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Island History -
The lot on which this house stands was purchased in August of 1887
by a Doctor Snyder who had come to Kelleys Island to set up his
practice in February of the same year. He may have left the island
before building, as the next information relating to the house was
in an article in the Sandusky Weekly Register
of August of 1888 stating that a Captain Ed Collins built a house
next to Hubbard Dwelle on Division Street. Born in New York in
1826, Capt. Collins sailed for many years on Great Lakes
freighters before retiring and moving to Kelleys
Island with his family in 1880.
Capt. Collins purchased extensive
quarry lands on the island's west side that
yielded a superior quality of building, lime and flux stone, which
were shipped from Ashtabula to the Lake Superior region. Capt. To
accommodate heavy draft vessels, Capt. Collins
enlarged the West Bay Dock started in the 1840's by John Titus. For many years he and his son,
Edward Jr., worked together to supervise these holdings. The son
rented a house in the West Bay area, living there with his
family to be close to the quarries.
After
his first
store on Bookerman Road burned and he had purchased the General
Store business, in 1922 Frank Reinheimer bought this house to be
closer to his work. After Mr. Reinheimer's death, his widow sold the house
in 1930 to
the Village to be used as a house for island doctors.
The offer of free housing was an incentive to secure the much
needed services of a physician. The cost of the purchase was
divided between the Village and the Kelleys Island Lime and
Transport Company. (KIL&TCo.).
Source:
"The National Register Inventory
for Kelley Island" by Kevin and Betty Pape |
