PARADE OF HISTORIC HOMES

"Something New, Something Old"

Sunday, May 17th, 1:00-5:00PM

Friends of Historic Preservation will be hosting the third annual Parade of Historic Homes on Sunday, May 17, 2009 from 1:00pm until 5:00pm in Iowa City, The program is offered as part of Irving B. Weber Days and National Historic Preservation Month.

Five locations will be featured as part of the program. The first house, 416 S. Summit is an example of a house returned to a family home. 519 S. Summit shows off how an historic house can be updated. Two excellent examples of adaptive space are also included: 1029 Bowery and 614 Clark that formerly was a church. The fifth house on the program is an example of building new with old, an energy-efficient home with the interior of a 1890s home: 1208 Marcy St.

A special feature of this year’s program is the Plum Grove Inn (1208 Marcy). This house is a unique project combining the vision of architect Thomas McInerney with the passion and drive of Shelley Slaubaugh to have an historic Bed & Breakfast.

In the Spring of 2006, Friends of Historic Preservation had salvaged the interior of what was commonly called the “the old castle house” in Belle Plaine, Iowa. This was no ordinary house. Inside the dining room there was solid walnut wainscoting with a triple plate rail, sideboard, china cabinet, butler and pocket doors, as well as a coved press tin ceiling all in one room. Treasures like leaded glass windows, a walnut library, quarter sawn oak stairs, beveled glass doors, a skirted tub, pedestal sink and rooms of walnut and oak baseboards and molding were saved.

As Thomas McInerney recalled, “While going to the city landfill, one usually does not expect to find timeless treasures there. I noticed the Salvage Barn there and was curious if I could find inspiration to define the interior character of the house I was designing. I was not disappointed. Friends of Historic Preservation had recently salvaged a collection of stunning walnut cabinetry and trim from a demolished house in Belle Plaine, Iowa. Shelley is a fan of walnut furnishings and I thought she would enjoy seeing this incredible selection. After calling her, I figured we would chat about it later that night. To my complete surprise that night, she informed me that she agreed to buy the complete Belle Plaine house’s door, cabinetry and wood trim package. I knew she was serious about the Bed & Breakfast now!”

As an architect, Thomas McInerney understands how things are built and was able to envision and adapt the use of the salvaged materials for the interior of the new house he was building. As the house took shape, it was difficult to find contractors who shared this same vision. McInerney commented, “Incorporating this understanding onto construction documents for contractors is very time consuming and required an intimate knowledge of the millwork. It soon became evident that with the amount of millwork we had on hand, a contractor hired to reinstall the trim would greatly exceed our budget and schedule.” Consequently, McInerney and Slaubaugh invested their time and skills to complete the carpentry work on the house. As McInerney noted “With full-time careers grabbing our attention throughout it, we experienced work hours from sun-up to after sundown to the point of exhaustion.” The results are stunning and visitors to Plum Grove Inn may never realize that they have spent the night in a new old house.

There will be a $10 per person entrance fee for the program and children under 12 will be free. Tour proceeds will support the work of Friends of Historic Preservation. For more information about the Parade of Historic Homes and the Salvage Barn, please check www.ic-fhp.org or email salvagebarn@ic-fhp.org.