Rudolph Latto was a German immigrant who arrived in Hastings in 1856 and rose from poverty to wealth as a brewer, banker, hotelier, and grocer, affording him the means to build his grand home. Upon its completion in 1881 it also served as a gathering place for Germans in the area. When Latto and his wife died without issue, they donated the building to the city for use as a hospital. It served as such 1914–1949, then was used as a nursing home from 1949 to 1985. With the building by then in need of major restoration, the Hastings government approved its sale to a private party. The new owners completed a restoration and reopened the house in 1989 as a bed and breakfast inn. The same owners had previously converted the nearby Thompson-Fasbender House into a bed and breakfast.[3] After an ownership change, the Latto House is now The Historic Inn on Ramsey Street.[4]
