MADISON, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) – You can spend a night in a historic mansion where past governors of Wisconsin used to live.
Now a hotel and cafe, which opened in August 2019, the building at 130 E Gilman Street was once home to 17 of our state's governors:
- Jeremiah McLain Rusk
- William D. Hoard
- George Wilbur Peck
- William H. Upham
- Edward Scofield
- Robert M. La Follette, Sr.
- James O. Davidson
- Francis Edward McGovern
- Emanuel Lorenz Philipp
- John James Blaine
- Fred R. Zimmerman
- Walker Jodok Kohler, Sr.
- Philip Fox La Follette
- Albert George Schmedeman
- Julius Peter Heil
- Walter Samuel Goodland
- Oscar Rennebohm
Governor's Mansion Inn and Cafe sits off the shore of Lake Mendota in Madison and it is steeped in history.
Bob Klebba and his husband David Waugh already run a bed and breakfast and were looking for a new project to take them into retirement when they bought the mansion in 2017 from the University of Wisconsin, which used it for a graduate student program.
“Every time I come in here, I'm just impressed with the detail and grandeur for the building,” Klebba said. “It's a fun place to be in.”
The nearly 5,000 square foot building has eight hotel rooms.
“We could have maximized our profitability by converting some of the historic spaces into hotel rooms,” Klebba said. “We did not do that. Basically, all the rooms you see are as they were back in 1870.”
The state originally bought the mansion in 1883, later selling it to the university after moving the Executive Residence to nearby Maple Bluff in 1950.
In prior years, the home was once owned by lumber baron and State Sen. Joseph Thorp.
“They entertained famous people coming through town and they arranged the marriage of their daughter, Sara, to a very famous world-renowned violinist Ole Bull. He was 60 and she was 20 when they married and that created a bit of a stir.”
Upstairs of the mansion, you can stay in a room named for the Norwegian violinist.
“We're not sure if this is where Ole Bull stayed when he was in Madison, but we do know that is his bed, the old famous Ole Bull bed, was in this room,” Klebba said. “It has the original cornice molding from the 1850s and some nice views of the lake in the back here and updates, of course, with television and a modern bathroom.”
Governor “Fighting Bob” La Follette is probably one of the other most noteworthy figures to also have lived in the building.
Klebba believes La Follette came up with the 'Wisconsin Idea' while living in the home, which is the concept that public universities should do research that benefits the whole state.
It is a history Klebba takes pride in preserving.
“This project could not have happened if we could not get the historic preservation tax credits and for an investment of I think it will be about $300,000 that the state contributes, we put in over $1.6 million into the local economy,” Klebba said.
Though it came at a hefty price tag, the public still gets to enjoy the space for years to come.
“What we have done here will last easily another 50, and hopefully another 100, years,” Klebba said.
Rooms at Governor's Mansion Inn and Cafe range from $95 to $200 per night. You can call 608-571-2866 or email info@governorsmansioninn.com.