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65 Year Old House Has Ride
Tribune photo published December 21, 1954

Movers have a job on their hands this week when they move this home from the present location on 310 Lincoln Way to a site on S. Third street.  The house was one of the older in town and was one of the town's finest structures.

The ground where the house is located was first platted in 1868.  The house was built by C.A. Duntz and the original owner was William Taylor, a railroad man.  It was considered on of the nicest homes in Ames when built.  This show-piece had all oak floors and woodwork, and two parlors for entertaining.  The heavy construction contrasts with the light airy construction of today.  The walls are of double thickness containing both plaster and brick.  The house also featured brass door knobs.

The lot has been purchased by Ed Sorenson who will use it for expansion of his trailer park.  The house has not had many tenants.  The past three were the Reis family, Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Duitch and the Ted Childs family.

Mrs. Childs remarked today about the fine construction of the home.  She said it was so well ventilated in the summer that only two of their downstairs windows required screens.  Wood-shaving insulation insured equally good insulation in the winter, she said.

The mid-1950s removal of the 1889 house from Lincoln Way is an example of the change of land usage which typically follows a major alteration in traffic patterns.  Nearly all of the homes which lined Lincoln Way in the days of less travel have now been replaced with commercial structures.  The 310 Lincoln Way address once occupied by the William Taylor home is used today for the Quiznos Sub/Gamers driveway and parking.  The Dairy Queen now occupies the 316 Lincoln Way address of the former downtown trailer park.

Many houses (indicated by yellow) seen on this 1940s era Sanborn Insurance map remained along Lincoln Way into the 1950s.  Pink coloring indicates commercial structures.  The William Taylor house featured on this page is highlighted in red.

The size of the structure, the distinctive roofline, and the fish scale treatment above the first floor bay window are among the few surviving reminders of the former grandeur of this early Ames home.