Most Interesting Home #3: Victorian Bed & Breakfast

RENSSELAER, Ind. (WLFI) - A short drive north will lead you to a quaint bed and breakfast in Rensselaer. It's the home of two college professors and the home away from home for many travelers near and far.

Welcome to the White House on Park Avenue. It's a Victorian bed and breakfast in Rensselaer but its owners will tell you, it's first and foremost a family home.
 
"One of the interesting things about this house is that this house was the private residence of the Kannal family from 1891 until 1996. So, 105 years of the same family and their descendants," said homeowner Sally Berger.
 
The Kannal name is a familiar one in Rensselaer, obvious from one of the streets bordering the home (The bed and breakfast is located on the corner of Park Avenue and Kannal Street).

Friends of the Bergers bought the home from their descendants in '96 and 12 years later asked Sally and Fred if they would want it. At first, the Bergers said 'no way', but a tour of the home quickly made them think again.
 
"We came over and looked at the house, fell in love with it. We drove away and Fred said, 'We've got to do this," said Sally.
 
The Bergers re-opened the bed and breakfast in 2008 after it had been closed for several years. Fast forward to 2012 and business is booming.
 
"Who would have thought in Rensselaer we'd have all these international guests?" Fred Berger said.

"But we do!" Sally echoed.
 
The home has only four bedrooms for guests but these bedrooms are something to see. Each has a different theme, color and style. What the Bergers seem to love most about their Victorian "B&B" is the history.
 
"You know... there are a lot of stories. It's a trite phrase 'if walls could talk'," said Fred Berger.
 
In this case, these walls do talk, in a way. The Bergers have spent time sifting through books and having conversations with the Kannal descendants, learning all they can about their home. They love to re-tell these stories to their guests.

They also love finding new secrets of the home, on their own. Down in the basement, for example, there's a room where coal was once brought in for heat. The Bergers found writing in pencil on the door frame. Looking with a flashlight, they realized it was the price of coal, per ton, in 1897!
 
Sally and Fred never thought they'd one day own a bed and breakfast and a piece of hometown history; however, now that they do, they wouldn't have it any other way. Fred sums it up best, putting into words how he and his wife feel about living here:
 
"We're not necessarily the owners of the house, we're just the current occupants. The community owns the house. It's a gem of the community."

Check out this photo gallery of the Victorian Bed & Breakfast .

The Bergers have recently listed this home for sale. Click here for more information.