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Saving pieces of family history
21
Apr 2023

Saving pieces of family history

Save CR Heritage identified someone to move this home, at 248 18th St. NW, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, but the owner decided against that option and it was demolished in April 2023. (photo/Cindy Hadish)

To advocate for incentives to move homes in Cedar Rapids, contact the City Manager’s Office at: 319-286-5080 or citymanager@cedar-rapids.org

By Cindy Hadish/Save CR Heritage

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Diana Ash remembers storing her crayons in the oak colonnade cabinet handcrafted by her grandfather, and sitting at the built-in desk to draw in her coloring books as a child.

The home, 248 18th St. NW, was in the family since it was constructed by her grandparents around 1927, up until the time her brother, who purchased it from his mother, sold it to a young family many decades later. Hy-Vee bought the home in 2011, along with two neighboring homes, with expansion plans for its Johnson Avenue store.

This handcrafted desk was part of an oak colonnade built by the grandfather of Diana Ash. (photo/Cindy Hadish)

Diana’s son, Matt, happened past the house in March 2023, as volunteers with Save CR Heritage removed windows, flooring and other items to save them from going to the landfill.

The nonprofit, which advocates to preserve historic properties in Cedar Rapids, had reached out to developers and others to find someone willing to move the house, which was in spectacular condition.

Members of the Cedar Rapids Historic Preservation Commission had voted to not place a demolition hold on the house, and the two homes on either side of it, at a February meeting. Under advice from the city’s assistant attorney, members of the commission are not individually allowed to see the buildings that come up for review in front of the commission and have never visited as a group.

Unless a building is in a local historic district or is locally landmarked, the commission can only place a 60-day hold on a demolition permit, which in itself, is not enough time to move a building, but can sometimes create an opportunity to find alternatives to demolition.

The living room of 248 18th St. NW is shown in March 2023 in Cedar Rapids. (photo/Cindy Hadish)

With no 60-day hold, but given the go-ahead from current owner, Hy-Vee, Save CR Heritage had just a short timeframe to find someone to move the home, after seeing its sound condition and intact interior, with not only the original colonnade, but a built-in oak buffet, solid oak doors with original glass doorknobs, French doors and oak flooring.

Many times, the all-volunteer nonprofit finds homes destined for demolition to be structurally sound, and are only removed to make way for parking or “green space,” but rarely are they in such exquisite condition.

Members of the Etscheidt family are shown in the dining room of 248 18th St. NW in this family photo from Diana Ash.

Save CR Heritage advocates to keep older buildings in place for their original use as highest priority, or to be repurposed. When that is not possible, the group tries to find someone willing to move the building, and several years ago, moved the Frankie House in southeast Cedar Rapids as an organization and is fundraising to move the J.E. Halvorson House, used as its current headquarters.

As a last resort, the nonprofit’s trained volunteers salvage architectural elements from a building to save those difficult-to-replace items from going to the landfill. The architectural salvage is sold to homeowners and others who can use the items, with proceeds going to the early-1900s J.E. Halvorson House.

In this case, it seemed the house would be a “save” when the nonprofit Matthew 25, whose mission is to transform neighborhoods in Cedar Rapids, stepped forward to move the home, to serve as much-needed affordable housing in the city.

Although initially open to the idea, however, the corporate Hy-Vee office decided against allowing the home to be relocated and moved ahead with demolition plans. Moving a building generally takes months to have a foundation built, obtain permits, be placed on a house-mover’s schedule and coordinate with utility companies and other entities involved in the move. The city of Cedar Rapids currently offers no financial incentives to move a home.

The 1940s Bungalow at 250 18th St. NW, the last of three homes owned by Hy-Vee next to the store, is demolished on April 21, 2023. (photo/Cindy Hadish)

The future purpose of the site has not been given, and while devastated by the news that the home would not be allowed to be moved, Save CR Heritage volunteers worked to save as much as possible from all three buildings, and were grateful for that opportunity. The two other homes appeared to have been damaged, possibly during the 2020 derecho windstorm, and had become dilapidated.

Reaching out to the Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity ReStore, which has worked with Save CR Heritage in the past, several of the group’s volunteers removed modern kitchen and bathroom cabinets from the 1927 home, along with other items to be sold at ReStore, 350 Sixth Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids.

Volunteers with Habitat for Humanity ReStore salvaged modern kitchen cabinets and other items. (photo/Cindy Hadish)

Additionally, Terry Philips of T.K. Enterprises in Washington, Iowa, saved literally tons of items from going to the landfill, including eight radiators, estimated at 400 pounds each. His crew removed flooring and windows and he also worked with Save CR Heritage volunteers to skillfully remove the built-in colonnade and mirrored buffet.

Diana’s family is the recipient of those latter treasured items, along with the set of French doors, to be kept as family heirlooms for generations to come, a reunion that would not have taken place without her son happening along when Save CR Heritage volunteers were at the site, and providing a silver lining.

A donation receipt to Diana Ash’s grandfather was discovered while Save CR Heritage removed built-in cabinets in the home at 248 18th St. NW. (photo/Cindy Hadish)

Note: Items lovingly saved from all three homes will be among the architectural salvage available from 10-noon Saturday, April 29, at the Save CR Heritage Bloomin’ Salvage Sale. Proceeds benefit the early-1900s J.E. Halvorson House, 606 Fifth Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids, where the sale is held.

See more photos of the 18th Street NW homes, below:

4 comments

Cindy

It is very sad these homes couldn’t have been moved. Two of them were in excellent shape before being bought by HyVee and left vacant without repairs for years. I am very glad some of the historical elements could be salvaged, especially that the family could be the recipient of the hutch and colonnades. Unsure of HyVee’s current plans but hate to see a family neighborhood encroached upon by more business expansion. We really don’t need another convenience store!

    Cindy Hadish

    Thank you for your comment! We agree that these homes deserved better than ending up in the landfill.

Vicki Dean

My heart hurts. The house and its property were stunning. My now husband and I were the last residences of the house. We rented it from 2011-13. I believe the house had been empty since we bought a house in 2013 and moved. We loved this house. We adored this house. So exquisite, so beautiful. So many great memories there. These pictures bring back a flood of memories. Diana’s grandfather built an amazing home. Nothing but grand love in and for that house. We drove by the property last week and our hearts sank. Thank you, Save CR Heritage, for salvaging what you could. We were so lucky to call that house our home.

    Cindy Hadish

    So sorry, Vicki. We can certainly understand your heartache. It was such a beautiful home and was obviously well-loved!

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