Beautifully restored, historic Cathedral neighborhood mansion opens for guests

Matt Luke wants his guests to feel like they’re spending the night in a museum.

And that meant ensuring everything down to the tiniest details reflected how the rooms in this historic Cathedral neighborhood mansion would have been used.

“I love history, and the idea of restoring a mansion in downtown Sioux Falls perked my interest. I thought it was a great opportunity to see what we could do,” said Luke, the owner of Luke Properties.

“We typically restore homes we turn into rental properties, and we haven’t done any historic homes. So when this one happened to come across our plate, I couldn’t turn it down.”

He and his team spent about 18 months restoring the century-old Perry Mansion at 201 N. Prairie Ave.

Before and after:

“I am very pleased with how it turned out. I’m happy with the results,” Luke said. “I did spend a lot of time making sure everything was antique or replica antique, so when people have a chance to stay, they get an experience like staying overnight in a museum.”

Original owner George H. Perry was a prominent businessman whose family owned the East Sioux Falls town site for more than 100 years. At one point, Perry was the owner of Sioux Falls Granite Co. and East Sioux Falls Quarry Co.

In 1999, the family donated much of the former town site to Minnehaha County, which has developed it as the Perry Nature Area.

“Matt did not take shortcuts. The ice cube tray is not one you find at Target,” said Kayla Huizing, co-owner of SoDak Stays, which is handling rentals of the four-bedroom mansion. It originally began construction in 1911.

“Every detail on the house is very back into the early 1900s. I was so amazed by all the woodwork, detailing. … They really put a lot of time and effort into making it an amazing house.”

The plan is to offer the home as a short-term rental so many people can experience it. So far, it has hosted a murder mystery party, a bridal shower and tours for a preservation organization that also visited the Perry Nature Area and former quarry.

One couple celebrated an anniversary there, and “a lot of it it people passing through and wanting a different experience,” Huizing said.

“You feel like you’re staying in a museum. In each room, there’s something on the wall that explains who lived in the room back in the day and how they used the rooms in the early 1900s.”

Luke offers tours to groups and guests in return for a donation to continue restoration.

The grounds include hedges, a stone patio and what remains of an original fish pond.

As Luke was wrapping up the project, a neighbor asked for a tour.

“He goes, ‘Oh my gosh, I don’t know you, but can I hug you?'” Luke said.

To learn more about the Perry Mansion and reserve it, click here.

What’s next

Luke isn’t done restoring homes in the area. He’s now working on the four-bedroom guest house adjacent to the Perry Mansion.

“We’re about a quarter of the way done,” Luke said. “We got the cellar back to the condition it was likely in, and now we’re going in and restoring the woodwork. That’s going to take a fair amount of time.”

Eventually, guests will be able to rent either house or both together. Luke hopes to have the guest house finished and ready a year from now.

“The style of the house is a little bit different design, but we’re going to keep the finishings very similar,” he said.

And, he recently bought another home in the neighborhood west of the Perry Mansion. It was built in 1912, and demolition has started there.

“It’s also in poor condition, but it has amazing woodwork and some original tile,” he said. “The front porch has tile on the floor, which is super cool.”

The three-bedroom house is done in the Arts and Crafts style.

“We’re getting it demo’ed to see where we’re at with what needs to be done,” Luke said.

That one likely will be a short-term rental as well and could be ready two years from now.

“The furnishing is the longest part because I can’t go to a furniture store and buy everything in one swoop,” he said. “You have to wait for things to come on the market and find things as you can.”

As for future undertakings, for now, he’s trying to pace his work.

“Let’s do one per year,” he said.