Labor Of Love In Waterville Dave Lundgren Restoring Glory To Town Landmark

Dave Lundgren was on vacation, driving through Waterville, when he suddenly slammed on the brakes of his camper. He stood and gaped at the majestic building in front of him.

“It’s one of those buildings where you go, ‘Wow,’ ” Lundgren said. “All I wanted was just to stay here.”

But in 1989, that wasn’t possible. The Waterville Hotel had been closed for 12 years. Lundgren was determined to look inside, however, and that eventually led him to purchase, restore and reopen the historic structure for business.

It’s definitely been a labor of love for Lundgren, 39, who has painstakingly restored parts of the 94-year-old building to its former glory, when it was the social center of the Douglas County seat. With the help of his mother, Sunny Cope, and friends Virginia Price and Jim Gard, Lundgren has removed layers of linoleum, paint and wallpaper, revealing fine wooden flooring, detailed wainscotting and plaster walls. The original lobby furniture was reupholstered in black leather, and dozens of antiques were added to give each room the right look.

The front porch, lobby and most of the second floor have been restored. Seven bedrooms are available for rent, and he’s working on four more bedrooms, a salon, library and balcony on the second floor. Work on the third floor will follow.

Lundgren often looks outside to see some visitor with that same look of awe he had eight years ago. Some of them decide to stay. He estimates about half of his customers are people just driving by, many from Europe.

“They’re not exactly the Motel 6 crowd,” Lundgren said. “They’re generally interested in the building. We’ll have a glass of wine in the evening, talk, sit on the porch. These are mostly well-traveled people looking for something different but affordable.”

They’re the people who will appreciate soaking in a claw-foot bathtub, reading a book on the porch or playing horseshoes in the park across the street. Double occupancy rooms cost $44-$60 per night. The hotel offers coffee, tea and a continental breakfast.

“It’s not really a (bed and breakfast), not really a hotel,” Lundgren said. “It’s (available) if you’re after something truly unique, but still affordable.”

Lundgren was a grocery store clerk and real estate investor in Chico, Calif., when he spotted the building. He purchased it in 1992, started work in 1994 and opened it last summer. In the time between buying the hotel and beginning restoration, Lundgren and his longtime girlfriend split, leaving him with the task of simultaneously dealing with customers and restoring the building.

“I bought this as a couples project,” Lundgren said. “Doing this alone and running it alone is tough. I’d like to hook up with somebody who would be a part of it, a woman who can swing a hammer and likes this kind of life. … For the first time in my life, I’m doing what I really want, but I’m doing it alone.”

After thinking about it for a year and getting his finances in order, Lundgren purchased the hotel from Meta Gritsch in 1992. Her husband, Rudy Gritsch, bought the building in 1947, and she closed it to the public after his death in 1975. However, she continued to live there until 1993.

“I think for Meta, this was kind of like putting your child up for adoption,” Lundgren said. “It took her several months just to give me a price.”

Listen to Lundgren talk about the building and you can understand why Gritsch decided she’d found the right buyer.

“The building is a real unique opportunity,” he said. “There’s a lot of community pride tied to it. Owning this building is a privilege. There’s a stewardship attached to it. I have a responsibility to the community and building to do the right thing.”

In 1985, the building was added to the state and national registers of historical places, due to its unique design and fascinating history. It was constructed in the Jacobean style of brick, half-timbering and projecting pavilions with steep gables, the only building of that style in the county. The historical designation means there are strict rules on how Lundgren can remodel.

The hotel once housed a large dining room which was the town’s social and civic center for most of its first 50 years. At one point, it was a speak-easy, Lundgren said.

“I understand it changed hands at a card table upstairs once,” he said.

Lundgren hopes reopening the hotel will spur interest in Waterville, which is packed with buildings of historical value.

“I just hope the hotel helps the community move along,” Lundgren said. “The town doesn’t need a gimmick or a theme. It can make it on what it was, or is: a turn of the century farming town.”