Historical association sells Cape's Reynolds House

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been corrected to change the name of the buyer from Cape Girardeau Historical Restoration to Cape Girardeau Historic Restoration.

After struggling to determine the fate of the Reynolds House, the Historical Association of Greater Cape Girardeau sold the 152-year-old building Thursday to a limited liability company with the understanding that it be preserved, said the association's new president, Tom Grantham.

The building at 623 N. Main St. has fallen into disrepair over the past 30 years. The association's directors had discussed the building's future extensively but were unable to reach any decisions.

The sale to Cape Girardeau Historic Restoration was closed Thursday and the transaction was handled at no cost by Exit Realty-Thomas Meyer Associates of Cape Girardeau, Grantham said.

Grantham would not disclose the sale price.

The historical association sold the house on the condition the new owners would develop a plan for preserving and maintaining the structure.

Cape Girardeau Historic Restoration has an interest in making the necessary repairs on the house, something the association just didn't have the resources to accomplish, even with the addition of a $50,000 anonymous donation in 2008 that allowed some work to be done on the building, Grantham said.

"This became the best option for us," Grantham said. "We knew we couldn't do the Reynolds House justice, so this presented the opportunity to go forward."

Simple maintenance on the historic Glenn House occupies the majority of the association's revenue, with utilities and insurance costing about $10,000 a year and repairs costing between $10,000 and $20,000 yearly, Grantham said.

As the Glenn House, built in 1883, continues to age, the historical association finds itself funding more repairs, a "very big job," he said.

The historical association had owned the Reynolds House since 1982, when the home was placed on the National Register on Historic Places.

bdicosmo@semissourian.com

388-3635

Pertinent address:

623 N. Main St.