Crews were moving a two-story house about four blocks today, a process that began at about 9 a.m. and took about an hour.
The Bowlus Fine Arts Center sold the house to USD 257, which will move it to a lot near Iola Middle School, at the intersection of Jackson and Colborn. The construction trades class at the Regional Rural Technical Center will remodel the house so it can be sold.
The Bowlus will create a parking lot at the former location.
Iola city crews began disassembling the stop light fixtures at the intersection of Buckeye Street and Madison Avenue Wednesday in preparation for the move.
Iola City Council members agreed Monday to have the lights reinstalled after the house is moved.
The stop light fixtures for east-west traffic on Madison will remain in place, and will utilize flashing yellow lights while the other fixtures are out of commission.
Rain and snow earlier in the week left a muddy hole at the new location, but rock was added to provide more stability. A foundation had been prepared earlier.
The school district in November 2020 approved spending up to $100,000 to move and remodel the house.
The project likely will include updates tol the house’s two bathrooms and kitchen, replace the floor in the entryway and build new porches. It’s possible the house could need a new roof, siding and windows. The class also will consider adding a garage.
See more photos in Saturday’s edition.
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