I originally started this blog to communicate with family and friends about our restoration. Since we "reclaimed" Hills Prairie in 2004 we have not restored anything...but we did build a guesthouse, pool, pool house, and outdoor kitchen. 

Last month we started restoration with the assistance of John Volz, architect and Richard Obenhaus contractor. Richard's company has begun restoration. So far they are preparing the home to be leveled by taking out all the windows and doors. This week, the chimney's came down. We are attempting to keep as many of the original brick as we can to use when we put them back up mixed in with the 1880's brick we bought from the church in Iowa City. Octavio, the person doing the work said that he had never seen such well built chimneys. He called it a "phenomenon of physics" and was amazed at how perfect and straight the work was done by Adolf Jung back in the late 1800's.

I will post pictures when I can.