The vision
is evolving slowly but surely for Milt Hanson and his wife Leann who
purchased the school with plans to turn it into a Bed and Breakfast
facility.
The couple
came back to the area after spending 15 years in the southeast with the past
three or four in Columbia, South Carolina. Milt graduated from high school
in Watford City, but the Arnegard School is a part of both Hansons’ pasts.
Leann attended the first grade there and Milt’s sister spent the fifth and
sixth grades in the Arnegard School.
Renovation
projects are underway throughout the old school building, and Hanson is
determined to do the majority of the work himself. The task ahead would be
enough to overwhelm nearly anyone, but Hanson keeps a strong and clear
vision in his mind.
"The
big picture would be scary, so I take it one area at a time," he said.
"The building is structurally sound and the mess is mostly cosmetic, so
it just needs a lot of elbow grease."
Hanson’s
optimistic goal would be to have the school finished by next summer, but
realistically expects the work to be completed by the following summer.
Imagine
stepping through the original entrance of the old Arnegard School. The maple
hardwood beneath your feet creaks, echoing a sound that goes as far back as
1915 when the school was first built. The wooden steps are worn to a curve
from years of use and the stairway rails well polished from the grip of
thousands of little hands.
The school’s
original entrance faces the north since, at one time, that faced the main
road and town. The mud room that was attached later to the entrance will be
removed and the building’s exterior preserved.
When it is
finished, the 600 square foot classrooms on the first floor will be split in
half. The result will be four bed and breakfast suites that have their old
schoolroom character preserved as much as possible. The chalkboards will
still be used by the guests as comment cards.
Imagine
spending the night there. Your bedroom is a converted classroom with the
original nameplate for Primary Grades attached to the door. Even with the
addition of thermal-paned windows, an insulated wall and a fresh coat of
paint, the room smells faintly of old books. Its past use is evident with a
small row of school desks, a chalkboard and the original coat rack.
Plans
for the top floor’s 5,000 feet are to transform it into the Hansons’
living space. The main classroom to the south will be split into formal
dining and formal living rooms.
The old
superintendant’s office will be a mechanical room with laundry facilities,
and new boilers will replace the original coal-fired ones.
The old
library will remain a library with books from the school dating back to the
1880s. The oldest and most rare of them will be kept behind glass, but there
should still be plenty of interesting finds for guests to browse.
The former
Science room will be converted into a kitchen and pantry. The English room
will eventually become a game room with trophy cases, old basketball
uniforms and other sports memorabilia displayed there, and the old typing
room will be a television room. The attic’s former classrooms will be used
for an arts/crafts studio and a playroom.
The old
Arnegard School bell is still intact, but Hanson says the belfry needs quite
a bit of repair. Also, an old horse-drawn fire truck that is now being
stored in the halls, needs to be moved.
Imagine
roaming the halls of the old school. Aged pictures of George Washington and
Dwight Eisenhower hang precariously by simple nails in the walls.
Photographs of graduating classes line the stairwell, adding faces to the
imagined life these walls once held; that of lessons and future promises.
Display cases of old school uniforms provoke visions of another time here.
Aside from
the Hansons’ bedroom suites and daughter, Krystle’s playroom, the entire
building will be open to their guests.
"If you
are the type who is overly concerned about your property, a bed and
breakfast is the wrong business for you," states Hanson. He plans to
keep the furnishings in period, but not overdo the antiques. Locked display
cases will preserve many of the historical items.
The big gym,
which was built in the 1950s, is still in use. Hanson says the Butler
building was built by all local labor for under $40,000, and its hardwood
maple floor is still in very good shape. While renovation is in the plans,
it is still open for private roller-skating parties, basketball, the craft
fair and other events.
The small
gym was added to the school in 1936. The stage with its original stage
curtains will be available for public use, and plans for a suspended ceiling
are in the works. Hanson imagines a dinner theater, plays, concerts or
recitals to be held there. He checked the acoustics out with a flute and
claims they are wonderful.
"Uncle
Milty’s Band Instrument Repair" will be located in the basement of
the facility. Hanson is taking a small break from his repair shop to get the
renovation work started, but plans to open for some business by Jan.1, 1999.
As far as
instrument repairs, Hanson does everything but complete overhauls. His is a
"playing condition" shop and he caters to private individuals as
well as large companies. Hanson has a number of professional players he does
work for, including bari-sax player John Williams of the Count Basie
Orchestra. "There is a shortage of people who do this kind of
work," he says, and adds that the convenience of mail allows him to be
located almost anywhere. His work is on 25 different artist’s recordings.
Hanson’s
wife, Leann is teaching Special Education in the Mandaree School.
The Hansons
are receiving a lot of encouragement for their move back to Arnegard and for
undertaking the renovation project. Hanson’s father, Duane, gave Milt a
few words of advice upon moving back. "There are two things you need to
do if you move back," he said. "Occasionally lose playing
10-and-a-Half at the cafe, and join the Lions Club."
Residents of
Arnegard seem to be quite pleased with the Hansons’ plans to renovate the
old school. The town tried at one time to get a museum started there, and a
large collection of historical items owned by longtime Justice of the Peace
Lloyd Bjornstad, still fills one of the rooms.
"It’s
nice to see the school used rather than destroyed," said Ada Murie,
adding that at one time 36 of the school’s windows were broken.
Ada Murie’s
father filed Homestead here in 1905 and later, due to township lines, paid
$150 per month to send his daughters to school in Arnegard. Murie is
currently compiling a history for the Hansons to use in the "Old School
Bed & Breakfast." She welcomes any ideas, history or stories that
could be included.
For now,
Hanson is busy insulating the school’s exterior walls, dealing with a few
plumbing problems and adding a new heating system. On completion of the
project, he projects costs will be ranging from $75,000 to $100,000.
The Hansons
plan to advertise the "Old School Bed & Breakfast" over the
Internet and expect the building’s history will draw interesting guests
from all over the world.
"Bed
and breakfasts have become very popular," he says. "And this area
has a lot to offer for the type of people who stay here."
In spite of
the deluge of work that lies ahead, Hanson remains enthused. "I can
either see the mess and work or I can see the finished project," he
said. "Since I tend to be a visionary, I see things in their finished
form. That is what keeps me going."
