Estelle - Jan 2007

Here are some pics of the home before we began the renovation. Estelle was a rental house since 1978 (until Nov 2006). Notice the large widow's walk on top of the house. From this vantage point, John Nelson could scan his vast land holdings - and keep watch for trespassers and law enforcement.

Estelle is filled with many happy memories for many different families. In fact, one neighbor stopped in and his mother talked about being married in front of the grand staircase under the arch (see below).

Pictures - in order:

The front room. Stairs start in the entry way.

The staircase winds up to a large foyer on the second floor.

A 'modern' kitchen (the plumbing mostly worked) replaced the old butler's quarters and pantry. The coal stoves have long been removed and chimneys blocked off.

The second floor bathroom boasts a tall man's clawfoot tub.

An upstairs bedroom shows the lowered ceilings - below the transom. This was thought to help lower the heating costs. All trim and baseboards were removed and replaced with wood paneling in the 1970s - trendy at the time.

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Renewing Estelle - The John Nelson House

It may be a pioneer manor, a mansion in its time. Truly Estelle, the thick brick home built by John Nelson in the 1870s in downtown Logan, Utah is a testament to the pioneer spirit - and to the comforts afforded only by few in a time long past.

This 2800+ sq ft home sat originally on 275 acres - encompassing a large portion of the Southwest Logan community. The home's strong, yet subtle, features represent attention to detail. While the lot size is much smaller now, after subdividing the property multiple times over the past century and almost a half, Estelle's .20 acre lot is ample - as she is the only 2-story house in the near neighborhood. Her widow's walk view extends from the temple to the Wellsvilles.

"This must have been a fantastic place to grow up," commented renovator Scott Baird, who along with Ed Quinlan, has taken up the project. "The house originally had electricity (an electrical systems expert dated the system to the 1870s) and had five bedrooms. That's a big house for that era."

Every doorway sports transoms, now covered with wood paneling or boards. Lowered ceilings hide heating ducts.

"All that's got to go," Baird said. "Estelle deserves to be back in her true Logan glory."

And glory is only one of the words you might use to describe the unique history behind Estelle.