MARYSVILLE - A beautiful Victorian home that represents the life one Marysville family lived.
From Germany, Charles F. Koester arrived in Marysville, Kansas in 1860 and wasted no time in making his mark on the community.
Koester House Foundation Board President Pat Breeding says, "Charles was very influential to the city. He was the Mayor at one time. He was the City Clerk. He spent many, many years as the Bank President at the Exchange Bank of Schmidt & Koester. He was one of the main people to bring in - I think, to bring the commerce to this town."
Charles built the home when he began making his own money. When he met Sylvia Broughten, he decided to make the home bigger for his future wife.
"In 1876, they were married and he presented this as a wedding present to her."
Charles and Sylvia were known to be madly in love. They had three children before she passed away at the age of 35. Charles never re-married, and instead focused on raising their young children and leading a successful life.
The home remained in the family's care for years.
Breeding says, "When the last surviving member of the Koester family passed away, they decided to go ahead and deed this house, as well as the entire block, to the City of Marysville."
The family home was turned into a museum featuring most of the family's collectables. A few of the home's rooms have been recently renovated back to their original design.
"His love for Sylvia and their family meant a lot to him, and his sense of community meant a lot to Marysville. I think when you look at his home, you can see a very wonderful representation of the time frame that they lived in."
A Marysville Treasure: The Koester Home
