Reeds in reno mode on ‘Sears’ house
By Suzanne Werre
Editor
What started as a desire to buy a three-stall garage has turned into a major reconstruction project at a well-known house in Underwood.
The two-story yellow house, located at 201 1st St in Underwood is widely thought to be the second house ever built in Underwood. According to city records, the house on the corner of 1st St. and Garfield probably isn’t the second oldest house in town, but it is still one of the oldest, noted city auditor Diane Schell.
Denny and Rebecca (Becky) Reed were already seriously interested in purchasing that corner lot just off of McLean Cty 14, but following a water line break that caused major damage to the house, the previous owner dropped the price considerably this past spring, making the property too good of a deal to pass up.
The Reeds decided to purchase the property to do not just a renovation but a complete restoration of the 100-plus-year-old house from the foundation up.
According to city records, the house was built in 1908, and the first owners were Fred and Lydia Eman. It has since changed hands several times, most recently owned by Verion Hetle.
Denny has worked in construction for years, he noted, having licenses in the states of Michigan and Florida. He works at Coteau Mining Properties now, but his construction skills are still very much intact, and he was excited to dive into the project once they made the purchase.
