Historic Coyle House in Rowlett to be moved January 19

by PegNews wire

NTTA contractors to move house to Pecan Grove Park.

ROWLETT — Contractors working for the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) have begun moving the historic structures of the Coyle Homestead located at Main Street and Kirby Road to their new resting site in Pecan Grove Park adjacent to the Rowlett Community Centre at 5300 Main Street.

The outbuildings and the original home are being moved to the new location for preservation due to their historic significance. Currently, the homestead is directly in the right of way for the President George Bush Turnpike Eastern Extension (PGBT EE).

The main home structure will be moved on Monday, January 19 beginning at approximately 10 a.m. Main Street and Kirby Road will be closed to through traffic between SH 66 and Miller Road beginning at approximately 7 a.m. until the home clears the intersection. Once the home is on Main Street, east of Kirby, all roads will re-open with the exception of east Main Street. Traffic at Rowlett High School and the Rowlett Community Centre will not be affected because both will be closed in observance of the national Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday.

Once all structures of the homestead are set in place on their new foundations in the park, contractors will secure the structures over the next several weeks and leave them in their original condition. The structures will be in very close proximity to the Rowlett Community Centre.

Once the structures are secured in their new location, the City of Rowlett will have approximately five years to restore the homestead for public use. The City Council has already discussed several options for the use of the homestead, including making it a living museum, but no final decisions have been made on its use.

The cost of the move is covered under an agreement with the NTTA because the homestead is directly in the Rights of Way of turnpike construction. For more information on the history of the Coyle House homestead and its historical significance in Rowlett, please check out the “History of Rowlett” at the Rowlett Public Library.

Source: City of Rowlett