Ideas by the client to renovate Hoover Center

November 24, 2023

Jonathon Nagel, a reporter for the Daily Mining Gazette, is positioned in front of the 128-year-old Hoover Center tower in Hancock, which he bought after Finlandia University was shut down last season. He is residing there while he renovates the structure, which, in his estimation, may take four to five years.

A Hancock monument is being preserved and restored to its previous splendor.

Jonathon Nagel purchased the Hoover Center structure on Quincy Street earlier this year as a result of Finlandia University’s shutdown.

After moving to Hancock from Colorado several years ago, Nagel, a self-described “architecture and historic preservation geek,” had taken notice of the tower on his motorcycle trips around town. Nagel was concerned that after Finlandia shut down, buyers would either buy the tower just for the lot or convert it into undergraduate rental units.

He made the decision he could n’t.

He said,” It was undoubtedly an accidental order for me and something I really felt I had to do.” ” Not just because it’s a work of art in architecture, but also because you’ve known it for so long in this neighborhood.”

It was constructed in 1895 by William Washburn, a local clothing business owner. The opulent home was constructed in the Victorian Queen Anne design.

Despite having fewer bedrooms than the apartment does, it has plenty of room designated for entertainment, including a ballroom on each level.

Nagel remarked,” It was a house that was designed for entertainment, undoubtedly, and unquestionably one that was n’t designed with any mind for expense.”

After about ten years, Washburn sold it to retail grocer Edward Lieblein. It remained in the Lieblein home until Suomi College, afterwards Finlandia University, purchased it in 1979.

Up until last year, it was owned by Finlandia. It housed the mayor’s office as well as a number of other academic positions.

In 1979, it received the designation of Michigan State Historic Site, and a year later it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

This house is a part of this community and has many thoughts and connections, according to Nagel. ” It contributes to our sense of place and what distinguishes Hancock.”

It might take four or five years to restore the structure, and perhaps some life after that, according to Nagel.

His top priority is to create a chronological restoration that is as accurate as possible. A leaky roof with tiles blowing onto the garden and a peeling paint job were two of the clear issues he noticed from the road.

There are still difficult tasks to complete, despite the fact that the interior’s figure is largely unbroken, according to Nagel. Most of the plumbing is no longer functional due to wall leaks, and electronic upgrades are also required.

Nagel will be residing it while he gets the house back in shape.

He said,” That was sort of the deal I made with myself that I could justify this impulsive purchase.” ” If I did it there, I could reduce my personal life costs, spend more money in the house, and get it where I want it.”

Nagel does n’t yet have concrete plans for the structure. He claimed that it would make a fantastic location for the exhibition or the main office of an organization or historical society. Or it might go back to being a single-family house, which was its initial use.

That would necessitate more considerable modifications, but he prefers it to business use.

According to Nagel, Finlandia had primarily used the current home as an company during its rule.

The worst they did, he said, was cover some hardwood with industrial carpeting and install bright light fixtures, but in reality, they were just using a house as an office building. Fortunately, it was n’t misused or altered despite being neglected. And from a survival aspect, that provides me with the best starting point I could hope for for an structure that is 128 years old.

Nagel, who has restored a number of other institutions, may be responsible for the majority of the repair job.

His future projects as a minimalist, detail-focused carpenter include replacing initial tile work and simulating missing or damaged trim on the grand staircase.

He’ll get in touch with a particular business for the ceiling. He intends to either use wooden stir or, with the State Historic Preservation Office’s approval, a stone-coated material roof that will resemble wooden shake.

According to Nagel, the ceiling has its problems, especially the recognizable building. It’s the “defining character of this house,” he said, but it also does n’t fit the climate because of the leaks and recurring ice damming problems.

He said,” That’s going to be a pretty careful one to try to figure out how to preserve the original structural, physical nature of that part of the roof, while also preventing injury and ensuring its longevity.”

In order for the tower to continue to be open to the public, Nagel hopes to host sporadic empty houses.

He stated,” My aim is that it is still in some way available to the area it’s a part of.” ” I’m just a geek who loves old houses, and I’ve really fallen in love with this one. I just want to see it succeed, which I did n’t see.” And I felt compelled to intervene in order to stop everything from happening to it.

To a fresh email address he created at [email protected], individuals can even take Nagel their memories of the home or old photos.

” I think it would be important to document, so I do like all of that,” he said.

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