The Renihan House Project

10/25/2026

There has been a major setback with the house restoration. 🏚️💔 After nearly six months of conversations and repeated assurances that the project was well within my budget, my contractor’s estimate came in more than $80,000 over budget. To say I’m frustrated and disappointed would be an understatement.

Thankfully, I’ve connected with others who have restored houses like this. They believe the project is still doable within my budget and have offered to connect me with reputable contractors who have experience with this kind of work. Their encouragement has given me some renewed hope. There’s still a lot to figure out, but I’m not ready to give up. 🛠️🏡❤️

09/26/2026

09/10/2026

🏚️ Ranahan House Update — Progress Is Still Progress

It’s been a little while since I’ve shared an update, but work at the Ranahan House definitely hasn’t stopped.

A lot of my time has been spent down in the basement continuing the tuckpointing. It has been a LONG process—working on it a few nights a week after work, one section and one bag of mortar at a time. It’s not the most glamorous part of restoring an old house, but giving this foundation the attention it needs now is important for everything that comes next.

I did have to step away from the Ranahan House for a little bit because the house I’m living in needed some work and attention. Sometimes life decides the renovation schedule for you. 😂

In between everything else, I’ve continued working outside—cleaning up the property, doing yardwork, cutting down trees, and slowly reclaiming a yard that had been neglected for decades.

This project keeps reminding me that restoring a house that has sat vacant for more than 60 years isn’t going to happen overnight. Some weeks bring huge changes, and other weeks the victory is another section of foundation finished and another pile of brush gone.

But every night of work is one step closer.

This old house waited a long time for someone to care about it again. I think it can wait a little longer while I do it right. ❤️🏚️

More to a come from the Ranahan House.

07/09/2026

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07/04/2026

Please Follow the Renihan House Restoration Project

If you’ve been following along, thank you for being part of this journey.

The Renihan House has stood in Davenport for 146 years. For more than 60 of those years, it sat vacant, deteriorating, and slowly disappearing from the neighborhood. Many people looked at it and saw a teardown. We saw a chance to save a piece of Davenport history.

What began as a $1 purchase has become a labor of love involving thousands of hours of work, countless loads of debris, and more surprises than we can count. Every week uncovers another chapter of this home’s story—from hidden architectural details and historic craftsmanship to artifacts left behind by generations who once called this place home.

There are still many challenges ahead. Walls to rebuild. Porches to restore. Utilities to replace. Countless decisions to make. But with every board uncovered and every room cleaned out, the vision becomes a little clearer.

If you enjoy old houses, local history, historic preservation, or simply cheering on an underdog, please follow along. Share the posts, invite your friends, and watch as a forgotten house is given a second chance.

The goal isn’t just to restore a building. It’s to preserve a piece of Davenport’s story for the next generation.

The Renihan House isn’t finished yet—but it’s no longer forgotten.

🏚️❤️🏡

07/04/2026

Week 8 at the Renihan House

Today’s project was tearing out the front porch ceiling, and it turned into one of those jobs that looked much easier from the ground.

The material above the ceiling was far heavier than the plaster we’ve been removing inside the house. Every section seemed to weigh twice what we expected. After decades of neglect, the debris also came with a powerful reminder that we weren’t the only occupants over the last 60+ years. The smell of animal urine was overwhelming, making this one of the less glamorous parts of restoring a 146-year-old house.

But once again, the house rewarded the effort.

As the ceiling came down, we got our first good look at the original lumber and framing hidden underneath. The wood is in remarkably good condition. The roof decking is solid, the framing is straight, and the craftsmanship is a reminder that these old homes were built to last. For a house that sat vacant for more than half a century, it’s amazing to see how much of the original structure remains sound.

Historic preservation isn’t always exciting discoveries and beautiful finished rooms. Sometimes it’s sweat, dust, questionable smells, and hauling debris in the summer heat. But every layer we remove reveals more of the house that has been waiting all these years to be seen again.

Week 8 is almost in the books. The porch ceiling is coming down, the original structure is being uncovered, and the Renihan House keeps proving it’s worth saving.

🏚️➡️🏡

06/29/2026

The outside clean up continues’

06/28/2026

After months of cleaning, hauling debris, tearing out plaster, and slowly bringing this 146-year-old house back to life, I finally had power on site with a generator. For the first time, it felt like real progress.

Then sometime overnight, someone broke in and stole my Honda generator.

I’m not going to lie—today feels like a major setback. The generator wasn’t a luxury. It was the one thing making it possible to run tools, lights, fans, and continue the restoration work. Right now, replacing it simply isn’t in the budget.

It’s frustrating to pour so much time, energy, and money into saving a piece of Davenport history, only to have something like this happen. But if this project has taught me anything, it’s that setbacks are part of the journey.

So today I’ll take a deep breath, pick up the pieces, and keep moving forward. The house has survived 146 years of challenges. I suppose I can survive one more.

If anyone in the Quad Cities happens to see a recently stolen Honda generator being sold under suspicious circumstances, please send me a message.

Here’s hoping tomorrow is a better day.