House and Garden

The House

The Senator Rickert Residence was built in 1865 as a one-story home by Mr. Cawi.  The style was typical of the people and period.  It was a simple German Street Home.  Close to the street, brick on a stone foundation and usually a story and a half. 

The Senator purchased the home around 1890.  Senator Rickert had a large family (9 children) and decided that the home needed to be enlarged.  Like many remodels today they tore down 3/4 of the home and enlarged it by expanding the building footprint to the south and west.  They saved all of the old material and reused it in the reconstruction (unlike today).  The remodel was completed in 1897 and is a mix of styles but it is predominately a French Mansard Victorian home with all the gingerbread to embellish the many elements of the home.  It was and still is the most Victorian home in Waterloo.

There is a "Widow's Walk" on the roof, a turret on the corner, 2 porches, a double door entry with a marble step, and a stained glass window over the front door.

The home stayed in the Rickert family until 1961 when one of Mr. Rickert's daughters died.  They downsized by moving to Columbia into a 2 bedroom home.

The home was then purchased by the Tuckers until they decided to downsize and move next door.  Then the home was purchased by Mr. Charles Jansen.  Ed and Kathi Weilbacher purchased the home in 1987 to be their forever home and a place to restore a home to its former glory and then some!

The Garden

The Gardens around the house are the work of Kathi Weilbacher.  They are tended to daily.  Seasonally they change by enhancing the color with both annuals and perennials.  To add even more interest there are many statues that peek out of the plants or come into view as you walk through the garden.  The Terminal is featured in the Victorian street garden in the front of the house.  A Henry Lauder's walking stick is featured between two cherubs on pedestals.  The demur lady on the brick-lined patio is a conversation piece.  The cement dogs stand guard and watch over the place.  The horse statue is waiting for guests to enter the Tack Room.

On the brick patio, there are patio chairs that welcome you to enjoy the day whether morning, afternoon, or evening.  A portable fire pit also adds to the ambiance on the patio.

Most guests enter the patio first because the parking is at the rear of the home.  An arbor covers the walkway to the patio and creates a new room for outdoor exploration. 

There a several "gardens" within the Garden.  Explore the garden with the "Terminal" or the "Around the Corner" garden and the "Backyard" garden.  Some guest have even set up their easel and painted various views.