Staff writer
Anyone who recently drove past 219 N. 3rd St. likely noticed the stately home’s new wood wrap-around porch.
The outside doesn’t tell the whole story of recent rehabilitation work, though. Inside, a bathroom in the rear of the house has undergone total renewal from ceiling to floor, with new wall tiles, modern fixtures and a tile floor that replaces the old linoleum.
Scott and Rolana Heidebrecht found the perfect Marion house in 1993. It had room enough for their family and already had a beauty shop for Rolana to work with her clients.
“Carol Robertson used to be an owner of this home and she operated a salon,” Rolana said. “I was working in here with Carol and I heard her say someone was trying to buy the house but it fell through. I went home and told Scott, and we decided to buy the house.”
“We were hoping to expand our family,” Scott said.
Ultimately, the couple had five sons, now ranging from 15 to 28. The house gave the family plenty of growing room.
In intervening years, every room in the house has been remodeled, but most of the work was done by others.
Brad Seacat, whose main job is at Spirit in Wichita, did the bathroom and porch work. He does odd jobs for others when he can fit them into his schedule at Spirit.
“He just finished it up,” Scott said.
The new porch, though the same size as before, looks longer because cedar planks were laid lengthwise instead of from the walls to the edge of the porch, Scott said.
The Heidebrechts will probably let the cedar weather a bit to maximize its natural beauty, but then they’ll seal it for protection.
“It’s cedar; it should last forever,” Scott said.