An Iowa City house finds a new home

What does it take to move a house?

On Wednesday in Iowa City, it took a large truck, an even larger dolly trailer, close to $225,000 and several hours on the road to move a 100-year-old house approximately four blocks.

Alicia Trimble, executive director with Friends of Historic Preservation in Iowa City, the organization that headed the move, said it was worth the effort to save the historic Houser-Metzger House.

The move went without a hitch, Trimble said Wednesday afternoon.

'It went better than expected,' she said. 'My heart was in my throat the whole time, but they knew what they were doing.'

Crews on Wednesday transported the 19th century Queen Anne home from 422 Iowa Avenue — where it stood for about 120 years — to its newly poured foundation at 623 College St.

As the house was transported south on Van Buren Street, east onto Washington Street, south on Dodge Street and then back west on College Street, utilities officials had to disconnect overhead power lines in front of the house and then reconnect them after the massive cargo had passed.

It only took a few hours to get the house to its new site, with several more spent lining the house up with the foundation, Trimble said.

Friends of Historic Preservation hosted a lunch at College Green Park so members of the community could watch the house's journey.

'There was a lot of people here ... it felt like a party,' Trimble said.

When lightning struck Hans and Barbara Breder's 623 College St. house last October, the fire — and subsequent water damage as firefighters extinguished the flames — damaged the house beyond repair.

Trimble said the Breders, who have moved to a new home, were very gracious in selling the College Street plot to Friends of Historic Preservation at a reasonable price.

Trimble said, with the move costing about $40,000 per block traveled, the nearby College Street plot was the perfect opportunity to save the house.

All told, Wednesday's effort is estimated to cost about $225,000, Trimble said.

The Houser-Metzger House will be updated and sold for residential use.

'The hope is we'll sell it and recoup all of our costs,' Trimble said. 'If we lose money on this, it will be less likely that we'll be able to do it again.'

The last time Friends of Historic Preservation relocated a house was in 1992, Trimble said.

United Action for Youth, a non-profit that provides social services to area youth and young parents, sold the houses at 410 and 422 Iowa Avenue to Madison, Wis. company Court Street Apartments LLC., which plans to build high-end apartments on the site.

UAY's main offices are now located at Eastdale Plaza, at 1700 S. First Ave.

UAY had been located in the two houses since the late 80s, said Stu Mullins, UAY's executive director.

Mullins said he and many on UAY's staff are thrilled that one of the two houses was saved from the wrecking ball.

'The staff, the board, we're all just very happy,' Mullins said.