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Coyle Farmstead Moved to New Location The Coyle House was lowered onto its new foundation on Tuesday, February 3, 2009, after contractors made a small adjustment to the slab.
Contractors said they discovered the previous day that the foundation built to support the fireplace chimney had been constructed a half-inch too tall. So a layer of concrete had to be shaved off before the house could be set in place.
After the concrete was removed, the house was lowered and the porte-cochere was reattached.
The architectural style and longevity of the Coyle House is significant, as it is one of the earliest surviving residences in Rowlett. The 1-½ story wood-frame farmhouse exemplifies the stylistic transition between the Queen Anne Victorian style that preceded it and the Craftsman-influenced houses that followed.
The Texas State Historic Preservation Officer deemed the home eligible to be included in the National Register of Historic Places. However, the house and its outbuildings – making up the J.E. Coyle Farmstead – were directly in the right of way of the President George Bush Turnpike Eastern Extension (PGBT EE) and needed to be moved in order to construct this critical mobility link, in which construction started in October 2008.
So, in accordance with the five-party mitigation agreement, the farmstead was relocated a third of a mile to Rowlett’s Pecan Grove Park from the corner of Main Street and Kirby Road, where it had stood since 1918. The mitigation agreement was signed in 2004 by the Federal Highway Administration, the North Texas Tollway Authority, the Texas Historical Commission (THC), Texas Department of Transportation and City of Rowlett.
The outbuildings include a wood-frame garage, wood-frame milking shed, concrete storm shelter, brick wellhead and pump house, and an ornamental wire fence.
A chicken coop that had collapsed over time is also being reconstructed on the new site according to its exact historic measurements.
Several trees also were relocated to replace some of the trees on the park property that were removed to make room for the house.
The move, including preparation of the new site and preservation of the structures during transportation, cost $780,000. The bid was given to the lowest qualified bidder and the process was open to the public.
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