The ballroom is the heart of the Horn Hollow house. Here’s a look at the before-and-after pictures. The renovations highlight the 12-foot ceilings and open-living concept. The room boasts 8-foot windows, several quaint sitting areas, a renovated fireplace and vintage piano, dating back to the 1860s. Modern furnishings have been paired with some custom-made pieces to complete the look.
By Roz Weis,
When Danielle Dotzenrod had a chance to buy a historic farmhouse near Decorah, she couldn’t have imagined the depth of the project.
To say she got more than she bargained for is an understatement.
“Not one square inch of the house wasn’t touched in the renovation,” Doteznrod said.
She and her partner Jim Wicka had their work cut out for them when things began in 2022. Now, exactly two years later, the ambitious restoration of the celebrated Horn Hollow is nearing completion in the new year.
After seeing the “before” pictures prior to renovation, a first-look inside the revived home is staggering. The home sat empty for many years, and ongoing remodeling proved to be a challenge for Dotzenrod, Wicka, Danielle’s father Jimmy Dotzenrod and her stepfather Mark Sweitzer. Years of neglect had been hard on the house — the entire renovation encompassed two years, and it has taken a proverbial village to complete the work. Dotzenrod said the home has been painstakingly restored from top to bottom “with new plumbing, heating and air conditioning, electrical, you name it.”
There are still a few tasks to complete, but Dotzenrod said a faithful painter, restoration experts, construction crews, local vendors and family members have helped bring the project full-circle and given the historic structure a new lease on life.
She praised the work of vendors involved in the overhaul of Horn Hollow, such as Isaac Packnett, TG Home Improvement, Tlusty Drywall, Dan Polashek Tile and Stone, Bear McCasland and Ramstad Construction, Upper Iowa Spray Foam Insulation, S&K Custom Furniture, Keven Benjegerdes, Triple M Furniture, McCabe Electric, Countywide Plumbing and Heating, Flyline Painting, Jacob Fauts, Tim Byrnes, Rolf Peterson and Home Factotum, Wadsworth Window Restoration, Brenen’s Painting, Mobile Glass, Rockweiler’s, Johanningmeier Stone, Ossian Lumber, Gossling Woodworking and Richard Meredith.
Supply chain issues and finding available laborers proved to be taxing during the full-blown renovation. Despite delays, the work has stayed on pace.
Horn Hollow now has all the amenities of a luxury country home, but retained the charm and grandeur of a 150-year-old estate.
“This is the only house of its kind in Winneshiek County that is situated in the rural countryside, as opposed to being in Decorah or in town,” Dotzenrod said.
The house was built by English immigrant Henry Harcourt Horn in 1869. It is situated a few miles northwest of Decorah. Horn wrote a book titled “An English Colony in Iowa,” which tells of his voyage to America, the journey Westward and more. It also provides several insights into the home’s construction.
The 3,600-square-foot residence is a Georgian structure constructed of red, clay brick reportedly purchased from an establishment in McGregor. The house was built on a stone foundation and boasts many crowning features from the Georgian period, with a grand staircase, 12-foot ceilings on both the main and upper levels, two chimneys, wide eves and arched 8-foot statement windows throughout the house. The restored home boasts four bedrooms upstairs and two full baths.
The time and energy Dotzenzrod poured into the restoration was documented on film and featured on a recent episode of the series “In With the Old,” which is produced by the Magnolia Network and Chief Creative Officers Chip and Joanna Gaines — stars of the popular HGTV series “Fixer Upper.” Dotzenrod’s renovation of Horn Hollow was broadcast during the series’ fifth season of “In With the Old.” The episode, titled “Return to Horn Hollow in Decorah, Iowa,” has since been broadcast on HBO Max, Magnolia, Discovery+ and Youtube.
Dotzenrod, taking in all that’s been accomplished within the historic home, says a piece of her heart will stay at Horn Hollow and she is fulfilling her dream of renovating the manor, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
She admits being stung by the “renovation bug,” and she isn’t opposed to another project in the future.
“I’ve learned so much,” she said. “Honestly, if the right buyer came along and would cherish this house, I would move on to another renovation so I could save another old house for another family to love and call home.”
More photos in the free November 5 Driftless.
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It looks beautiful, but looks to modern for when it was built and being on the historical place last. I also hate to see great old woodwork painted!