Because of the condition of the house we will continue to live in our motorhome while doing the renovation. Since this will take a couple of years we needed to put in an RV pad. We're luckly to have the space behind the house where we will be able to hook up to all the utilities we will need. We had a local contractor dig a trench from the house back to the pad so we could run our sewer, water, power and a piece of conduit for phone and catv. Some time in the future the utilities we installed will be used in our future garage.

The house is on a corner and we have easy access to the pad from the side street. While we where waiting for the trench I installed a basic 50 amp RV power connection on the side of the house so we could hook up to the electric. Now that the pad and full hookups are in we have a guest electric hookup for friends who may visit.

The first week was spent cleaning out the first floor and (ugh) the basement. Water had sat for a couple of weeks with the heavy spring rains and everything was moldy. We scrubbed the walls with bleach and it smells much better now. Cobwebs were everywhere and old wiring had to come out.

Pretty nice huh, if it only looked like this now. This picture was taken in the 1920's. Only two of the maple trees along the sidewalk remain, centered on the front of the house they are probably 40 feet tall.

Built in 1899 by Joseph Elvidge. this was the first house built in Lone Rock, IA.

After almost 110 years, too many owners to count and standing vacant for at least ten years the poor thing was showing some wear and tear. We purchased the house from the builders grandson. He bought it for back taxes several years ago and probably saved the house by putting a new roof on it right away. He gutted the first floor over two winters but just didn't have the time to restore it the way it should be. This is how it looks today.

It has good bones and alot of potential to become a very nice home for Joan and I. We estimate at least two years, working in the fall before it will be livable.