GRAND RAPIDS, Ohio — Nearly 100 people gathered Thursday night in the rain at a public auction in the village of Grand Rapids for the historic Kerr House, though most there were not interested in bidding — they just wanted to see the beautiful home before it sold.

The three-story Victorian-era mansion sold for $242,000 to Bob and Cathy Trame of Maumee. Pamela Rose of Pamela Rose Auction Co. LLC served as auctioneer.

When asked about their plans for the home, the Trames said they are “exploring multiple ideas.”

“We’re thinking about a boutique, a yoga studio, or a day spa,” Mr. Trame said. He also expressed interest in using it as a wedding destination or as an events venue or retreat center.

Mr. Trame works at the 577 Foundation in Perrysburg, which maintains an historic property there, so he said he understands the importance of maintaining the home.

The Kerr house dates to 1885 and sits on more than an acre at 17777 Beaver St., two blocks from Grand Rapids’ Front Street business district along the Maumee River.

From 1979 to early 2015, Perrysburg resident Laurie Hostetler owned the home, running it as an elegant spa and health retreat until the business ran into financial difficulties in 2008. By 2014 the business had debts, unpaid taxes, and penalties exceeding $300,000. The spa’s last patron was in mid-March of 2015.

The Kerr house since has been owned and occupied by Robert and Jodi Kieffer, who bought it via a Wood County sheriff’s sale at the end of 2014. They planned to use it as an event venue, possible bed and breakfast, or family health retreat but personal issues led them to put the house up for auction.

The original owner of the mansion was Benjamin Franklin Kerr, a wealthy landowner, grain-elevator owner, and elected official in Grand Rapids. 

Famed Toledo architect Edward O. Fallis, designer of Toledo’s Valentine Theatre, designed and built the house, incorporating stained glass windows, a slate roof, a Victorian-style tower, handcrafted oak doors, marble sinks, copper bathtubs, and a wraparound porch into his design. Interior woodwork is white oak, red oak, cherry, butternut, maple, and ash.

Mr. Kerr’s son, Clifton Colfax Kerr, inherited the house then gave it to his son, Clifton Benjamin Kerr, who sold it in 1977 to Mrs. Hostetler and her late husband, David.

At the auction, most there wanted to see the home one last time before a new owner took it over. A few former employees of the Kerr house were present, as well as others who had fond memories of their visits.

“You don’t want to go inside. It’s sad,” an older woman said to a friend on the porch.

But the Trames understand the “sentimental value,” as Mrs. Trame put it. And, they know Mrs. Hostetler well.

“We have an emotional connection to this home,” Mrs. Trame said.

The Trames were to make a $15,000 deposit before leaving. The sale price includes a seller’s premium on top of the $220,000 bid. The sale must close by Aug. 10.

Ted Ligibel, a professor of historic preservation in the region, said the Kerr House “is one of the most intact examples of Queen Anne architecture in Ohio.” Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the 5,000-square-foot, seven-bedroom mansion once was valued at $1.6 million. The Kieffers paid $256,595 for it and a county valuation is $138,300.

Ms. Rose, the auctioneer, seemed disappointed the house did not sell for a higher price, predicting that “it’ll be a million-dollar home” at some point.

Contact Gabby Deutch at: gdeutch@theblade.com, 419-724-6516, or on Twitter @GSDeutch.

First Published June 17, 2016, 4:00 a.m.