AMANA/CLEAR CREEK
AMANA -- The Amana Arts Guild will host its 11th annual Christmas Haus Tour Saturday, Dec. 3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 4, from 1 to 5 p.m. Tour private homes decorated for the holidays and take part in the ambience of Christmas in the Amana Colonies. Visit with homeowners and get to know the colonies in a whole new way while you visit homes with stories as remarkable and varied as the colonies themselves.
Homes on this year’s walk include:
* Gaycia and Allyn Neubauer Haus, 603 46th Ave., Amana:The property, known as the Neubauer “kuche” (kitchen) house, was a colony kitchen as well as a residence. It was built in 1858. The stone part of the building was a residence and was constructed from sandstone quarried just across the street. The “kuche,” or colony kitchen, was wooden frame construction. Also located on the property is a brick building made from local bricks which has two entrances. Half of the building was used as a chicken house and half of it was used as a wash house. It is the only remaining brick wash house in the Amanas.
Visitors will be able to tour Gaycia and Allyn’s residence as well as the wash house. The wash house is now called the “Stammtisch,” where friends and family gather for good food and good times. It features the original hearth and kettle used to heat water on wash days. Three generations of Neubauer’s have resided at the residence.
Gaycia and her family and friends have decorated for Christmas. Features include an antique five foot feather tree from Germany, family heirlooms, and great Aunt Katy’s paintings on glass. Also featured are Prestele lithographs and Allyn’s Amana photos.
* Lanny and Andrea Haldy Haus, 2612 220th Trail, Middle Amana: The home of Andrea and Lanny Haldy is both one of the first and one of the last houses built in Communal Middle Amana. The one story section to the west was built in 1862 to house workers who were building other structures in the village. It originally consisted of only three rooms with an attached washhouse and woodshed. The two story portion of the home, which now looks like the main building, is actually an addition constructed in 1890. Unlike the original part of the house which has rough cut hewn beams of local wood, the two story addition is constructed with commercial dimensional lumber, including southern pine. The building was always used as residence for several families or multigenerational families. During communal times it was occupied by different branches of the Haldy family, Lanny’s family has owned it since 1932 and Lanny and Andrea have been the there since 2002.
* Rose’s Place Bed and Breakfast/Monys Hagen Haus, 1007 26th Ave., Middle Amana:This home and bed and breakfast was a church building constructed in 1870. During the communal period the Community of True Inspiration held evening prayer services in one large room on the first floor, which is now the residence. On the second floor the building’s caretakers, the Paul and Lillie Rettig family, lived in what is now guest suite Number Two.
The church retained the building and converted it into a Sunday School, used by children from Middle Amana and High Amana until 1981. Suite Number One had two classrooms, and the common room also held two classrooms. The current residence remained one large room where boys sat one side and girls on the other.
In 1994, Betty and Jerry Peterson transformed the building into a bed and breakfast. They framed in the meeting room for their residence and exposed the brick in what is now the common room. In 2015, Monys Hagen purchased the building and continued running it as a bed and breakfast. Monys, a retired history professor, wanted the common room to reflect the community’s and the building’s past. Working with Bud Schulte of Renate’s Antiques, it showcases Amana antiques and Amana Church artifacts. A special feature of the holiday decorations is the return of the Rettig Amana Christmas tree for this event.
* Robert Brost and Jill Ward Haus, 705 E St., West Amana:This 1858 sandstone building served as the West Amana Bakery until shortly after the 1932 reorganization and for a short period it also served as a general store and shoemakers shop. Since 1998 it has been the home of Robert Brost and was the calligraphy studio of Jill Ward. An imaginative renovation filled with books and old things from many parts of the world make this an unusual home. The vaulted ceiling exposed stone and ruins of the bakery over artfully blend elements of old and new. Bright and serene, this home reflects the spirit of the season.
* Amana Arts Guild Center, 1210 G St., High Amana:This former church building was built in 1858. Today this charming sandstone structure serves as the Amana’s community arts and folk-life center. The attic gallery offers visitors during the warmer months an opportunity to experience art exhibits from regional and local artists and serves as the sales headquarters for handmade Amana Colony arts and crafts. During the Christmas Haus Tour, visitors will enjoy complementary treats and warm drinks, listen to live music by Ruth and Ken Johnson, take an opportunity to sit and visit for a while, and are encouraged to browse through the “Khristmasmarkt” in the warmer lower level.