May 2007

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May 21, 2007, Monday, 6:45 PM

City Council Chambers, Rock Island City Hall, 1528 Third Avenue RIPS will make the annual presentation of the Historic Preservation Awards during the City Council meeting. We should be early in the agenda and will adjourn to Le Meduse Espresso Emporium at 1623 2nd Avenue after the awards are presented. All members and recipients of the awards are welcome to join us there for "on-your-own" refreshments. Note: The awards ceremony and social time will replace our usual third Tuesday of the month meeting.

June 19, 2007 Tuesday 7:00 PM
Home of Diane Oestreich, 816 22nd Street
This will be a general business meeting.

July 17, 2007 Tuesday 7:00 PM
Little Stone House at Saukie Golf Club, located at the intersection of 31st Ave. & 38th St.
One of the oldest buildings in Rock Island, this tiny solid-stone home was built in 1845 by William Carr. This home was restored in 1965 by a Carr descendant and later donated to the City of Rock Island. After touring the home and learning more of its history, a meeting will be held outside in the shade or, in case of inclement weather, in the nearby Saukie Clubhouse.

Upcoming Events

Walking Tour of Watch Hill RIPS will be hosting a public walking tour in the vicinity of the Thorson home at 37 Watch Hill Road at our regular September 18 meeting. Volunteers are needed for planning and implementing the program.

Mail Order Houses RIPS will be hosting a public seminar on Mail Order Houses, partially funded by the Illinois Humanities Council, scheduled for October 16. Location and time will be announced.

Comments and suggestions for Society activities are always welcome, now and in the future! Remember to keep the third Tuesday of each month marked on your calendar for monthly RIPS meetings and activities.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION AWARDS

In celebration of National Historic Preservation Month in May, Mayor Mark Schweibert will present the annual RIPS Historic Preservation Awards and Certificates of Recognition. Public presentation of the awards will take place at the Rock Island City Council meeting on May 21, 2007 at 6:45 in the Council Chambers on the third floor of Rock Island City Hall, 1528 Third Avenue.

Each year the Rock Island Preservation Society (RIPS) honors individuals, groups or businesses who have made special efforts to preserve or restore historic structures in our community or whose actions have served to support historic preservation in Rock Island. These are this year's Awards and Certificates of Recognition

AWARDS

First United Methodist Church 1820 5th Avenue
The once dusty jewels in six historic stained glass windows on the east side of the church shine brightly again. The sagging windows were removed and taken to Bovard Studios in Fairfield, Iowa, where they were disassembled and cleaned, then reconstructed with new lead cames. Then they were reinstalled in the church behind a clear protective exterior glazing. The church was built in 1890 and these windows, made in Philadelphia, date from that time. The triptych of 18-foot tall windows with images of Christ's nativity, ascension, and welcoming of children, was donated as memorials to Eliza and John Spencer, an early Rock Island pioneer who was a founder of this congregation, by their three children. A fourth window of similar size depicting the Good Shepherd was given as a memorial to Harriet Sweeney by her husband, Edward D. Sweeney.

Trinity Church 1816 6th Avenue
An extensive exterior restoration was recently completed, most of it involving the original portion of the church building, which was completed in 1869. Wood trim, including dozens of small decorative brackets under the east gable and the curved arch trim around the tower windows, was removed for repair and/or replacement. Old paint was stripped and then the wood was replaced and painted.

Window sashes in the tower were also rebuilt to be identical to the originals. This quality restoration involved a great deal of meticulous hand carpentry. To further protect this historic treasure, new sprinkler and fire alarm systems were also installed.

Porches

If windows are the eyes of a house, its front porch is the smile it presents to passers-by. Changing over time in both form and function, the porch has found a place in virtually every style of American domestic architecture. And the owners of older homes with historic porches have rediscovered the human and social importance of these long forgotten structures. Maintenance and restoration of these intricate outdoor rooms is often a labor of love. But in the end the homeowner, the neighborhood and the community as a whole is richer for the efforts. This year RIPS honors the following for restoring their front porches.

1038 21st Street Robert & Barbara Braun, homeowners
The front porch columns, which were partially rotted, were restored. The balustrade was missing and a reproduction was constructed using a historic photo as well as an existing rear porch as models.

1250 21st Avenue Tim & Kimberly Bolyard, homeowners
The front porch on the landmarked Dimick House was completely recreated using vintage photos and shadows on the house as a guide. The porch had been removed decades ago and replaced with an inappropriate two-story structure. The Bolyards removed that several years ago as they undertook exterior restoration of the brick home. Much of this intricate work was done by Mr. Bolyard himself.

1851 30th Street Penon & Joyce Tew, homeowners
The Tews removed a deteriorated gabled front portico from their Georgian Colonial home, then rebuilt and replaced it. The beautiful curved ceiling that follows a rounded transom above the front door was replicated.

817 17th Street Gregory & Judy Mayer, homeowners
The elegant but aging front porch was restored. Both structural and decorative areas were rebuilt and restored as needed, ensuring that it should stand for another century. A multicolor paint job emphasized all of the ornate exterior decorative detail.

New House at 728 15th Street YouthBuild Quad Cities
This new home at 728 15th Street is exceptionally sensitive infill within a historic neighborhood. Surrounded by other 1 1/2 and 2 story homes, including a previous YouthBuild award winner at 716 15th Street, it looks as if it has always been there. Like its neighbor, it is based on a prize-winning design by architect Ben Allers, which won the 1995 competition sponsored by the Rock Island Preservation Commission for infill design in the Old Chicago neighborhood. Decorative details were changed to distinguish it from its slightly older neighbor. Both the staff of YouthBuild and the 33 students who participated in this project will be recognized for their efforts.

Individual Award: John Willard, Journalist, Quad City Times
Over the past 36 years as a Quad-City Times journalist, John Willard introduced us to the people, places and events of our community. And wherever possible, he included a historical perspective in his writing. Earlier this spring John Willard announced his retirement. As a community we will miss his writings connecting our daily lives with our rich past. We are fortunate to have an archive of well-researched articles that will be referenced by historians well into the future.

CERTIFICATES of RECOGNITION

House at 702 21st Street Michael & Marsha Coakley
Inappropriate modern shingles were removed from this historic home, now used as an apartment building. When ornate moldings and paneled trim were uncovered, they were restored. Absent or damaged clapboard was replaced extensively with matching new wood. Although a missing tower and enclosed porch keep the home from appearing as it did originally, the restoration efforts of the Coakleys are commended and honored.

Voss Brothers Lofts 2125 3rd Avenue, Rock Island Economic Growth Corp. When the adjoining structures of the former Voss Brothers moving company warehouse were converted into loft-style apartments, the buildings were rehabilitated in an example of adaptive reuse. The multimillion dollar project created 35 units ranging in size from studio to 3-bedrooms with rents that are set to include every income level. Common areas available to residents include a community room, exercise room, computer room as well as storage facilities.

This adaptive reuse, although not involving complete restoration, ensured that the energy and materials invested in construction decades ago were not sent to a landfill. Moreover this new residential area in eastern downtown Rock Island may act as a catalyst for development and preservation of nearby historic structures.

Our Congratulations and Thanks to all the recipients!

MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL

Thanks to all the RIPS members who have renewed your annual membership. The address label on this newsletter should reflect your new membership expiration. If you have questions, please contact Diane Oestreich, oestreich2@qconline.com or 309.788-1845. Membership renewals are still being accepted!

RIPS WEBSITE
Be sure to mark www.rockislandpreservation.org in your favorites list. This site deserves a bookmark so you can keep up with RIPS activities, news and archives. Check it out and offer your suggestions to webmaster Diana Alm at rips@rockislandpreservation.org.

Newly added -- a blog! Now you can interact with other people interested in preservation. Perhaps you have a question concerning your historic home, or would like to share a newly discovered bit of history, or would like to advocate for a historic Rock Island building. Get a conversation started -- go to: www.blogs.rockislandpreservation.org

Black Hawk Sate Historic Site is one of the Seven Wonders of Illinois!
Check out: www.EnjoyIllinois.com

Rock Island Preservation Society
P.O. Box 3261
Rock Island, Illinois 61204-3261