The House at 1316 Third Ave SE represents residential architectural styles and
vernacular homes appearing in Cedar Rapids’ neighborhoods during the 2nd and 3rd Avenue Historic District’s period of significance, 1890-1940.
In 1848, the land where the house now sits was part of a federal land patent granted by President James K. Polk. The property was sold to Joshua Phillips for one dollar per acre. In 1854, Coe College purchased it.
In 1882, Coe College sold the property. By the 1890s, the neighborhood was filled with impressive homes built for Cedar Rapids’ growing upper middle class. A local architect was hired to add a second story to the home in the Colonial Revival style.
In 1919, the house was converted into a duplex, with a kitchen added upstairs. Raymond Westrom purchased the house in the early 1970s. Ray worked as the chef at Cedar Rapids’ famous Roosevelt Hotel. He was an extraordinary collector. Visitors could find everything from Grant Wood’s framed butterfly collection to props from the movie “Gone With the Wind.” He gave tours to perhaps thousands of people visiting the home over the years. He added his own touches to the property; an enclosed front porch, a sunroom, a garage, and most dramatically, the cupola tower. The house was left to St. Paul’s United Methodist Church next door by Westrom. For nearly two decades the home stood vacant and has seen prolonged neglect and deferred maintenance.
In 2025 the church gifted the property to Matthew 25, along with $150,000 toward its restoration, launching a partnership making its revival possible. Matthew 25’s mission is to improve the health of people and neighborhoods by investing in quality affordable housing, healthy food, educational opportunities, and community building. In May 2025, work on the exterior began. Matthew 25 has completed hundreds of rehabilitation projects locally since its inception in 2007. The organization has rehabbed and currently owns 24 local rental properties. The house at 1316 Third Ave SE restoration is significant to Matthew 25’s as it is its first historic property to rehabilitate.
Photo Credits: Matthew 25 Staff
