Dave spent 29 years on active duty in the US Navy, starting out as a Seaman Recruit during the Vietnam war. He advanced to Chief before becoming an officer. He has served on Nuclear Submarines as an electrician and has 312 carrier landings in EA-6B aircraft. He flew F/A-18 aircraft at the Hornet "factory" in St. Louis, leading the government team that purchased the aircraft from McDonnell Douglas. He has extensive experience in F/A-18 engineering as an Aerospace Engineering Duty Officer. He served as Commanding Officer of Naval Aviation Engineering Services Unit and Naval Air Technical Data and Engineering Service Command. Dave personally performs almost all the work done in restoring the historic mansion. Michelle was raised on a family farm near Dubuque. She has been the Innkeeper at The Richards House for over 28 years.

When Dave and Michelle purchased the property from the original family it had a leaking roof, a failing steam boiler, lead piping for plumbing, knob-and-tube wiring, and had not been painted since before WW II. Wood framed mansions, no matter how grand, seldom survive when in that condition. It is simply not cost effective to rehabilitate them. Now the mansion will survive. It is completely rewired with all new plumbing throughout. A state of the art high efficiency hot water boiler system provides space heating as well as heat for potable water and snow melt for various sidewalks. Each room has its own thermostat which guests set as desired. Reroofing with a "slate" design "borrowed" from Samuel Clemens mansion (a similarly styled structure) in Connecticut has stopped the roof leaking. Constructed 10 years before Tiffany popularized non-ecclesiastical stained glass, the home features more than 80 stained glass windows, 8 working fireplaces, 15 patterns of embossed wall coverings, 8 species of wood - all in original finish, original gas lighting (now converted to electricity) and high-end period antiques. Breakfast is served in the formal dining room.

The Richards House is a "key structure" in the Jackson Park National Register Historic District, one of Dubuque's oldest, and most intact district. The residential historic district is at the North end of downtown. Built before automobiles, the buildings range from simple workers homes to mansions. Downtown Dubuque has numerous dining opportunities as well as a number of other attractions.