Historic Corridor Home Being Moved to Another City Next Week

The move is going to be a nightmare for traffic, but I'm sure glad it's happening.

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Earlier this year, the home above was listed as one of the six properties in Iowa that were most endangered. As you can see from the photo below, it's being saved. The big move happens next week. It should be a sight to see.

The Queen Anne-style home is known as the George House. It was built by Jacob and Martha George in 1892. The George family owned in excess of 450 acres of farmland in the area where the city of North Liberty is now located. The city wouldn't be incorporated until 1913, 21 years after the house was built.

According to Preservation Iowa, in addition to Jacob George's huge farm, he also "operated a successful saw, feed, and sorghum mill and was a vice-president of North Liberty Savings Bank."

The 2,800-square-foot home with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms is being moved after the property where its located was rezoned. Plans call for two buildings, with a total of 24 residential units, to be built on the 1 1/2 acre lot where the George House now sits.

What to do with the house? The developer offered the home for free to anyone willing to pay to move it. Thankfully, a family came forward. They'll be getting a historic home with one beautiful spiral staircase.

According to the City of North Liberty, the house will be moved beginning at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, June 13. The house is at 10 Jaro Way, off North Front Street, in North Liberty. It will be traveling along Front and Penn streets, which will impact travel greatly. Access to and from I-380 along Penn Street (exit 4) is one of the impacted areas, most likely between 9 a.m. on noon on Tuesday. If at all possible, you should avoid that area as significant delays are expected.

Traffic lights at the intersection of Penn Street and Jones Boulevard will be taken down beginning Monday, June 12 at 6:30 p.m. That intersection will then be closed to traffic with a detour in place until signals are and put back up on Tuesday afternoon, once the house has moved through the area.

If you'd like to witness the move, the Ranshaw House lawn (515 Community Drive in North Liberty) will be available Tuesday morning. The George House should go by that area around 10 a.m.

The George House's final destination is Oxford, just over 13 miles from North Liberty, when avoiding the interstate. Let's hope the move allows this piece of Iowa history to live on for decades to come.