Capitol II Theatre - Newton, Iowa

I snapped a quick picture while visiting the Capitol II Theatre in Newton, Iowa last week - the place does show its age in places, but it's really gorgeous and has great potential!
Newton is half an hour north of us, and the owners of the theater there are going through many of the same things that our group here in Knoxville is, or will be once we start renovations and the digital conversion at our theater. It's nice to have friends in the industry! :)
If you're in the area, stop by and check them out....you might even meet Joy, the family pig that helps with popcorn cleanup after showings!
Our project: Grand Theater - Knoxville, Iowa - PO Box 151, Knoxville, Iowa  50138
All donations are tax deductible, and we would LOVE to have your support! :)

Just the other day, we received a donation from this woman's granddaughter! This was the owner of two movie houses here in Knoxville through the 1930's and 40's - this photo (and several others she shared with us) were taken inside the Grand and will be tremendously useful during our renovation!

A pretty typical Friday night..

This past Friday, I had the opportunity to take a private tour of the State Capitol Building.
Because I did, that's why..

Under the dome, looking toward the main staircase

Looking up from the floor of the rotunda to the murals and gilding above.
For YEARS when I was younger, the dome was wrapped in scaffolding as they restored and  re-gilded the interior and exterior. It's such a beautiful building now that major restoration work has been finished.
You can walk around the inside of the dome at two different levels - unfortunately, we didn't on this tour.

Crazy detailed ceilings to the side of the rotunda, just inside the east entrance.

North entrance to the building with stairs leading up to the Senate Chambers.

Second level rotunda, looking east toward the Law Library.

West side of the third level - really detailed tiled mosaics.

Looking down from the Senate stairs.

The Governor's public Reception Room.

The Law Library - the entire east end of the building, top to bottom.
Recently ranked as one of the most beautiful libraries in the world!

Love a good spiral stair..

Smelled like...a really old library. Lots of leather.

Stained glass skylight in the Senate Chamber.

The gallery of the Senate Chamber.

The man who designed the Statehouse actually also designed the Marion County Courthouse.
Well..actually, he designed our Courthouse, then the Statehouse..then he left that job prematurely to design the Washington Monument. I guess you could say we made him famous. :)

Kind of a big deal.

Next door...

As you can see, it’s been a busy day for updates! Strike while the iron’s hot, I suppose..

As I’ve written about from time to time throughout this blog, the house next door is slated for demolition. Well, I think we’ve finally arrived at demolition time.

Over the course of the last week, there has been a small crew in and out of the house removing furniture and other items left behind as well as really combing through the building – they’ve removed the old appliances and mechanical systems as well as a pretty good sized pile of copper pipe for scrapping. Last I spoke with them, they had hoped to get started sometime around…today, but they did have a few other contracts to satisfy.

This is kind of bittersweet for me as it is for many in the neighborhood and around town. Everyone I talk to seems to share the same sentiment – they wish it could be saved, they love the architecture and the history of the house, but it has just sat empty and exposed for too long. It’s really gone downhill in the last few years, and, sadly, it’s just time for it to go.

Before my walk to work this morning, I made one last loop around the house with my phone to record what it is before it’s taken down. I also found an old picture of the house from its glory days – hope you enjoy.

Rear of the house - from the alley.

NW corner - from my driveway.

SW corner - from my driveway.

SE corner - same perspective as the old picture below.

NE corner - behind the garage.

SE corner - found in a book about Knoxville history, no less!

Shingles, garage doors, and other cool stuff

Since the last installment, we’ve made some pretty noticeable progress, I’d say!

First, the roofers are nearly done! In fact, they should be finishing as I write this..

Before..

That process proved to take a bit longer than anticipated – not only were there several layers to tear off the steep roof in the front of the house, but one of the crew members had a family emergency and the entire crew was unable to work for a couple days. I can’t complain about that..because I have a soul. Luckily for us, the weather has been absolutely terrific and I’m not the slightest bit worried. My mother, on the other hand, seems to think that I will be the coziest little bat hotel in the tri-county area. I had no idea how deathly afraid of bats the women around me are until we started this project, but we’re working through it.

Working away..

Nearly done!

Snazzy recycled garage door.

With the roof nearly complete – and a snazzy new/recycled-from-the-old-garage-garage door in place – our work on the house will really fly from here. We can use the garage space to its fullest potential now – storage, workshop, shelter, etc. My dad is already planning for the workshop he’s putting together out there. The joke is that once the house is finished, I won’t actually be able to park in my own garage because he’ll have it so filled with table saws and planers that I’ll end up in the street. We all make sacrifices. J

Inside the house, we’re building walls! Not only are we stiffening and restructuring some of the existing walls, we’re also tweaking things slightly, making spaces more workable, and improving the wiring, plumbing, and insulation along the way. It shouldn’t be too long before there’s new drywall hanging back here – who knows..maybe one day I’ll get to live here?

Removing the old windows between the laundry and the garage.

...and installing a door!

First batch of carpet coming up. Stay tuned for more!

Splainin' to do.

So, why – you might ask – would I buy a house that looks like this one? With the rotting, twisted garage and the layers and layers of shingles piled atop its tiny roof, it doesn’t make a very strong case for itself at times…and that’s before you see all the wallpaper and the knob and tube wiring.

The answer is that old real estate mantra: location, location, location!

Not only will my tiny, little house be about two blocks from my office, it’s also the same distance to several restaurants, a small grocery, the library, City Hall, and the microbrewery. Key among them: the microbrewery J Not only that, but my tiny, little house is located in one of the most architecturally diverse neighborhoods in town – something I really enjoy. So while the garage may have you spooked, or the next-door neighbor’s house with all its ills may be an eyesore for the moment, check out the views across the street!

And down the block:

Behind me:

Around the corner:

And, a couple blocks away:

Yes, my tiny house has its issues. But I’m sold on the big-old trees, the big-old houses, and the small-town charm. That’s all for now – come back soon!