Eastwood Park Reporter

As part of our coverage of the 1992 Tour of Homes, the Eastwood Park Reporter presents the fourth part of a four-part series on the 1992 Tour of Homes participants.

Ron and Judy Chiles' home is located at 211 9th Street SE. Records in the office of the city tax assessor indicate the home was built in 1917. The registered owner of the property at that time was Gertrude Wendt, wife of William D. Wendt, who was the Ward County Superintendent of Schools from January, 1914 to May, 1918.

In 1922, they sold this home and moved to Cresco, Iowa, according to the Ward County Directory for that year.

The new owner, J.A. Charbonneau, was Secretary-Treasurer for Westlie-Charbonneau Co., the local Ford automobile sales and repair agency. The original five-room home, consisting of a modest parlor, dining room and kitchen on the first floor and two small bedrooms and a bath on the second floor, apparently remained unchanged during the five years that the Charbonneaus lived in it. In 1927, the home was purchased by A.M. Christensen and his wife, Amy.

Mr. Christensen was secretary and treasurer of the Valker-Christensen Co., Inc. at the time. He and Amy were already residents of Eastwood Park, just one block west and south at 229 8th Street SE. In 1935, the house was expanded to the rear, adding a den, or library, on the first floor, an attached single car garage at ground level, and a generously-sized third bedroom on the second floor. Sometime in the early forties, the broad porch across the front of the house was removed, and the front wall of the house was moved toward the street approximately eight feet, yielded a half-bath, entry vestibule,, and much larger living room on the first floor and a master bedroom above nearly fifty percent larger than before. A beautiful panelled fireplace with tall windows on either side was added to the south wall of the living room. The current lap siding was installed during this later addition. Each of these additions resulted in significant changes to the roofline of the house, resulting in gables on all four elevations, trimmed with a distinctive crown molding, and three dormers.

A.M. and Amy raised their son, Ralph, in this home and continued to live here long after he was grown and married. When A.M. died, Amy remained in the home until she was no longer able to do so. The home was sold to James and Gail Whitfield in 1974, and subsequently to Art and Linda Monroe in 1976. Art was an Air Force pilot, assigned to Minot AFB at the time. In 1978, the house was sold to the Chiles family.

Ron, Judy and sons, Chris and Jeff, have enjoyed living in this comfortable, spacious home. Some interesting features not found in most homes are the crown molding in the living and dining rooms, Phillippine mahogany panelling in the den, and a vaulted ceiling in the master bedroom. Few changes have been made to the house in the last fourteen years. Come and visit with Ron and Judy. They will be happy to see you and share more about their home with you.