Mansion on the Souris - The Dakotah Rose

by Linda Aksomitis

The house is a blend of design from two periods: the Victorian era and Classicism. While wrapped in a huge porch or veranda, the exterior design is Classical with its gables, Palladian-like arrangement of the facade gable windows, while paneled and modillioned soffits all reflect an evolution of Victorian flamboyance. Surrounded by beautiful oak, maple and fir trees, along with lilac bushes, the house is nestled on the banks of a gradual bend of the Souris River.

Inside, the house has the shape of a two and a half story rectangle, which resulted in the beautiful long hallway I encountered when I reached the upstairs. Since it was a weekday in November I was the only guest, so Shelly encouraged me to satisfy my curiosity and explore!

My room was the feature room, with its king sized bed and white sheer bedspread. Done in burgundy, rose and green, it was a room that certainly appealed to my feminine instincts. The patterned rug was warm under my feet, while the loveseat provided a great place to curl up and read — either the book I'd brought or a nice selection of provided magazines. My bathroom, sharing the same décor, was enormous and offered the best in modern conveniences.

Shelly had thought of everything. A tray on the antique dresser featured a jug of ice water with lemon, and a selection of dainties to tempt my sweet tooth. Beside the tray was an oldfashioned diary. Opening it, I discovered entries spanning the last year from others who'd enjoyed the ambience of my room. From newlyweds to a couple celebrating a thirtieth wedding anniversary, their comments of enjoying the serenity of the surroundings echoed my own.

Energized by the walnut square and glass of water, I went exploring. The rooms, I discovered, each had a character of their own. Many of the beds were the metal frames I remembered from my grandmother's home, covered with intricately designed hand-crafted quilts, which were a work of art in themselves. All of the furniture was from the period, from dressers and bureaus to writing desks. What stood out for me, however, was Shelly's attention to detail, such as crocheted runners that decorated the wooden surfaces.

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