Classic 1900s home graces West Hill
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Neil Goodall sits in the formal dining room of his home at 900 W. Columbia St., at the top of the Wagner Street Hill in Chippewa Falls. The room is furnished with a hand-carved Appalachian white oak dining set.
Photo by Candice Novitzke / The Chippewa Herald
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By CANDICE NOVITZKE
Wednesday, October 3, 2007 1:00 PM CDT
The Chippewa Herald
The Goodall family has lived in the 2,900-square-foot home on the corner of Columbia and Mansir streets for 36 years.
“Whenever the boys had a big date, we’d take a picture by the grandfather clock,” Neil Goodall said.
Neil hopes to downsize to a condo since his wife Ann passed away two years ago. But when he moves, it’s certain he’ll always hang onto the memories made there.
Neil is the former president of Cornell Corporation, and a retired member of the British Army. Ann retired from a career as a librarian at Chippewa Falls Senior High School in 1999. The couple raised their children Michael and David in the home after living in Germany for three years.
“We lived here longer than anybody,” Neil said.
The home sits prominently at the top of the Wagner Street Hill in Chippewa Falls. It was built in 1912 by Mr. Walrath of the Walrath Lumber Company. His family lived there until the 1930s, and in 1940 the home was purchased by the Dr. Frank Sazama family.
His daughter Ann married Neil Goodall and the couple purchased the house in 1971. There they lived for 36 years, raising two boys, Michael and David, and enjoying time with grandchildren.
Visitors are greeted by a grand staircase and a mahogany grandfather clock — the one that ended up in so many pictures — that belonged to Neil’s grandfather, who acquired it in Yorkshire, England.
The living room is decorated mostly in neutral tones with its high, painted ceilings and recently refinished natural oak floors. Neil and Ann made a habit of buying one item for their home whenever they visited another country, and the pieces add a splash of color and character to the room.
The woodburning fireplace is now gas-powered. In the home’s early days a wood elevator raised logs from the basement to the living room. It’s since been covered by a bookshelf.
Off the living room is a large porch; one of four in the home. Another is found off the kitchen and features a hoosier cabinet. Two more are upstairs branching off bedrooms.
The dining room is paneled with fumed oak — a special process that darkens the grain.
“One thing you’ll find unusual in a house of this age is the built-in storage,” Neil said.
Dozens of built-in cupboards and closets can be found around the house. A space above the garage was once servant’s quarters and is now a valuable storage area.
A five-foot diameter boiler once sat in a corner room of the basement. Off to the side is a room with an unusual sloped floor designed to funnel coal to the boiler. A playroom and pantry area complete the basement.
Upstairs, the master suite has numerous built-ins, two full closets, a full bathroom and its own porch.
The upstairs bathrooms were completely redone by Neil and Ann. High ceilings and tile work characterize the rooms.
The Autumn Home Tour is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Get tickets at the Cook-Rutledge Mansion or Gordy’s County Market, or at any home the day of the tour.
On the tour:
- Home of Jan and Ray Klimovitz, 9094 165th St.
- Home of Neil Goodall, 900 W. Columbia St.
- Home of Ruth and Bob Sather, 11010 161st St.
- Home of Julie and Louie Rogers, 407 Westwood Dr.
- Cook-Rutledge Mansion, 505 W. Grand Ave.
Reach Candice Novitzke at candice.novitzke@lee.net.
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