Moving Experience — Phase 1
This artistic rendering is of a Christmas wreath and sign that were tacked to the historic Nissen House in Lewisville weeks ago.
Nissen House Move
Happy New Year, everyone! Perhaps you’ve noticed that I’ve posted this New Year’s Day blog entry much later in the day than I usually do. I have a written excuse, though. It’s summed up in four simple words: “Nissen House is Moving.”
I spent a good portion of yesterday (December 31) and much of today (January 1) photographically documenting the moving of the historic Nissen House in Lewisville from the place where it has rested for over 130 years to its new home just down the street.
I simply ran out of photo editing and processing time on yesterday’s shots. And all of a sudden it was time to head back to the site early this morning as the house-moving process continued from where it left off the day before.
Yesterday’s moving phase resulted in the Nissen House being moved approximately 100 feet from its original location to the street’s edge. Today, the house made it down the street to its new home site, although it has not been positioned on the footings. That final task is slated for Monday, January 5.
The Movers
Aside from the important historical nature of the house’s move and the fact that it, thankfully, has been saved from demolition, there’s another side of the story that has impressed me. It has to do with the movers themselves — all men — who employed a high-degree of skill and effort in order to move the house.
Frankly, I haven’t seen men work so hard in a very long time! (Now, don’t misconstrue my statement. I’m not one of those who think men rarely work hard at all!) Moreover, the men moving the Nissen House — who are with Blake Moving Company in Greensboro — exercised the qualities of patience, stamina, problem-solving and teamwork, which are critical for the complicated and tedious task of moving houses. There were no hotheads, no prima donnas, and definitely no slackers in the group.
As demanding as the first phase was, today’s portion of the move brought even more challenges and time-consuming, energy-sapping twists and turns. Yet no one on the team got bent out of shape. They simply worked together — and worked hard — to solve the challenges they encountered.
Photo Gallery
Photos from yesterday’s first phase of the Nissen House move can be seen in the Nissen House Relocation – Phase 1 photo gallery. You’ll see the movers hard at work in their various roles, plus you’ll see the faces of those who came to watch the Nissen House move. Among the onlookers are members of the Lewisville Historical Society and others who played key roles in saving the Nissen House.
If you’re looking for more Nissen House information, please check out all of the Nissen House articles featured on this website.
In Between
Transitional measures are underway in preparation for relocating the Nissen House.
While out photographing the light snow that fell in Lewisville last Friday, I also pointed my camera toward the Nissen House.
As can be seen in this photo, the side porches have been removed so the house will fit on its new lot. The removal of the porches has actually brought the house closer to its basic structure of over 100 years ago, as can be observed in an old photo of the Nissen House taken around 1900.
Legal and financial proceedings between the town council and the Lewisville Historical Society have made the relocation possible through loans from both the town and individuals, as well as from private donations.
An ongoing fundraising campaign will likely be necessary, in order for the loans to be repaid by the historical society within an agreed-upon period. Renovation requirements will also need to be a focus of fundraising efforts.
To view a few more photos of the Nissen House taken last Friday, including a few photos of the property on which the house will soon reside, please visit the November 2008 Nissen House photo gallery. (The new property is located behind town hall, just down from Lewisville Elementary School, at the corner of Lucy Lane and Arrow Leaf Drive.)
To reminisce about the Nissen House as it was no more than two months ago, I’ve provided a few earlier photos of it in the October 2008 Nissen House photo gallery.
Depending on the weather, the move is expected to take place within the next week. Stay tuned here for more coverage when the Nissen House journeys to its new location.
Update on 3/18/09: The Nissen House was relocated less than two months after this post. If you’re looking for more Nissen House information, please check out all of the Nissen House articles featured on this website.
The Nissen House, c. 1900
The John and Almira Kiger family are pictured with seven of their eleven children in front of the Nissen House about 1900.
Now and Then
The Dampier family is shown here in a light-hearted moment in front of the Nissen House in Lewisville. From left to right are Tina, Katherine, Will, Mary, Doug and Teresa.
I first met Doug Dampier several months ago while I was taking photos around Shallowford Square. Doug is a very friendly man who seems at ease with most anyone he meets. At the time, Doug and his sister, Tina, were co-owners of the Nissen House in Lewisville. A few weeks later, Doug called me with an idea. But first, allow me to share some background on the Nissen House.
The Nissen House
The Nissen House is located across from Shallowford Square at the corner of Shallowford Road and Arrow Leaf Drive in Lewisville. The house was built about 1876 by George Nissen, who owned Nissen Wagon Works. Besides the Nissen family, the home was occupied decades ago by a Baptist preacher named Sid Conrad, as well as by John and Almira Kiger and their eleven children in the early 1900s. In more recent years, it’s been home to a family-run bakery and greenhouse.
To read more on the history of the Nissen House, please continue to the NEXT SECTION. CLICK for more on the Nissen House — and the Dampier family
