Dorchester Times: 'The Well' Celebrates One Year In Thompson Mansion

Monday, October 20, 2014

'The Well' Celebrates One Year In Thompson Mansion

Anyone who has driven on west 10th Street over the past year has noticed the impressive restoration of one of Dorchester's most historic homes -- the old estate of Dorchester pioneer W.J. Thompson.

The 3,000 sq. ft. home, built in 1901, sits on the corner of 10th and Lincoln Avenue and is an intriguing piece of Nebraska's past as it was the site of Dorchester's famous Elmwood Pony Farm.

The Thompson mansion is now home to Dorchester's newest business, The Well.

Co-owner Julie Holly says the businesses name is short for "wellness" -- and because her husband Joe drills water wells.

Holly's goal for the Saline County community is wellness -- wellness through massage, eating healthy and exercise. The Well, which opened about 11 months ago, has been visited by many healthy folk in our area, including the local Jolly Doer's Club.

Word is spreading that this unique business is for those who are serious about living a healthier lifestyle. The Well offers massages, essential oils, soaps and lotions, crafts -- even yoga class and learning sessions on essential oils. The Well offers healthy snack items, fresh herbs grown at the Holly farm and herb plants started in the Holly green house. A faith-based weight loss group is also in the works.

"One day we hope to have a bed and breakfast in the upper portion of the house," Holly said, noting that the renovation is ongoing so visitors are able to experience the house as it changes.

Holly added, "Joe and I are trying to bring the house back to its early 1900's roots. ... Our hope is to share this house with the community. People are welcome to stop by whenever they see we are there. I post a sign at the door during massages so my clients are not disturbed."

Holly is currently in the process of getting the house on the National Register of Historic Places.

Hours of operation are currently 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tues.-Thurs.; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays; and by appointment. The hours are subject to change.

The Well's phone number is 402-418-1838. The Well has a Facebook page, too, where specials are posted. If you would like to come for a tour, it is best to make arrangements ahead of time to ensure there is no conflict.

5 comments:

diane velderJanuary 10, 2014 at 1:18 PM
I went to one of julies class thursday night. I have to say that it is very interesting, and she did a great job, the house is beautiful, and the hard wood floors. She talked about doing more. Its a very neat house.It has a lot of history in the house, and Julie knows quite a bit about the history too. Julie is a very nice lady, very smart about her business, and I think she will do very well. I would recommended her to anyone, I had a very good time there. Congrats to Julie and Joe, I think you will be a very busy gal, in this up coming year.
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AnonymousJanuary 10, 2014 at 3:33 PM
Way to go little sis!

JR
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UnknownJanuary 10, 2014 at 3:49 PM
Julie's deep tissue massage does wonders for my aching back and shoulder. And the soothing music she plays... so very relaxing!
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Grandma Mary :-)January 10, 2014 at 6:27 PM
Congratulations Julie! The house is beautiful and so are you. Don't work too hard though!
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AnonymousJanuary 11, 2014 at 3:09 PM
Great story!
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Dorchester: A Good Little Family Town

Dorchester, Nebraska (est. population 630) is located in northern Saline county. Close in proximity to Interstate 80, Dorchester is only 25 minutes from the state capital of Lincoln (est. population 250,000) and about 55 minutes from Omaha (metro population 725,000).

Dorchester's median resident age is 37 years. In 2005, Dorchester had a median family income of approximately $35,600. The median house value was about $63,000. About 95 percent of Dorchester residents commute to work via Interstate and highways.

The village has a quality public school, which received a $4.1 million expansion and modernization in 2008; it offers a small classrooms and individualized attention. Total enrollment of grades K-12 is around 230-250 students.

Ancestries of the Dorchester area are primarily German (42.4%), Czech (24.9%), Irish (12.5%), English (5.4%), and Dutch (4.9%).

Dorchester Historical Facts

* On July 4, 1871, the railroad reached Dorchester.
* Incorporated in 1881, Dorchester's population grew from 200 to 500 by 1882.
* In 1882, Dorchester had 90 buildings, 35 of which were businesses or public facilities. Brick buildings lined both sides of Washington Avenue for two blocks.
* Dorchester's longest-running newspaper was The Dorchester Star, which was published until the late 1940s.
* By 1889, Dorchester's population is said to have reached 800, while the town housed an opera house, a two-story brick schoolhouse with a bell tower, and four churches.
* By the 1910s, Dorchester had electricity, a water tower and a fire department.
* Dorchester's main arteries, Highways 6 and 33, were graveled in the 1940s.
* Dorchester's first irrigation well was drilled on Chris Weber's farm and rural electrification was finished following WWII.

A Village with History

Dorchester is one of the "alphabet towns" on the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad line built west from Lincoln. The town site was selected for its pleasant location in the northern part of Saline County, about eight miles west of Crete. This situation is an attractive one, being on the level prairie land, midway between the West Blue River and Turkey Creek. The first named stream is three miles north, and the latter about the same distance south from the town. Dorchester was platted in 1870 and incorporated in 1881. The name "Dorchester" came from either for a suburb of Boston by that name or a town in England. No one is sure. Two of the very first settlers were James Seely and Edward McIntyre, who both made Dorchester their permanent home.

Dorchester: In The Beginning

Here is a look at Dorchester around 1890, less than a decade after its official incorporation, as documented by Andreas' History of the State of Nebraska:
* POPULATION: "About 300, and is made up of a substantial and progressive class of citizens, who are moral and industrious. ... The town grew but very little until the year 1879, for the reason that Pleasant Hill, on Turkey Creek, a short distance south, was the county seat and naturally drew a trade for quite a large scope of country."
* BUSINESS: "The business and professional interests of the town are represented by three general merchandise stores, two drug, one grocery, one furniture, two hardware, and two millinery stores, one bank, two restaurants, two hotels, three livery stables, a post office, one newspaper office, two elevators, two lumber yards, two coal yards, two blacksmith shops, two lawyers and four physicians."
* SCHOOL: "The schoolhouse is a good one. The schoolhouse was built in 1872, since which time the public schools have been continually kept up. The present schoolhouse is 24' x 40' in size, two stories high. The school is graded and consists of three departments. The house is found too small, and arrangements will soon be made to increase its size."
* CHURCHES: "There are three substantial churches."
* HOMES: "The residence portion of the village is made up of neat houses of different styles of architecture, but none of them very large."
* NEWSPAPER: "The Dorchester Star, which was established August 21, 1881, by H. C. Bittenbender, who edited it until January 19, 1882, when he sold it to Ryerson & Bullock, the present proprietors. The Star is a bright weekly paper, five-column quarto, in size, and is Republican in politics."