Out of the woods: Preservationist restores 1915 home

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By Alma Gaul | Friday, May 02, 2008 | No comments posted

Editor’s note: In celebration of National Historic Preservation Month, we will present three sets of stories saluting preservation efforts in the Quad-Cities, beginning today with Rock Island. We’ll look at Moline on May 18 and Scott County on May 25.

Travel up Rock Island’s 20th Street in the area of 16th Avenue and you follow a swath of history.

To the north of 16th is the storied Villa de Chantal property, a 1900s Catholic girls school/convent that was the finest example of Gothic Revival architecture in the Quad-Cities before it burned in 2005.

To the north of 16th are two homes associated with John Looney, an early 20th-century gangster who controlled a crime syndicate involved in liquor, gambling and prostitution that shot its rivals, paid off police and blackmailed prominent citizens with threats of exposure.

And tucked in between the two Looney homes is a brick Colonial Revival home barely visible from the street that was built about 1915 by Harry W. Cozad, one of the founders of Bituminous Insurance, a company that still exists today.

As we said, it’s a swath of history.

And that is why the Rock Island Preservation Society was particularly happy to see the Cozad home — which had fallen on hard times and was sitting vacant — purchased and restored by old-house champion Mike Hammer. The home is part of the fabric of the historic Highland Park neighborhood.

For his efforts, Hammer will receive an award from the Rock Island Preservation Society, or RIPS, during its annual ceremony May 19.

He is no stranger to preservation. Hammer has received three previous commendations from RIPS, including an award in 1990 for work on the house he and his wife, Jean Dasso, now occupy. The property was boarded-up and appeared headed for demolition when they bought it.

Hammer said he has restored about 12 homes through the years and wasn’t really looking for another project when he acquired the Cozad house, but “neighbors encouraged me to buy it.”

“There had been no maintenance on it for 30-40 years and it needed everything,” he said. “That’s not a job for many people.”

The deal was signed in April 2006 and work began with clean-up, both inside and out.

New plumbing, electrical and heating/air conditioning systems were installed along with a new roof. Other work included the repair of broken windows and plaster, painting and the refinishing of all the floors.

Hammer figures he spent about $80,000 on the restoration. The property is being rented.

“Although our awards are intended to honor exterior restorations that can be seen from a public right-of-way, we are always delighted when a home is restored on the inside as well,” Diane Oestreich of the preservation society said. “The historic Cozad House is an outstanding example of such work.”

Alma Gaul can be contacted at (563) 383-2324 or agaul@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.

A closer look at the house

Harry Cozad built his home about 1915.

While most houses face streets, the Cozad dwelling is oriented sideways. Its west side is parallel to 20th Street while the front door looks onto a grassy lot.

The style is Colonial Revival, marked at the entrance with fluted columns and a broken pediment (ornamental triangular gable) over the door. Dormers on the attic floor feature arched-top windows.

The foyer has an oak floor, and straight ahead is an oak staircase.

To one’s left is a living room with an oak floor and a curved ceiling with deep crown molding, possibly made of cherry. There is also a fireplace with Craftsman-style paneling above and built-in bookcases with leaded-glass doors.

On the other side of the living room is a sunroom with windows on three sides and the other side of the living room fireplace.

The upstairs contains two bathrooms and four bedrooms, including the master suite with a fireplace and adjoining twin dressing rooms with built-in drawers and shelves. A fifth bedroom has been converted into a laundry room.

A closer look at Cozad

Harry Cozad was born in Reynolds, Ill., and became associated with H.H. Cleaveland Insurance.

In 1917, he and Harry Cleaveland established Bituminous Casualty Corp. for Illinois mine operators.

Bituminous is now a niche-market insurance company based in downtown Rock Island.

Cozad’s abrupt death in 1936 at the age of 51 was front-page news in The Rock Island Argus. He had been involved in politics and many civic organizations.

His home had three other owners before Mike Hammer bought it in 2006.

OTHER RIPS AWARDS

In addition to the award to be presented to Mike Hammer, the Rock Island Preservation Society will salute two advocacy projects:

n The City of Rock Island, for reusing portions of deconstructed buildings as park artifacts within the new Sylvan Slough Natural Area, which was built on formerly contaminated industrial land at the old Farmall Plant site.

n Friends of Longfellow School and the Keystone Neighborhood Association, for working “tirelessly to save their traditional and historic neighborhood school.”

And other awards will go to:

n Jeff and Martha Dismer, for extensive restoration of the Welch House, 817 23rd St.

n Al and Margaret Melody, for renovation and restoration of the Knox House, 736 22nd St.

n Bryan Pattschull and David Cordes, for renovation and restoration of the Sweeny House, 816 20th St.

Two certificates will be awarded to:

n Pete and Teri Cone, for replacing missing windows with appropriate windows and screens on their three-season porch at 1604 22nd St.

n Enyo Dewith, for a major restoration of his front porch at 1010 12th St.