By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
Less than a decade after Hays City was incorporated, a colorful, prominent founder of Ellis County decided to build a new home.
Over the years, the home John Schlyer built has been remodeled and repaired again and again, standing as a testament to both him and those who would see his legacy live on.
He was a man of many occupations and served in many roles while helping establish Ellis County, including postmaster of Hays and one of the first Ellis County commissioners. As a state legislator, he helped bring what is now Fort Hays State University into being.
As a German speaker, he also bridged the language barrier for the Volga German immigrants that would populate the county in the late 19th century.
But as Ellis County worked through times of boom and bust, so did his house that stands at the corner of Sixth and Oak.
Following Schlyer's death in 1926, Martin and Mary Eastlack bought the home in 1933 and their family would own the home until their daughter Bonnie Storm would sell it to the man she entrusted with restoring the home through the mid-1970s and early '80s — Larry Rupp.
Rupp lived in the home for a few years but also rented the property until he sold it in 2013, a mistake he would correct just a few years later after seeing the home again deteriorating.
So he purchased it for the second time, repairing the damage done in the years between his ownership and worked to find someone who would appreciate the history of the home and preserve its unique legacy.
Local Hays renovation experts Kris and Larissa Munch have now taken up that challenge, and are currently developing the home to be an Air B&B.
Their vision is one that restores the home to an original condition while preserving the legacy Rupp also built into the home over its storied history.
The pair owns several historic houses in Hays, including their own home that they are currently restoring after moving it from Ness City.
They also own the former Tea Rose Inn in downtown Hays, which they currently operate as an Air B&B.
"To me, there is nothing like an old house," Larissa Munsch said. "You can try to re-create it, but it does not have the same feel."
And with new construction, the "feel" of the home is not the same as something with a storied past.
"To me, these old buildings and old houses have a soul," she said.
On top of their renovation work and Air B&Bs, Kris works as an assistant professor in the center for applied technology at FHSU. Together, they do property inspections, own rental properties, and save and rescue animals, Muncsh said.
She said doing so much can be overwhelming at times, but she also calls it a blessing.
"It doesn't feel like work, it feels like fun every single day," Munsch said.
But even with so much going on, they enjoy the challenge restoring old homes presents, including the Schyler house, which they have affectionately dubbed the Buffalo House, in reference to Schlyer's time as a buffalo hunter in the area.
"Overall, it's been well taken care of. It's just in the last few years after Larry passed away is when I think ... it started to go," said Larissa Munsch.
She said the structure and the foundation remain in good shape, thanks in no small part to Rupp's efforts.
"If he hadn't of came along, this house would be gone," Munsch said.
She believed the home has been empty for around five years at this point.
"That's really hard on a house," she said.
While they want to restore it back to original as much as possible, some of the renovations made over the years will stay, including much of the cabinetry Rupp built into the rooms.
"Larry did a lot of great things that we can leave. We are just trying to build on to what he did," Munsch said.
Once completed the house will be split into two spaces available for guests, one on each floor of the house.
They hope to name the top floor after Rupp to recognize the legacy he had on the home, Munch said.
She believes that Air B&Bs work in Hays, because it is a good stopping point between Kansas City and Denver and the historic nature of their properties is something hard to come by, especially in western Kansas.
"It will set us apart from other Air B&Bs," Munsch said. Some people are looking for the lowest price, but this property will appeal to folks looking for something outside the norm, at a reasonable price.
They want the main areas to have the original "charm," but will have updated bathrooms and kitchens to make the space fully usable.
"There are ways people can take old houses and make them feel modern and chic without ripping out all of the history," Munsch said. "We are going to have that historic flavor, and we are going to be downtown, so everything is walkable."
Munsch hopes that more people will begin to recognize the potential of old homes like the Buffalo House.
"I hope the younger generations will see the value in properties like this," she said. "Everything back then was well made. There is a cool history. It's easy on the environment so I'm hoping it will become a 'trend' to want to restore and rehab old buildings and old houses."
