Repairs being done at Cooke-Dorn House

SANDUSKY — Work is being carried out to repair the exterior of the Cooke-Dorn House, the historic mansion at 1415 Columbus Ave. in Sandusky that serves as one of the area's summer tourist attractions. A few weeks ago, Quality Masonry of Marion removed all of the stucco from the north side of the mansion. Stucco is a plaster substance that hardens to a dense solid material. It's applied to decorate the outside of buildings. Originally, the mansion was built in 1843 to 1844, but, since then, two layers of stucco were put on the walls with one layer applied in 1879 when the house was moved from its original location and the other placed in 1992, said Ed Stout, the site's manager. Moisture has caused the stucco to become loose, Stout said. "Both the layers of stucco had begun falling off the wall," Stout said. "Further work will commence later this spring as the weather warms, but this initial work needed to be done before the museum opened for the 2023 season to keep any of the stucco from falling on guests' parked vehicles near the wall." What the further work will be isn't clear yet because a state agency, the Ohio History Connection, owns the house, and it's up to state officials to make a decision. While the state owns the mansion, Sandusky's Old House Guild actually manages the site. Stout explained that an alternative to replacing the stucco is to simply allow the original limestone walls to be exposed. Some people, including Stout, think the house looks better with the limestone. "We can give them our opinion, but the final decision will be made by them since it is their facility," Stout said. If the state goes with the limestone option, then work still will have to be done to repair the masonry in the wall. The Cooke-Dorn House is named for two of its owners. It was built by Eleutheros Cooke, a prominent Sandusky politician, lawyer and businessman. Randolph and Estelle Dorn bought it in 1951, remodeled it, then occupied it in 1953. Estelle bequeathed the building to Ohio to become a museum when she died. The Dorns also established a local foundation that remains active. The Cooke-Dorn House will reopen on April 15. Hours will be 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. Admission is free, although donations are accepted to help cover the cost of keeping the house maintained. The staff is all volunteers and includes Stout, 72, who said he sometimes finds himself spending 40 to 60 hours a week at the site. "I have six other volunteers who help give tours of the home," he said. Stout said he invites local residents to come by this summer and check the house out. "It just absolutely amazes me people do not take advantage of what's available," he said.