Kewaunee, WI (PRWEB) February 04, 2015
The famous Kewaunee Inn -- feared haunted since 1966 -- on Lake Michigan in northeastern Wisconsin (due east of Green Bay) is on the market and is set to be auctioned off on February 28 as part of Micoley.com’s Q1, 2015 Auction event. This is a tremendous turnkey opportunity for someone looking to bolster his or her commercial real estate portfolio with a piece of history. The building was constructed in the early 20th century after a fire burned down the original hotel; the new hotel opened on Valentine’s Day, 1913, and has stood ever since.
Back then, the hotel was called the Hotel Karsten, named after its owner, William Karsten, Sr. And the hotel was a beauty: with 52 luxurious rooms, a magnificent dining room with the capacity to serve 90 people, and a bar with its own separate entrance, the place was a palace. But Karsten, Sr. died in 1940, and his son, William Karsten, Jr., took the reins and ran the hotel until his own death in 1964. The building was then vacant for a long two years. In 1966, ownership of the hotel was transferred away from the Karsten family, and the hotel was quickly remodeled in order to be brought up to code.
As the remodeling began, so did the haunting. Three spirits are said to haunt what was then the Karsten Inn: Agatha, a housekeeper; William Karsten, Sr., who never has quite left the building behind; and William Karsten, Sr.’s grandson Billy, who at the age of five died just three weeks after his grandfather. Agatha is known to be a real hassle to the laborers at the hotel, moving their tools, turning out lights, closing doors, etc. William Karsten, Sr. has been seen on occasion at the bar, despite being dead for nearly 75 years, supposedly. Lots of kids have reported playing with a boy that matches Billy’s description over the years, as well -- interestingly, he never gets any older in the reports as the years go by.
In 1991, the hotel was sold to new owners, who restored the original 1913 look with a $750,000 remodel. The remodel included a reconstructed reception desk, Victorian decor, grand lobby, elegantly carved staircase, historical Tap Bar with stained glass, and jazzed up rooms with modern conveniences. The hotel sold again, in 1996, and by this time, the Karsten Inn had a new name, the Kewaunee Inn. The hotel is a major tourist attraction in the area, and guests are encouraged to keep their eyes and ears open for ghosts and to write in the hotel guest book of their encounters with them. Today, the Victorian hotel has 23 rooms instead of 52, but all offer glorious amenities -- many have a Jacuzzi in the bathroom.
The address of the hotel is 122 Ellis Street, Kewaunee, WI 54216. The property is listed at $795,000 with an opening bid of $475,000 if no offer is received by the date of the February 28 auction.
The highly motivated sellers of this property have indicated that they plan to entertain early bids and offers. Buyers are most likely already researching this property, and coming to decisions about whether to make a purchase, so potential buyers are advised to act fast.
Interested parties should visit micoley.com to find more photos and details about the property, or by visiting in person and performing an inspection on site, which is highly recommended. (866) 371-3619 is Micoley.com’s information line. Additionally, Micoley.com features a live chat service through which questions can be answered.
About Micoley.com:
Green Bay, Wisconsin-based Micoley.com is a real estate marketing firm specializing in project focused auctions of bank-owned properties throughout the United States. The Micoley.com approach to real estate marketing tailors each auction plan to the client’s individual needs. The site is constantly being updated for the benefit of buyers, as large-scale auction events are held monthly, and new properties are added daily.