March 28, 2024

Community rallies to ‘Save the Bergman’

August Bergman House looking for investment from city council

A volunteer board has been established to help save the August Bergman House and will be presenting its case to the Newton City Council at its Monday meeting.

The house, 629 First Ave. E., has been through several owners in recent years. Currently owned by NYA Partners after its purchase in Dec. 2013, it has begun to fall into disrepair.

The board will be asking the council to make a temporary investment in the building to help prevent it from deteriorating beyond repair or potentially being scrapped out and leveled.

“What we are hoping for is they will purchase the building and hold it for short term,” said Ken Barthelman, a member of the board.

He said there is a leak in the roof along with additional expensive repairs, which led the past owners to sell. The upkeep became too much to handle and they were not able to repair the problems.

The board has already taken action to save the house by providing heat to the property to reduce potential damages over the winter. Its future plans include setting up a nonprofit to raise funds, find a temporary owner to purchase the building while funds are being raised, winterize and mothball the building to prevent further damage and eventually purchase the building. Future funds raised would be used for restoration.

“It is kind of a three step process. Get it purchased, get immediate repairs made and after the city is paid back, start restoration,” Barthelman said.

The house was built in 1909 for August Bergman and was designed by Proudfood & Bird, one of Iowa’s preeminent architectural firms at the turn of the century. The firm also designed the Jasper County Courthouse, Beardshear Hall at Iowa State, Hotel Fort Des Moines, the Masonic Temple of Des Moines and the Dallas County Courthouse.

Constructed for $17,000, it was, by far, the most expensive house built in Newton at the time. Bergman, who was involved in almost every industry that developed in Newton and was the brother-in-law of F. L. Maytag, lived in the house until his death.

The house was designed in the Mission Style and is thought to be the only representation of that style done by the firm among its hundreds of designs. Houses in the Mission Style are known by the use of a low-pitched, hip roof clad in red clay tile, stucco exteriors, deep eaves with exposed rafter tails and the use of large piers with broad arches, all found in the house.

The interior of the house in centered on the atrium, which as accessible from the main hallway, bedroom wing, kitchen and dining room. Leaded and stained glass windows are found throughout the house both on interior and exterior windows and doors. The living room fireplace features tile surrounds and an oak mantel with a unique hammered copper hood.

The house remained a private home until 1983 when it was remodeled into a bed and breakfast by Kay Owen. It was named the LaCorsette Maision Inn and was in business until 2007 when it was purchased by WeeGerk. The house was renamed the August Bergman Inn and continued operations until 2012. At that time, expensive repairs and the costly upkeep of the large house was too much and it was closed for business. NYA Partners bought it at auction a year later.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com