William and Stephanie Pieper
Growing up on a farm in rural Wisconsin, Will joined the service at age 19 as an aircraft mechanic for the U.S. Air Force. Stephanie grew up in rural Wisconsin just miles from where Will lived. Stephanie and William married in 1990. During Will’s time as Active Duty Military they lived in several states and countries, raising 4 children. The Family moved to Southern Minnesota in 1995 with Will, continuing his service with the Minnesota Air National Guard and a 4th child on the way. In 2010, the family bought a fixer-upper home in Hastings to live near their family. After fixing up the home, the family looked toward a new project, the Hotel Hastings. Buying it from a local in 2016. Retiring from his time in the service after 34 years, Will and Stephanie have made massive progress toward opening it as a hunting lodge and venue.
Historic Past
Hotel Hastings was built in 1908 by Edward and Cristine Graluum in the town of Hastings, North Dakota. Hastings, now an unincorporated town 20 miles south of Valley City, ND, was a growing railway town. The railway had a depot in town to drop off and pick up passengers traveling across North Dakota. Also, to pick up grain from the local farmers. A need arose for a place for travelers to stay, hence the building of Hotel Hastings.
The hotel grew in prosperity, boasting its 9 bedrooms, kitchen, large dining room and parlor. Around 1920 Hotel Hastings closed its doors to the public and was used as a boarding house as the property exchanged hands over the years. It was home to a few renovations, and although it was updated with electricity, the only running water was a hand pump in the kitchen and dining room, pulling water from the cisterns below that collected rain water. Over time more of the rooms deteriorated, until finally the last resident moved out of the hotel in 1988. Bought by a former resident in 1989, Hotel Hastings was used as an antique storage and museum open to a select few.
When William and Stephanie Pieper bought Hotel Hastings in 2016, it was in desperate need of a makeover. With no working electricity and no running water. It suffered from heavy water damage from a leaking roof, and was home to more than a few squirrels and birds. The most dire problem was its foundations. With nothing but a dirt crawlspace and a few boards underneath that had been installed to “support” the foundation, the Piepers needed to act fast.
In 2018, The Piepers took on the huge undertaking of installing a new foundation. It was decided that they would hoist the hotel up, roll it off the lot, then dig and pour an entirely new basement. Rolled back into place, Hotel Hastings was now upon its brand new 1300 sq ft full basement. With support underneath to take on the weight and stresses of the renovations, work took off.
With the support of friends and family alike, the Piepers are making progress towards a grand opening. Using old pictures and documents to restore rather than renovate, Hotel Hastings is now home to working electricity, brand new plumbing, and its first modern toilet. Floor heat was installed in the basement, and a fire stove installed upstairs to keep warm during the fall months. The roof has been redone and the false front repaired to its original condition. All of the wildlife living inside was relocated, and the outside windows and holes sealed. It has gotten new windows, a new porch and second level deck just like the original. Walls were taken down and put up to mimic the original floorplan. A reclaimed wood floor was installed in the dining room, as the old floor was a hole in the ground covered by plywood.
Looking ahead, the family hopes to finish plastering and painting of all the walls interior and exterior. They hope to paint the iconic Hotel Hastings lettering on the front of the building. The bathrooms need tile and showers installed, along with the full waterproofing for the ADA accessible bathroom on the first floor. The porches and decks need railings and trim added. The kitchen needs to be installed and brought to full Health Department codes. Lighting and electricity needs to be finished off, and the whole hotel needs to be brought up to North Dakota lodging codes. William and Stephanie do most work themselves with help from friends, family, and a few local contractors. The work goes slow most days but the dedication to restoring this historic hotel never fades.
Once fully opened, the Piepers hope to open it as a hunting lodge, with a full kitchen and dining room, with room to host special events.
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Hotel Hastings 