In the July/August 2009 issue of The Iowan

Structure

Style Endures      

Serving southeast Iowa’s economy for over a century,
an historic building again reinvents itself.
Welcome to the Bonaparte Inn.

		Mornings here were much different 100 years ago, as workers took their positions and the tumultuous racket began — spindles and looms whirring and shrieking, their steady din reverberating throughout the room. Dungaree-clad workers toiled at rumbling machines that cut and stitched cloth, churning out goods that would travel up and down the river. Today the room is more tranquil. On the massive pine table in the gathering room, chafing dishes, platters, and bowls brim with scrumptious breakfast selections. Golden egg casseroles, crisp bacon, delectable pastries, and fresh fruit — meticulously prepared and presented — tempt the overnight guests who leisurely greet the day at linen-covered tables near the fireplace. The stately three-and-a-half-story building that overlooks the picturesque Des Moines River in Bonaparte — one of the famed Villages of Van Buren County — has stories to tell. The tale of the Bonaparte Inn is one of transformation. Several times over.
Isaiah Meek		Reclaiming History William Meek — Bonaparte’s first settler — built the town’s first factory in 1853, quickly growing it into the successful Bonaparte Woolen Mills. His son, Isaiah, took the reins of the pants division in 1892, building a new 54x110-foot structure to house operations. To obtain the bricks for its construction, he merely drove his team and wagon to the Meek family brickyard at the edge of town; the limestone for plaster and mortar came from the rocky bluffs along the river; the wood for the interior came from the red pine forests of Wisconsin and Minnesota.   Soon the humming factory was pro-ducing 30,000 pairs of pants annually. As economic fate would have it, the Meek Pants Factory was insolvent by 1909. The building became a dusty storage facility until 1920, when another manufacturer recognized its potential. Thus began the structure’s next life and the long and prosperous reign of the Fairfield Glove Company. Bonaparte resident Mary Warner, 96, spent countless hours in the building in the 1920s. “The Hansen family lived on the first floor. Mr. Hansen was manager of Fairfield Glove, and I was a good friend of his daughter,” she recalls. “We watched men cut out the gloves and women at sewing machines stitch them together.”
Decades later, in the 1970s, Betty and Bill Vickers, also of Bonaparte, worked in the factory. Betty inspected leather gloves, and Bill ran a cutting press. “That enormous machine covered the length of first floor,” he describes. “Gloves were piled high on the table where they serve breakfast nowadays.” He also remembers how solid the building was. “Huge machines operated on the upper floors — and you couldn’t feel or hear a thing below.”   When the  glove factory went out of business in 1999, the building was again deserted. And again someone saw potential. Jeri Angelone’s relationship with Iowa began in 2002, when she and her husband, John — both living and working in Arizona — were smitten with farmland outside of Bonaparte. After John died of cancer, Angelone remained in Arizona but also held onto the farm. During one of her visits to Iowa, she became intrigued with an old factory building that had come up for sale in Bonaparte. “Although I thought it was an impressive structure, I really wasn’t looking for a building to purchase,” she admits. “But it had so many possibilities — because of its open spaces and sound infrastructure — that I couldn’t resist.” She bought the 19th-century building in 2004. And then had second thoughts. “My immediate reaction was, ‘This is a mistake!’” she confesses. “I decided that if I still felt that way after cleaning out the building, I would sell it.”
Clearing three floors of 117 years of history took four months. “The entire building was full of an array of discarded items, ranging from boxes of left-handed gloves to outdated machinery,” says Angelone, describing the 100-foot conveyor and outdated heating and plumbing networks that had to be stripped from the building. With all the debris out of the way, her mission came into focus. “The visual impact of such open space was the catalyst for exploring the possibility of developing a bed-and-breakfast inn,” she says. “In my mind’s eye I saw a welcoming lobby, a wonderful gathering room, and well-appointed bedrooms.”
From Factory Floor to Lush Lodging Assistance for the project came from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a private, nonprofit membership organization helping communities revitalize their traditional commercial areas through restoration efforts and grassroots-based economic development. “Because Bonaparte is one of the communities, in fact the smallest community, in the Trust’s Main Street Center program, I was able to obtain the free services of an architect who helped with the schematics,” explains Angelone. Working with little more than a shell — three floors of open space and 15-inch supporting walls — Angelone and local contractor Mike Goehring took measurements to determine where guest room walls should be. “We gave them to the architect, studied his suggestions, and then the real work began,” she says. “Since the entire Bonaparte riverfront district was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989, we had to adhere to strict guidelines.” The task was monumental. The roof needed repair. Asbestos had to be removed. Steam conveyor belts stretched across ceilings, and although some of the apparatus was retained for effect, most had to be dismantled and discarded. Due to the building’s historic status, windows had to remain in their original placement, but all the frames required refinishing and the glass had to be replaced. The canopy across the front presented a major challenge since the era-specific metal grillework was hard to come by.
		Lobby walls and a magnificent oak and walnut check-in counter — where soon guests from around the world would sign in — were hiding beneath layers of industrial green paint. All were painstakingly stripped and refinished by Goehring’s wife, Jeanette, who also refinished much of the antique furniture that would come to grace every room. The expansive third floor — in previous lives home to huge rumbling machines and a glove inspection area — was kept open, providing a ballroom-size gathering space to accommodate special events. The side lawn was transformed with an attractive gazebo, where guests can enjoy the tranquility of the river and the solitude of the small town of 458 citizens.
Great care was taken to preserve and showcase many facets of the building’s workplace history. The indented footprints of assembly workers who stood in place for hours are clearly visible in the pine wood of the inch-and-a-half-thick floors. Beaded tongue-and-groove ceilings support both modern lighting and remnants of a defunct steam conveyor belt. An old cutting table once cluttered with patterns and swatches is now a convenient coffee service area outside the second-floor guest rooms. Stairs leading to the second and third floors, where workers arrived and departed, are original, as are the front doors and windows of the Inn. The factory elevator that once moved workers, machinery, and bolts of fabric still rises slowly, but safely deposits today’s cargo — visitors to the Inn — on upper floors. The historic details are not just for visiting guests. The Inn serves as a reservoir of community heritage, and celebrating small-town legacy is what makes Iowa Iowa, stresses Angelone. “Iowans need to strive to maintain the special qualities and the character of these small towns. That is the best attraction of all.”
Grand Adaptation On June 24, 2006, The Bonaparte Inn Bed and Breakfast opened with a flourish. Then-Lt. Governor Sally Pederson and her Re-Discover Iowa entourage were the first guests and filled the handsomely decorated four suites and nine rooms. “They all arrived literally within minutes of when we pounded the last nail, triple-sheeted the final bed, and put the new towels in the bathrooms,” says Angelone, laughing.
		In 2008 the Iowa Department of Economic Development conferred a prestigious honor upon the Bonaparte Inn, naming it the Main Street Iowa Award Winner in the Business Improvement category for the Best Adaptive Use of a Building. Earlier this year the Inn was tapped by National Geographic Traveler as one of “129 hotels we love,” highlighting good service, sustainable practices, community involvement, and a strong sense of place. Reaction to the completed project has been admiration mixed with awe. “The transformation of this building is amazing,” declares Bill Vickers. “I knew every inch of it when I worked here. Now I get lost.” Betty agrees. “It’s absolutely beautiful — and a dream come true for the town.” Warner shares their wonder. “Everyone was so worried about what might happen to this building. We never dreamed it would turn out this grand.”

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