A distinctive white house on the corner of south Sibley Avenue and Weisel Street has been the location for Litchfield’s sole funeral service provider for decades. Soon, the funeral home will be moving out, transitioning from a historic to a modern facility.
Johnson-Hagglund Funeral Home, which has been in business since 1932, will move to a new facility in 2018. Construction began in October on south Armstrong Avenue, just off U.S. Highway 12.
With weather permitting, Johnson-Hagglund staff hope to move into the new building entirely by the end of the upcoming summer.
According to Ray Bartlett, managing mortician, the new facility will offer a more accessible layout for handicapped visitors as well as off-street parking.
“This was originally a home and therefore not conducive to being a funeral home,” Bartlett said. “The handicapped entrance is all the way in the back, and it’s just inconvenient.”
Built by B.P. Nelson in 1903 as a residential home, the white house has been a historical marker in Litchfield. Originally built with a tennis court and three-stall carriage house, the house served the community with dance parties in the ballroom well into the 1940s. But its history and evolution into a funeral home has called for some changes.
Intended to better serve the community, the new facility will be constructed to accommodate more needs than the current location can offer. Along with plentiful handicap access, the new building will also have a multi-purpose room with an adjoining kitchen for meals.
“Some customers are not church-oriented,” Bartlett said. “This way, those who want a meal can have one without the hassle of finding a place.”
The overall feedback from the community on the move has been “very positive,” according to Bartlett. But with moving comes a hint of nostalgia for those who have grown up knowing the white house will no longer be Johnson-Hagglund.
“There’s also sadness,” Bartlett said. “This place has been around for as long as many people have been here. But the allure of a new facility has made those sad feelings go away pretty quickly.”
One alluring aspect of a new facility will be the addition of a crematory, making Johnson-Hagglund the only crematory in the entire county. It’s just one of the perks of new construction, according to staff.
“Everyone is pretty excited,” Bartlett said. “There will be things to get used to, but the new facility will help us run a bit more efficiently. It will be a lot more functional for the public.”
The functionality of the new facility, Bartlett explained, will be one of the many ways Johnson-Hagglund staff provide to those in their time of need.
