Two century-old homes in Davenport that had once been marked for demolition have gained a new lease on life and are set to become homes for refugee families. Foundation of First Presbyterian Church and Tapestry Farms led an eighteen-month effort to transform these homes.
The project was inspired by a concert in March 2025 by the Justice Choir of the Midwest that benefited Tapestry Farms where the need for housing for refugee families was highlighted.
“These houses have already been part of this community for more than 100 years,” said Nancy Chapman, a member of First Presbyterian who led the project. “In a time when our community is struggling with having enough affordable housing, the renovation of these two homes represents one model of how collaboration can turn viable, yet vacant, housing into beautiful homes,” added Ann McGlynn, founder and executive director of Tapestry Farms. “There’s nothing on these properties that we haven’t touched in order to get it ready and safe for a family to come into,” Manning said. McGlynn said the homes’ original features were worth preserving. “Oh, but they have such good bones,” McGlynn said. “You know, there are fireplaces and there are cabinets that are built into the walls and beautiful woodwork and so it was just a matter of uncovering all of that and making it shine again,” McGlynn added, saying the homes will provide more than just a place to live. She said she comes from a large family and that her parents immigrated to the United States. “It just gave me a lot of pride,” Morales-Salsido said.
The church then cancelled the demolition contract and began working with the organisation to rehabilitate the homes. It will welcome new families into the neighbourhood near First Presbyterian Church in central Davenport. “Now they have the opportunity to serve our community in a renewed way. They will be lived in, cared for and filled with the everyday moments that make a house a home. They include backyards where the families can grow gardens and are near a playground, school, bank and other amenities. For project manager Lupe Morales-Salsido, the work carried a personal connection.