The Uncommon Stay

The Building

A Corner of West Branch History

At the corner of Main and Downey in downtown West Branch stands a warm brick building that has anchored this block since the late 1880s. Its decorative pressed-tin cornice, tall double-hung windows, and ground-floor storefronts are the unaltered bones of a prosperous small-town commercial block — the kind built with confidence, meant to last, and in this case, still standing.

A recessed brick archway frames a deep Studio Green door that opens onto a private stone staircase. Climb those steps and the entire second floor — three bedrooms, nine-foot ceilings, a full kitchen, dining room, and living room — becomes yours alone. Behind the building, the ornate cast-iron facade of the Opera Block rises just a few paces away, a reminder that West Branch once drew visitors from across the region.

The Uncommon Stay

Born in West Branch

On the corner of Main and Downey in downtown West Branch is a brick building that has stood here since 1908. It still has its original decorative cornice, tall windows, and ground-floor storefronts — the kind of small-town commercial block that was built to last.

A recessed brick archway frames a deep Studio Green door that opens onto a private staircase. Head up the stairs and the entire second floor is yours: three bedrooms, nine-foot ceilings, a full kitchen, a dining room, and a living room.

West Branch is a small, quiet town, and it is also the birthplace of the 31st President of the United States. Herbert Hoover was born here in 1874 in a two-room cottage a few blocks from this building, in a town that still looks a lot like it did then. Hoover led humanitarian relief efforts after both World Wars, served as Secretary of Commerce, and went on to the White House. A quote of his that has left a lasting impression on us:

"The imperative need of the nation is the leadership of uncommon men and women."

— Herbert Hoover

The Uncommon Stay takes its name from that line. We designed this home to capture the heart and feel of historic West Branch, and to be a place for the next generation of uncommon men and women.

The Stay

An Entire Floor, Privately Yours

There is nothing like this in West Branch — and likely not for some distance beyond it. The apartment fills the entire second story of a historic commercial building: three bedrooms, a full kitchen and dining room, a comfortable living room, and enough space for six guests to spread out and feel at home.

It has been thoughtfully updated — quietly, without erasing what makes it worth preserving. The ceilings are still nine feet. The windows still look out over Main Street. The bones are intact.