Bluff Country Farmhouse

About Property Manager

Rob is a professor of Music at a college in Minneapolis. Shannon recently finished a second bachelors degree and is in the process of changing career tracks from business and marketing to health sciences. Rob grew up in Minneapolis and Shannon grew up on a family farm just down the road from the Guesthouse. Shannon endeared Rob with love for rural living.

Property Manager purchased this Farmhouse in 2016

Why Property Manager chose Decorah

This property became available when the Guesthouse property was purchased by Shannon's parents from the Evenrud family in 2015. Subsequently, Shannon and Rob purchased the Guesthouse from her parents in 2016. The original farm was broken into parcels. It was in a state of need for a caretaker and some major remodeling. This property was passed through generations within a single family until it came to us. It was homesteaded in the 19th century and evolved as a successful farm. The home was built in 1900 and the main barn came in 1920. Outbuildings have come and gone. The community saw major changes with immigration and technology from the 1860s-1940s. The Evenruds were pillars of the local community with major land holdings and a successful farm. The property is steeped in history. This property became available when the Evenrud farm was broken into parcels. It was in a state of need for a caretaker and some major remodeling. The restoration will be on-going through 2028. The undertaking of the project revealed oak and walnut framing, iron-spike nails, and 2-3 foot thick foundations. As an urban remodeler, I can say that this build is a challenge. But, this is not just a house. It is a piece of American history. If you choose to stay at the Glenville Guesthouse and you get an evening wind, imagine standing outside 150 years ago. The land shapes are the same. The winds are the same. The only change is what the wind has seen, as Claude Debussy portrayed in his famous piano piece. The vast skies, fresh air, and oceans of summer corn provide a sense of being connected to nature and history. If you stay with us, you will be staying rural and in the Driftless. Every day I stand in the presence of that massive barn, I am in awe of the fortitude of the Evenrud homesteaders. We are history by preserving history. This is why we took on this challenge.

What makes this Farmhouse unique

Large, spacious living areas. This is an old farmhouse. The bedrooms are modest, but the real living happens in the kitchen, dining room, living room, and of course, the expanse of the outdoors. While the bedrooms are cozy enclaves for the end of the day, we encourage our guests to get out of the house and explore the bluff country and it's offerings. Biking, fishing, wineries, breweries, dining, music, history, hiking, bird watching, geology, kayaking! Just explore. Our property allows for large gatherings and picnics with ample parking and camping options. Your closest neighbor is acres away. You will have solitude. When the corn is up, you cannot see another building other than the Glenwood Lutheran Church down the road. Kids love the farm. Tractors driving by, workers in the field tilling and planting, and haying. This is a rural community of family farms. Wildlife is part of farm life. At least four species of birds share our property. Deer, including fawns wander through to forage the fruit. Curious musk rats and possums appear. Nomadic cats are not unusual. Coyotes are heard at night and hawks and eagles patrol the skies searching for mice and gophers, which are plentiful on a farm. Do not approach, feed, or kill wildlife. The property is close to State land that is great for exploring. The Upper Iowa flows through it. There is a landing for canoes. Put in at Bluffton and out at the State land. We are between Waukon and Decorah. Both have restaurants and night life. We know many business owners in our community. Mostly, we love the solitude and the community we live in here at Glenville. We are family farms with deep roots in American history. Our mission is to preserve a portion of this and share it with you.