John R. Boyle House

John R. Boyle House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
The steps from in front of where the house was located.
Location	408 E. 6th St. Davenport, Iowa
Coordinates	41°31′33″N 90°34′10″W
Area	less than one acre
Built	1866
Architectural style	Italianate
MPS	Davenport MRA
NRHP reference No.	83002403
Added to NRHP	July 7, 1983

The John R. Boyle House was a historic building located on the east side of Davenport, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, and has subsequently been torn down.

History

John R. Boyle was a railroad contractor who built sections of the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad, which became part of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. He also worked on the Chicago and North Western Railway and the Union Pacific Railroad. He built this house not far from the railroad tracks in 1865–1866, shortly after moving to Davenport. Boyle moved to a farm north of the city in 1877. He died in 1895.

Architecture

The Boyle House was typical of Davenport's Italianate houses while at the same time, it made its own personal architectural statement. The two-story brick structure was built on a stone foundation. It featured a square form, a shallow roof, and bracketed eaves. The door and window treatments were what made this a unique dwelling. Here it featured segmental and Tudor arches along with openings with chamfered corners. There was a small projecting bay on the west side of the house with flat arches. It also had a front porch that had been removed at some point.