Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 77, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 March 1910 — The Rejuvenated McCoy House [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Rejuvenated McCoy House

The above cut shows how the McCoy house looks now, or the way it looked a few days ago when the photograph was taken. Now it looks even better than that, for during the past few days, George Mustard, the contractor, has been de voting his energies toward getting the premises cleaned up. The accumulated rubbish was cleaned out of the yard, the underbrush grubbed out, the trees trimmed by having the lower limbs cut off and several of the less shapely trees cut down. Then f since the photograph was taken, Tom Turner has been engaged at painting and before another fortnight, if the weather continues agreeable, the house will be near completion. There is a striking contrast between the house as it now, stands and the house following the dynamiting of 'that fateful October night a half dozen years ago. For all those years the house remained in its misshapen and unsightly appearance, the prey of boys and others who visited it and it was believed by about every one that it could not be repaired but would eventually have to be razed to the ground. • Various persons had the property Inspected by carpenters, and it is stated that all were of the opinion that it could not be drawn back into shape. Last fall, however, Earle Reynoldsand wife, the famous vaudeville roller skating artists, who were visiting his mother, Mrs. S. R. Nichols in Rensselaer, looked at the house. Mr. Reynolds had: George Mustard examine the property and he stated that he could by means of iron braces, lock the walls back in their original positions. Mr. Reynolds then went to Chicago, saw Tom McCoy, the owndr, negotiated the purchase of the property and set Mr. Mustard at work on the task of lining it up. How perfectly the work has been accomplished is shown in the picture. The walls do not only appear straight, but they are absolutely straight and there is probably not a better braced house in Jasper county. It was necessary to build an entire new east side wall, including tho bay window which shows to good advantage in the picture and to lock the porch back against the house. The Btairway, which was blown out, has not yet been reinstated,

but the lumber is being redressed and will be installed shortly. At the same time new hardwood flooring will be put throughout the house. The basement, where the dynamite charge was placed, has been cleaned out, new cement laid to hide the hideous marks “tb© - " explosion aud tt is now“ in readiness for the installation of the heating plant. The inner walls, down stairs and up, have been straightened, lathed and plastered, the latter work being done by Turner & Son. Mr. Reynolds has been taking a deep interest in the work, notwithstanding the fact that he and Mrs. Reynolds are in California and it is a dull day that Mr. Mustard does not receive some word from him. He insists that the hpuse shall be the finest possible in every way and he sent a photograph with minute instructions for* painting his own house. The roof of the house and also the porch roof is to be moss green, the gables are to be brown, the main parts of the house white, the window sash black, while the steps and the stone trimmings are to be perfectly white. Mr. Reynolds will have the house wired with Sherwood conduit piping which he is shipping from California. The house will be named “Winslow Villa” after Col. Sam E. Winslow, president of the Winslow Skate Co., whose skates Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds use in their act. Mr. Reynolds will be here in May. and Col. Winslow and wife, who are now abroad, will arrive at their home in Massachusetts at about that time and Mr. Reynolds has invited them to come here for a visit. By that time Mr. Mustard hopes to have the house practically completed and ready for occupancy and Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds will doubtless be greatly surprised /and pleased at the transformation that has taken place since they were here a few weeks ago. The house will probably cost Mr. Reynolds about $5,000 when it is completed and it yrill be a SIO,OOO property. No decision has been made as to who will occupy it, but it is being sought by several of the best renting families in the city-. Its rejuvenation and beautifying and the landscaping of the premises are very fortunate for the other property owners in that fashionable section, and for the city in general.

WINSLOW VILLA