Committee discusses repairs of La Crosse’s Hixon House before tourism increases

The house where pioneer lumberman Gideon Hixon used to live in La Crosse is showing signs of age, and some repairs could happen soon.

The city’s Heritage Preservation Commission reviewed plans to repair the porch areas at the Hixon House downtown.

Margaret Lichter from the La Crosse County historical society hopes the work can get done before peak visitor season.

“Tourist traffic is increasing, “Lichter told the commission recently. “We have almost 500 second graders marching through the house, come May 1st. All the second graders in the La Crosse School District are going be coming through.”

Deck boards and stairs are among the areas of the west porch that need the most work.

Lichter added that the plans call for physical changes to keep rabbits from living under the house and ruining the gardens.

“We have tried for two years — more subtle means to get rid of them,” she said, “but they’re pretty relentless.”

Several contractors have shown interest in working on the Hixon House, located between 6th and 7th streets, but no one has been assigned to the project yet.

Hixon House was built in 1859. In 1974, it was included in the National Register of Historic Places.