Henry Kahl House
Encyclopedia
The Henry Kahl House, is located on a bluff overlooking the west end of Davenport, Iowa
, United States
. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
to use for charitable purposes. In 1954 Bishop Ralph Leo Hayes
invited the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm to the diocese and in 1955 they turned the house into a 25-bed, dormitory-style retirement home called the Kahl Home for the Aged and Infirm. Originally, the home housed only women. In 1963 they added a modern building and a chapel onto the main house. This made it possible to care for men as well. A 1987 addition brought the total number of beds to 135. The original house provides living space for the sisters, offices and guest rooms. In 2009 the Sisters announced that they intended to build a new facility on the north side of the city and vacate the central Davenport location.
. At 16 he started working for Davenport contractor P.T. Walsh and rose up through the ranks of the company that built railroads across the United States. Eventually he became vice president of the company and oversaw the work on the New York Central Railroad
. By the age of 45 he was a partner in the construction firm and a self made millionaire and with his money he invested in various companies and real estate. He bought property along Third Street in downtown Davenport. On one of the parcels he built the Kahl Building
. He died in 1931 at the age of 56.
in a combination of the Spanish revival and Mission revival styles. The house was designed by Arthur Ebeling who also designed the Regina Coeli Monastery
and the Kahl Building downtown.
Davenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
History
Henry Kahl had the house built for his family home in 1920. Davenport banker V.O. Figge and his wife Elizabeth, who was Henry Kahl's daughter, donated the house and its property to the Catholic Diocese of DavenportRoman Catholic Diocese of Davenport
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport is a diocese of the Catholic Church for the southeastern quarter of the state of Iowa. There are within the diocese...
to use for charitable purposes. In 1954 Bishop Ralph Leo Hayes
Ralph Leo Hayes
Ralph Leo Hayes was a 20th century bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Helena in the state of Montana from 1933–1935, and as the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Davenport in the state of Iowa from 1944-1966...
invited the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm to the diocese and in 1955 they turned the house into a 25-bed, dormitory-style retirement home called the Kahl Home for the Aged and Infirm. Originally, the home housed only women. In 1963 they added a modern building and a chapel onto the main house. This made it possible to care for men as well. A 1987 addition brought the total number of beds to 135. The original house provides living space for the sisters, offices and guest rooms. In 2009 the Sisters announced that they intended to build a new facility on the north side of the city and vacate the central Davenport location.
Henry Kahl
Henry Kahl was born in a small cottage on the northwest side of Davenport. By the age of 12 or 13 he was driving a mule team between Davenport and nearby Coal Valley, IllinoisCoal Valley, Illinois
The Village of Coal Valley is in both Rock Island County and Henry County in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 3,743 at the 2010 census, up from 3,606 at the 2000 census. It is mostly residential, housing families that work in or out of the greater Quad Cities Area...
. At 16 he started working for Davenport contractor P.T. Walsh and rose up through the ranks of the company that built railroads across the United States. Eventually he became vice president of the company and oversaw the work on the New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
. By the age of 45 he was a partner in the construction firm and a self made millionaire and with his money he invested in various companies and real estate. He bought property along Third Street in downtown Davenport. On one of the parcels he built the Kahl Building
Kahl Building
The Kahl Building, also known as Kahl Building and Capitol Theatre is a building located in Downtown Davenport, Iowa, USA, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building is ten-stories tall and constructed with a steel frame. Louis Sullivan’s Wainwright Building, in St. Louis,...
. He died in 1931 at the age of 56.
Architecture
The three-story house is built of cream colored brickBrick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
in a combination of the Spanish revival and Mission revival styles. The house was designed by Arthur Ebeling who also designed the Regina Coeli Monastery
Carmel of Eldridge (Iowa)
Regina Coeli Monastery is an historic building located in Bettendorf, Iowa, United States and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1984. The building currently houses an addictions rehabilitation facility called The Abbey Center.The Discalced Carmelite nuns who built...
and the Kahl Building downtown.