson's wife could watch for her husband as he returned from his office in the upper floors of the German American Savings Bank on the main corner downtown.

The open design on the first floor allowed the entire first floor to be used as a whole, such as for parties and dances. It also fits well with Berdene's business.

A lengthy description of the wedding of George Richardson's only daughter, Lucille, to William Coad in 1908 tells how the house was decorated for the occasion.

According to family information, in 1927 Lawrence Welk, from WNAX radio in Yankton, S.D., provided accordion music with a small local band for Helen Coad's debutante ball when she was 16.

A swinging door leads to the original butler's pantry and prep kitchen. The Bartas have added a new commercial kitchen, with the back entry to the house removed. The back stairway was also removed to allow for better access to the new kitchen for serving, as well as a coffee bar and powder room.

The sun room windows feature transoms above. The walls are covered with two different designs of material, commonly referred to as "elephant hide." The material was invented to mimic metal wall coverings as well as actual elephant hide which could not be legally hunted during the last century.

Chandeliers in the rooms are original and each have a different design. They are equipped with both gaslight fittings and electric lights, as the house was built during a time when electricity was not always reliable.

A full basement features a foundation made of early cement, 18 inches thick and houses various rooms. One room was a laundry room which had a large cookstove to heat water. Arched brick frames the doorways.

Former owners Mark and Jeanne Bogenrief added beveled glass to the former screened windows in the upper solarian, as well as grading the lawn and repairing the iron fencing and stone gate. They purchased the garden fountain at auction in Atlanta, Ga.

J.H. Betsworth was the first owner of the property in 1871.

The Richardsons lived in a little white house on the property until it was moved a block east so George E . Richardson could build a larger home for his family. That white house was torn down in 2000 to provide more parking for Bob's Drive-In.

The former carriage house from this property is now "The Depot" at the Plymouth County Fairgrounds Pioneer Village and displays railroad memorabilia. The livery man's house is now a block west of the Truck Stop. The present barn is early 20th century.

In October 1887, George E. Richardson deeded almost 2 1/2 acres to his wife, Ella Richardson. George built this second house for his family in about 1905-06.

George, Ella and their progeny lived in this house for nearly 90 years. Ella died in 1945; her only child, Lucille Coad, died in 1966; Lucille's son, Charles Coad died in 1991.

Mark and Jeanne Bogenrief purchased the property in 1993, using it as a display area for their stained glass business, Jeanne's Jewels, as well as a residence.

The Bartas purchased the property Sept. 5, 2006.

Saturday's Historic Tour of Homes and Churches is sponsored by the Le Mars Historic Preservation Commission and the Plymouth County Historical Museum in recognition of May as National Preservation Month.

The theme for 2009's National Preservation Month is "This Place Matters!" and highlights an awareness of the power of historic preservation in homes, neighborhoods and communities.

Tours begin at the Plymouth County Historical Museum, with the tours sites open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The last tour will leave the museum at 4 p.m.

Other sites on the tour include St. George's Episcopal Church at 400 First Ave. S.E.; the home of Cheryl Bolser at 709 Fifth St. S.E.; a church building now converted to a residence by Eric Wong at 410 First St. S.W.; and the Plymouth County Historical Museum's renovation work on the fourth floor study hall, and other historic features.

Tickets for the tour are $10 and may be purchased in advance or the day of the tour at the museum.