Louis P. Best Mansion, "Grandview"

07/15/2021

Stain and finish finally completed on fireplace cabinet doors. See picture with doors missing.

03/31/2021

Gretchen Best graduated from Davenport High School in 1923. She created a photo album of snap shots taken during graduation and throughout the summer and fall. It is full of friends and family. In the group is this photo of "Raymond", but it has remained mystery as to who he was.

Using the resources available in Ancestry.com, it was just now discovered that Chauffer, Fred Gehbauer and his wife Minnie, had a son named Raymond, born in 1917. Without a doubt, that is the fellow in the photo, taken at the SW corner of the house. He would have been 6 years old at the time of the photo. The research also provided an answer as to initials, "CS" and name, "Carl Speth" carved in a brick wall in the boiler room. It turns out that Carl was Minnie Gehbauer's brother and may have also worked or helped out at the Best mansion.

01/10/2021

Making progress in the final steps of replacing missing leaded glass doors in the dining room. They still need to be stained and finished.

08/15/2020

This years exterior paint and renovations is nearly complete. These pictures were taken a few days after the maple in front of the house was lost to the 8/10/20 derecho.

06/13/2020

More painting progress. This is the north tower, with Spanish parapet at top.

06/12/2020

A long awaited painting project is beginning at Grandview. We're going back to the colors of the original stucco. The smooth is approximately the color of limestone and rough cast is a darker shade of brownish gray.
Here is our test panel.

02/13/2019

Vacuum pump used in L P Best heating system. 1911 Sat, Oct 28, 1911 – 70 · The Daily Times (Davenport, Scott, Iowa, United States of America) · Newspapers.com

Clipping found in The Daily Times in Davenport, Scott, Iowa, United States of America on Oct 28, 1911. Vacuum pump used in L P Best heating system. 1911

12/25/2018

New "old" light fixtures in the basement laundry room. Fixtures hung on historically accurate cloth covered twisted cord. Sometimes its baby steps.

11/19/2018

The big project this year was reconstructing the front and side porch stairs. Winter came soon, so stucco coat on the wing walls and paint will have to wait until spring.