New Bed and Breakfast For Sale Listing
History:
This fine yellow brick Italianate house was built by Alby Rossman (1812–1893), an Allegan pioneer. Originally from eastern New York, Rossman came to Allegan in 1836 and opened a foundry and a machine shop on the millrace. High on the plateau above the river, he platted the fifteen-acre Rossman Addition to the village, and here he built his house, surrounded by the park. Prominent ornamental paired brackets support the eaves of the low-pitched hipped roof. The house has column and bracketed porches, decorative bay windows, and stone hood moldings above the windows. Made in Rossman's own foundry, the hand-puddled cast-iron fence has a pattern of interlocking circles that is echoed in the roof cresting of the house.
The park next door to the home, Rossman Park, is named after Alby. During the 1930′s the house was the first local hospital in Allegan. The study was once the delivery/birthing room.
The 4,500-square-foot home was also once home to the Allegan Community Foundation and as "The Winchester Inn" bed and breakfast named from a prominent local family that once lived there. The home has the potential to become that again with a permitted "Special Use" permit.
A great opportunity for somebody to make it a bed and breakfast once again, It has living quarters with separate stairs to the upper level and a separate entrance.
Currently used as a single-family residence, owners spent years painstakingly restoring the home, making sure to keep as much of its historic charm as possible.
When the current owners bought it about five years ago, the home was in some disrepair. They took it upon themselves to restore the home, including upgraded electrical, a new roof in May 2022, and new HVAC (2), and is professionally landscaped.
On the inside, they created a magnificent "Cooks" kitchen, great room, dining room, and library and kept all of the old-time charms. Upper-level Bedrooms and Baths were completely renovated. The owners kept a lot of the old characteristics of the home, adding many modern conveniences.
The great room features 10-foot windows and 12-foot ceilings with tin ceiling imprints. The dining room and library feature all original woodwork.