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Gary and Mary Chicos moved to this home in Alden about a year ago. Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune

The large porch at the front of Mary and Gary Chicos’ home in Alden greets visitors to the home. Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune

The home incorporates numerous antiques, often displayed in a new way. Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune

Red Wing crocks are showcased in the front room of the house and incorporated as plant stands. Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune

Old photos from the family are displayed on one of the shelves. Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune

Mary Chicos loves growing plants, and many can be seen around the house. Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune

The kitchen was remodeled 12 years ago and has taken on the farmhouse feel found in other places throughout the house. Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune

One of the bedrooms in the house is used as a guest room. Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune

The pergola and seating area in the back of the Chicos’ home provides a nice place for entertaining. Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune

A tree that fell in the back of the Chicos’ home has been reworked into a table. Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune

Several farm pieces are implemented outdoors, including this chicken feeder. Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune

In addition to five homes in Albert Lea, the Freeborn County Historical Museum’s Historic Home Tour will venture out to Alden this fall with the home of Mary and Gary Chicos on North Broadway Avenue.

The couple has lived in the house, at 261 N. Broadway Ave., for a year and combines not only historical elements but also elements that nod toward the Chicos’ farm heritage.

Mary Chicos said she and her husband weren’t even necessarily looking for a house in town when it came up for sale. They liked the house, its woodwork and its back yard and said they could envision themselves there. So they decided to buy it and move into Alden from their farm south of Conger.

From the outside, the house, which was built in 1900, impresses with a large porch that spans the entire front of the house and wraps around to one side. The porch features a large old church pew and other antiques at the forefront.

The house itself is not only historically interesting, but it is filled with scores of historical pieces and other collectibles that add to the feel of the home.

Mary said she enjoys collecting and remembers collecting back into her high school years. She showcases the items she finds not only in their home, but also in her store in downtown Alden called Someday Isle.

The kitchen in the home was remodeled about 12 years ago and features vast cupboard space and an island good for entertaining.

The kitchen flows into the living room, which carries into the dining room, which features a table that dates back to the Dakota War of 1862, and then a front room, which features several Red Wing crocks outfitted with plants and other decorative items.

The upper floor has four bedrooms and a bathroom.

Aside from the house itself, the property also includes a secondary structure east of the house, which features a three-car garage and an upper floor with a large bonus room that showcases more of Mary’s figurines, along with some hunting items and other collectibles.

In the backyard is a sanctuary where Mary enjoys spending time and taking care of her plants, as well as a seating area and pergola great for entertaining and an extended deck area.

“The previous owners had done a really nice job with this back yard,” Mary said. “It was easy for me to come and add to it.”

Among the highlights are scores of succulents and other plants, some that grow in traditional pots and others in more nontraditional containers such as old chicken feeders. She also has an old feed cart that is repurposed with plants.

“This is where I spend a lot of my time with my plants,” Mary said.

During the winter, many of the plants are brought indoors to the house or taken to her store.

Though the couple is not on their old farm any longer, Mary pointed out several pieces from their time there and their old family farms that they have repurposed for both practical and decorative use.

The Chicos’ home and five others will be open for tours during the museum’s annual tour. All of the homes highlight different historical elements.

Historic Home Tour

When: Sept. 28, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Six locations in Albert Lea and Alden:
• Jennifer and Jens Levisen, 525 Park Ave., Albert Lea
• Christine and Josh Seeger, 404 Robin Road, Albert Lea
• Diannne Graf, 301 Lakeview Blvd., Albert Lea
• Melissa Barr, 1411 Sunset St., Albert Lea
• Mary and Gary Chicos, 261 N. Broadway Ave., Alden
• Marcia and Charlie Smith, 310 Washington Ave. N., Albert Lea
Tickets: $45 for non-museum members, $35 for museum members. Tickets are available for purchase at the Freeborn County Historical Museum and the Albert Lea Convention and Visitors Bureau and will be for sale as well at each home on the day of the tour.

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