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Two generations of Van Dusens lived in the home until 1937. It was then vacant until Edwin Hetland bought it in late 1940. His College of Commerce trained medical and legal secretaries in "an atmosphere of tile fireplaces, upholstered wallcoverings, and hand-carved oak paneling" for more than 20 years.

A one-story classroom addition was added to the south façade in 1961, obscuring a stone terrace. Several windows in the Music Room were filled in with concrete blocks and mortar, and a passage was created to join the mansion and classroom structure.

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Subsequent occupants were Hamline University Law School, U.S. Communications, and Horst International Education Center. Remodeling during this time included the installation of shampoo sinks in the kitchen to accommodate the functioning beauty salon and school. Owned and operated by Horst Rechelbacher, this business was the genesis of the Aveda Corporation.

The Van Dusen house was largely vacant from 1987 to 1994. The building’s exterior deteriorated as weather and inadequate maintenance took their toll.

Lack of heat and air conditioning caused pipes to leak and priceless quarter-sawn oak paneling, wainscoting, columns and moldings to crack and warp. Fireplace mantles were vandalized and light fixtures stripped for sale to unwitting antique dealers. Some moldings, door knobs, switch plates and tiles were also looted.

Despite boarded-up windows, vagrants took up residence in the deteriorating structure. Decades of coal soot and car exhaust left the stone exterior blackened. Weeds, trash and fallen masonry littered the overgrown lawn.