ROCK ISLAND – A Broadway Historic District resident who transformed the exterior of her historic property received the latest Broadway Beautification Award.
Carla Dacon received the award at Broadway Historic District’s August meeting for her work at the Hoge-Houder House located at 832 19th St., Rock Island. This home is a 1903 American Foursquare. Dacon replaced the roof, rebuilt the front porch, and painted it in historically appropriate colors.
Dacon noted this is a rental property purchased in 1989, which she had previously painted and roofed. Defective shingles led to the roof prematurely deteriorating, however, and the home was ready to be painted again, so Dacon opted for a whole house makeover approach. The recent work gave the home a new look and will help keep it structurally sound for many years to come.
While it is a rental property, Dacon lives two doors down herself, and plans on being a lifelong Broadway resident. Dacon knows it takes money and hard work to keep the homes maintained, but said it is worth it. She loves the character historic homes have that cookie cutter houses lack.
The quarterly Broadway Beautification Award was created by Broadway’s Beautification Committee to recognize Broadway residents for improvements and beautification activities. This award is sponsored jointly by Kindred Styles Antiques, 1918 7th Ave., Rock Island, which is owned by residents Gene and Jody Zwiefel, and Broadway Historic District. In addition to a certificate, the recipient receives a $50 gift card.
Colleen and Brant Vollmman were the first recipients, receiving the spring 2017 award for work at their home, 709 20th St., Rock Island. They removed invasive plants from the front yard, restored the lawn, added new landscaping, and installed French doors on the front of the house.
The Broadway Historic District is a 19th century neighborhood in the heart of Rock Island that is made up of more than 550 homes. The earliest residence is from 1854, with most of the homes built between 1890 and 1915. Learn more at www.BroadwayDistrict.org.
