2008 Featured Homes Original Tour Brochure
1030 Grove Terrace
This unusual Dutch Colonial in the Newport (seaside) style was built between 1903-1906 by Dr James and Bertha Heustis. It was sold in 1912 to William Bradley, who had the foresight to convert the butler’s pantry off the kitchen into a laundry room in the 1930’s. In 1947, Dr. Lincoln Steffens and family purchased the home. He used the room to the right of the foyer as his office. Starting in 1963, the Steffens’ remodeled the kitchen, laundry, the master bath and front bath. They also undertook adding the first floor bathroom for Dr. Steffen’s father, who used the office as a bedroom. This new bath necessitated removing the connecting door to the kitchen. Another historical update involved converting the TV room from a sunroom, or open porch. When this was enclosed, the large windows on the east wall of the living room overlooking the Mississippi River were removed and the wall mural was added. Some other features of the home were lost over the years such as a wrought iron widow’s walk on the roof and a birdhouse done as a scale replica of the home. The Clemen Family purchased the home in 1988. They removed pressboard siding that had been added on the exterior in 1964 to uncover the original cedar shingles and have done much cosmetic updating on the interior.
1209 Prairie Street
Henry and Sarah Hill Hetherington built the original Federal style 8- room house in 1854 on four acres of land purchased from Alfred McDaniel. Hetherington was once mayor of Dubuque. The north wing, which includes the kitchen, dining room, butler’s pantry and bedrooms above, was added in 1879. The dining room in this addition boasts wood flooring with alternating strips of walnut and white oak.
When the AY McDonald Family purchased the property in 1913, the home and gardens went through a major renovation and addition designed by architect John Spencer. East and South enclosed porches were added and the two original parlors were incorporated into one large room with a single fireplace. Many of the light fixtures installed at that time remain today. Further renovations occurred in the 1950’s when the home was owned by Abby McDonald Klauer-Dancer, who returned the marble fireplace mantles into the home and remodeled many of the bathrooms, some of which survive today. The house now includes three fireplaces, seven bedrooms and six bathrooms. The current owners of 12 years have recently completely renovated the kitchen, and updated the east porch and many of the bedrooms upstairs. Blueprints of the house in 1879 and 1913 are on display in the home.
1125 West Highland Place
Note: Only the south portion of this historic duplex was on tour.
This rare eclectic twin house was built in 1856 by John Hancock, a well-known wholesale grocer. Its features are a composition of both the Italianate and Queen Anne styles, including bracketed eaves, arched windows and a shared cupola. This is because George Burden completely revamped the south side of home in 1890, adding the circular tower, stained glass, oak and cherry hardwoods, and bay windows. The 13 foot ceilings, massive mouldings and open staircase were original features of the home. At some point it its life, the rear staircase and the original mantle were removed. The entire house was restored in the mid 1980’s, when the twin house was reclaimed from apartments. At that time the porches were rebuilt and both the roof and the cupola were replaced (there is evidence of a fire in the attic.) The current owner is in process of a major renovation that includes returning the rear staircase to its original location, replacing the errant fireplace in the living room, remodeling the kitchen, enlarging the second floor master bathroom, and restoring the exterior porches.
1300 Walnut Street
This unique home began its life as 760 Stewart Street, which is now under the Kehl Diabetes/Babka Wellness Center on University Avenue. This and 6 other homes were moved in a project that also involved deconstructing an additional 11 houses at this corner. The original home, built in 1948 was moved to its current location in October of 2006 by the Responsible Redevelopment Group (now a division of Restoration Warehouse), through a joint project with the Four Mounds Foundation. The original single story home was put on a new foundation and a second story was added in an English Cottage style. Steel siding was removed and the original redwood siding restored. The upper story was clad in cedar shakes. The original red oak floors were refinished and reclaimed oak was added in the kitchen, which was completed remodeled and enlarged (the basement stairs were relocated into a large closet.) The original bathtub remains, as do all of the original doors and hardware on the main floor. Doors and hardware on the other floors were reclaimed from houses of the same period to match and a vintage mantle was installed at the new fireplace. An existing garage on the site was revamped and a new deck with Craftsman detailing was added.
596 West Eleventh Street
This vernacular brick house built in 1851 is a sidehall Victorian with a twist – the stair is located off the kitchen, instead of in the front hall. This is probably due to the fact that a doctor built the home and used the front room off the entry as his office.
This home is rich in history. One of the original owners, Hammond Rouse, was the owner of Iowa Iron Works - the business that developed into the storied Dubuque Boat and Boiler Works. A subsequent owner, William B. Poinsett III was the nephew of botanist Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first US ambassador to Mexico and creator of the Smithsonian, who introduced the poinsettia plant to North America. Mrs. William Poinsett was an active civic volunteer. As president of the Dubuque Women’s Club, she invited Amelia Earhart to Dubuque and entertained her as a guest in the home. Another distinguished visitor was Joan Mondale, who attended a luncheon in the home in 1983. Her thank you note to the former occupants is displayed in the foyer.
Some features of the home include the original kitchen, original windows,10 foot ceilings on the main level, piano windows and southern pine woodwork in the master bedroom. A gazebo was added in 1994, a finialed fence around the yard in 1996,a pond in 1998 and central air conditioning in 2002.
1150 Carmel
The Mount Carmel Motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity, BVM (located at the end of South Grandview Ave, across 151 South) was completed in 1893. It sits on 110 acres overlooking the Mississippi River on land purchased from H.L. Stout in 1889. The stately building is the spiritual home for nearly 600 Sisters in the community. Today 70 retired Sisters live here; an additional 140 Sisters live in adjacent buildings on the campus. It is also the administrative center of the congregation.
Limestone which was quarried on the ground and faced with Bedford stone gives the Motherhouse a solid foundation, seven feet thick at its base. The spectacular view of the Mississippi can be seen from its 250 foot long bluff frontage. The original flooring is hard maple, and all other woodwork is solid oak. Original fireplaces and shutters are among other interesting original features. With the recent completion of a major renovation, the entire building of 96,000 sq. ft. is now geothermally heated and cooled. Renovation of the chapel included uncovering a stained glass window hidden for 50 years.