  The Chase home This large English-type residence at 1320 10th Ave. N. was built in 1926 by Dr. Sumner B. Chase, a well-known eye, ear, nose and throat specialist. It is now owned and occupied by Don N. Kersten, Fort Dodge attorney, his wife, Merope, and family. They acquired the home in 1961. Dr. Chase and his wife, Edith, purchased lots in the newly-platted Crawford-Armstrong Addition in 1922 and four years later built the main section of the beautiful and authentic English style home. In 1933 the Tudor or playroom wing on the east side of the house was added. The house has main floor, upstairs area and full basement and there are five fireplaces of various sizes. The present first floor arrangement includes living room, dining room, television room, kitchen and breakfast area that originally was a maid’s room and bath. There is also an entrance hallway. A recent addition to the house is a large open deck along the north side overlooking the wooded and ravine area. The upstairs has four bedrooms and two baths. The Tudor room has an impressive cathedral-type ceiling and a balcony. All windows have leaded and stained glass imported from England. Furnishings in the room include a massive wood hutch and a large refectory table with heavy carved legs. The hutch is part Jacobean period and has panels reported to be 400 years old. Both the hutch and table were imported from England to give more British authenticity to the Tudor room. The ceiling light fixture in the room was made from a large wooden wheel once on a horse-drawn bus operating here in the early 1900s. The house is in a beautiful wooded setting and there is a curved driveway leading to the garage under the rear portion of the house. Exterior of the house is of scrolled natural finish cement with blue and olive green wood trim. Dr. Chase, a native of Waterloo, began practice in Fort Dodge in 1916 a year after receiving his medical degree at the University of Iowa. He spent his entire medical career of 45 years in the city, retiring in 1961 and moving to Mt. Pleasant where he died in 1964 at age 76. His widow now resides in Mt. Pleasant and a daughter, Mrs. George (Rosemary) Haire lives in Fort Dodge. Dr. Chase was active in county, state and national medical societies and was surgeon for the Chicago Great Western and Illinois Central Railroads. He was a member of the American Association of Railway Surgeons. |
|
