Iron Amethyst Inn: a step back in time
Over the past couple years in my travels through the Wisconsin Driftless, it has amazed me to see how some farms, houses, and businesses have survived over 100 years. Albeit these places have been multi-generational or have changed ownership several times.
One of those places is a quaint Bed and Breakfast named Iron Amethyst Inn and 2ONE Speakeasy, located in Mazomanie, Wisconsin, a half hour from Madison’s West side. The history behind this gem is, well, pretty cool.
Back in 1865, William Thompson a barrel cooper (a wooden cask maker) in Milwaukee ventured to Mazomanie and bought the Lynch and Walker Flouring Mill. Renaming it the Mazomanie Flour Mill, he expanding the mill to three stories and six grinding stones, Thompson becoming quite wealthy.
Thompson using his new found fortune, built a Victorian Italianate featuring an ornate wraparound veranda, eight-sided porch columns and scrolled brackets, second-story balcony, and widow's walk cupola. Thompson also had built, a beautiful curving staircase in the foyer, southern yellow pine floors in the parlor, and plenty of ornamental plasterwork, all to impress callers. In 1909, Dr. Kester had a carriage house built behind the house so he could raise horses.
Eventually, the house was sold in 1899 to Dr. John Kester, who opened a practice in the grand house with Dr. William Pinckerton.
Dr. Kester passed away in 1923, but his wife Lenora would continue to live in the house until the age of 90 in 1954. For a bit of added history, Lenora was a teacher in Richland County until her marriage to Dr. Kester in 1888.
Fast forward to 1995 when David and Karisa Friske became the new owners. The Friskes took on the laborious task of restoring the home to its original pomp. Full-scale restoration began in 1996 and three years later, the doors were open.
The carriage house was converted into the Friske’s personal residence. The residence now boasts Cathedral ceilings and oak beams that blend with rustic décor, making the residence a contrast to the Victorian splendor of the main house.
Today, the property is owned and operated by Justin and Jennifer Martinez, who by all means have kept the splendor of this amazing place, now called Iron Amethyst Inn and 2ONE Speakeasy.
I was curious how the Martinezes found this property that was at the time owned by a bank. Justin jumped right in and said he made a wrong turn while driving. “I turned off of Highway 14 and found downtown Mazomanie which I didn't know existed. I went home and told Jennifer about a cool little ghost town. And she said, ‘we looked at a bed and breakfast there’, and I said, ‘pretty sure we didn't’, she said yeah, we did. She showed me a picture and went, ‘Oh no, this is the one we were hiding from you’.” Jennifer added, “Yeah, my daughter found it online and I was like, ‘Don't show your dad’.”
After Justin had seen the property, he told Jennifer to schedule a viewing of the place. “We walked in the front door and pretty much fell in love with it right away,” he said. That was in April of 2019, and by that July they had bought the property.
After the property sat for a year unoccupied, the Martinezes got to work making some repairs and adding a few comforts. Justin noted there was a lot of plaster work that needed to be redone. “A lot of the plaster work in this room (reception) especially had to be redone. In some areas you can actually see where it's still kind of cracking. we did half of the room and still have half of the room to go.” In addition, the couple did a lot of painting, updated the curtains, lighting, and appliances. They also redecorated, bringing the look a bit more modern with a historic twist of the old. “There were a lot of antiques in here, but we also had a lot. We kind of brought ours in, we modernized a lot of the room amenities adding televisions, and USB plugs. There was a lot of electrical repairs needed in the rooms,” Justin said.
Like many in the Driftless, the house did not escape the flood of 2018. With the house being situated right next to the Black Earth Creek, a renowned Class A trout stream, the basement had received extensive water damaged. The Martinezes gutted it all and rebuilt it into a spa as an added amenity.
All the while, the Martinezes stayed in one of the little rooms in the back of the house. “I think we stayed there until February (2020); it was like right around Valentine's Day when we actually were able to move into the carriage house. The whole first floor (of the carriage house) was pretty much demolished, two feet up, from the flooding. So that was a labor of love and still kind of is. So, it's been alright, especially with COVID. I mean right when things started getting good, we got shut down,” said Justin.
That would not hold the couple back though. Justin explained, “So we got creative, we had a beer garden. Still do. Whenever we had the dome areas open (outside sitting areas with couches) we heated them. Then we opened up the stable room, which is open to the creek and to people, making it available to rent for private gatherings. We had the stable room grand opening during Kentucky Derby week in 2020, even though it was postponed.”
Though the Martinezes have plenty to offer right at their bed and breakfast, they always encourage their guests to explore the Driftless area. Devil’s Lake State Park and Wollersheim Winery and Distillery, both in Baraboo, Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin and House in the Spring Green area, and really any of the nature areas within the Driftless are recommendations they suggest.
I asked Justin and Jennifer, why a bed and breakfast? Their answer, quite simple, they love meeting people and entertaining. Justin and Jennifer have frequented bed and breakfasts for their anniversaries. “We've been looking for a long time, like 20 years for a bed and breakfast,” Jennifer said. Justin chimed in adding, “We wrote down what we liked for each one that we stayed at through the years and then made our own model out of it. I guess we just set a different standard. But definitely the people are what we love, it's fun. We get repeat customers now and became friends with them. Some of the old guests that used to come did find us. They found out that someone bought it and then reopened, so we did get some of those customers back.”
As for the future, the Martinezes hope to find another bed and breakfast in a southern state, like in St. Augustine, Florida which they plan to visit in the near future, or somewhere in Texas.
I would be remiss if not to mention the Martinezes also own and operate the Mercantile & Apothecary in downtown Mazomanie. According to its website, The Apothecary & Mercantile represents a community of Artisans and provides a retail brick and mortar experience supported by online marketing and eCommerce for Wisconsin and The Driftless Area. It also states, the apothecary is a modern take on early apothecaries, providing natural herbal products and mocktails and cocktails. With the establishment having a commercial kitchen, and Justin a passion for cooking geared more towards the gourmet side, the Apothecary & Mercantile will serve bar-b-que and flatbread sandwiches, eventually offering lunch and dinner and apothecary style drinks. Sweetening things up will be the addition of an old-fashioned ice cream shop.
Justin and Jennifer admitted right now they are having fun with their businesses. They hope that someday their daughters will continue them as a legacy. One thing is for sure, Iron Amethyst, 2ONE Speakeasy, and the Mercantile & Apothecary assure visitors to Mazomanie, an experience of days gone by.
To book a room at the Iron Amethyst Inn or visit 2ONE Speak Easy, visit them on the web at: www.ironamethyst.com or on Facebook, and the Apothecary-Mercantile on the web at: www.apothecary-mercantile.com or on Facebook.
