Staff writer
Michael and Leah Ottensmeier are hoping to find a new home for an especially large item. They want someone to move a 1,700 square foot 90-year-old schoolhouse from a property off north Nighthawk Rd.
“It’s just a building we will never get our use out of,” Leah Ottensmeier said, “and we’d hate to tear it down especially with all the history.”
The building was originally a one-room schoolhouse built in the 1920s. Later it was turned into a tackle and bait shop.
The Ottensmeiers are looking for someone who would relocate the building out of their back yard. They would be willing to give someone the building, and even remove some trees to do so, if the mover pays relocation costs, she said.
“We’ve had some people interested in it,” Ottensmeier said, “but they live quite a ways away and we estimate it would cost around $25,000 to move it. We’re hoping someone local could move it for cheaper.
“It’s a great big building,” she said. “It doesn’t look as big as it is from outside. It’s got great hardwood floors and some cool architecture pieces.”
According to Ottensmeier, the building’s roof is caving in, and electricity has been cut off from it.
“In order for us to use the building we would have to have electricity, ran back to the building, have it rewired, and inspected,” she said. “We would rather use a building that is safer and less of a fire hazard.”
She said everyone knows the property because of the building.
“Some people don’t even notice there’s a house here,” she said. “Everyone around here knows the schoolhouse as the old tackle shop.”
She said one prospective buyer was looking at the building for a music studio.
“I think it would make a great shop for antiques, maybe a photo studio, a kid’s play house, or anything,” she said. “Right now’ we’re just using it to store a few things.”
Property owners Daniel and Wilma Mueller confirmed they are OK with the Ottensmeiers moving the building.
“We’re all in agreement that this is the best thing to do, without demolishing the building,” Ottensmeier said.
Ottensmeier said if they cannot find someone to move the building they will look into selling it for someone to salvage for its architecture elements.