WHAT DID WE DO? 100 Years in the Making- This ALL Happened TODAY!
In a Nutshell
Jen and Carrie closed on the historic Dodge House next to their Montello Theater, reuniting the properties after 100 years to operate the house as an Airbnb paired with theater events and tours. They explored the fully furnished property with its commercial kitchen, historic security features, and included tools and furnishings while preparing for upcoming projects like painting and health inspections. A live music performance by Sam marked the first concert in the theater space in a century, alongside ongoing work on lighting, carnivore lifestyle content, and community shoutouts.
These notes were generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies.
A seller made it perfectly clear they were offering the Dodge House to Jen and Carrie first because they wanted them to reunite the Dodge House and the Opera House, now the Montello Theater, for the first time in a hundred years.
The couple is closing on their new house, which feels crazy and surreal. Four years ago when they took over the movie theater, it had been closed down. Now they have the opportunity to buy the house next to it, which is the Dodge House. They plan to continue operating it as an Airbnb and pair it with the movie theater, offering visitors the chance to volunteer at the theater, watch movies, attend private showings, and take history tours.
They are wiring multiple battery-powered tea lights onto a long 6-foot board that plugs into the wall. This setup allows them to have many lights available for concerts and events at the theater by simply plugging the board in. The lights are battery powered and will be turned on using a remote before shows.
They plan to explore the Dodge House, noting that everything was included and there is a lot of stuff left behind, including tools. They thank previous owners Levi and Angela for restoring the house beautifully, making it feel like stepping back into the early 1800s. All the photos and decor were put together by them.
Jen signed the papers while petting a golden retriever the entire time. They do not know exactly what they signed because they were distracted by the dog. After closing, they are excited to get started with projects. One early project is painting the garage and putting up their sign.
The house features a commercial kitchen that will be used for meetups and carnivore excursions. They note they do not know where the light switches are.
They identify a small area believed to have been used by the original owner as a security viewing point in the 1800s, allowing him to observe workers at the falls and monitor activity at the theater.
The upstairs parlor contains donated Victrolas that guests can use. The master bedroom has thick historic doors and a vanity area. Everything in the house came fully furnished. They note the beautiful old-fashioned windows and the care put into restoration.
They observe antique furniture including a matching four-piece set with a rocker. They reflect that in earlier times without electricity, radios, or TVs, families would sit by candlelight reading books together.
One bedroom is believed to have been Netty's room, the daughter of the original owners. The windows and bed are highlighted as particularly beautiful and comfortable.
The garage contains a large amount of included items such as dishware, cookware, screws, hardware, clamps for woodworking, and tools. There are also items from the 1960s including a ladder with braces. They mention the idea of having people decorate old doors as part of the Airbnb experience and placing them along the back fence.
The property includes a commercial dishwasher.
Charlie Bremer from Bremer Construction completed trim work around the popcorn area and painted surfaces at the Montello Theater. He previously made beautiful doors for the theater. Contact information for Bremer Construction is noted as available in the video description.
Before the show with performer Sam, they plan to turn on all the battery-powered tea light candles using a remote. They mention having thousands of batteries on hand.
After the house closing, they need to complete a health inspection for the Airbnb. They also have a 3:00 live stream scheduled.
Carrie shares her transition from managing disease to healing disease through metabolic health work inspired by Dr. Tony Hampton. She mentions no longer eating sugar and credits Dr. Hampton with helping people get off medications. She received a shoutout on his channel and recommends his work. Alyssa brought meatballs with Ellora yogurt for lunch.
During the live stream, shoutouts are given to Lin Tucker Carnivore and Ribey Ranger for sending a beautiful corsage that made Carrie cry on a scary day. Thanks are extended to Chase and others who provided the stage setup.
Sam needs a USB cable that looks like a printer cable (C or A). They locate the correct cable, which works and saves the setup.
Sam performs the song "She's the One." He plans to start the set chill and gradually increase energy. He notes he has things to say and gets them out of the room.
Sam thanks Jen and Carrie for hosting the event. He performs "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper, including the line about squirrels wanting to have fun. He mentions realizing halfway through that he was thinking about squirrels while performing original music.
Sam expresses that it is an honor to play live music for the first time in a hundred years in the room. He thanks the community for showing up enthusiastically for live music. The performance concludes with "That's a wrap."
Montello Theater is described as the live music destination with room for everyone to have fun.
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