March 16, 2026 | Housing
Coe-Paul House Reveal
Join Us Thursday, March 26, from 4 - 6 PM
Some houses hold more than walls and windows.
They hold stories.
On Thursday, March 26, Matthew 25 invites the community to celebrate the reveal of the beautifully restored historic home at 1316 3rd Avenue SE, a house that has quietly witnessed more than 150 years of Cedar Rapids history.
Long before the surrounding neighborhood was filled with homes, this land was farm country. In the mid-1800s, the property was part of a federal land grant and eventually owned by Coe College, when this part of Cedar Rapids was still on the edge of town.
By the 1880s, the house had become home to the Paul family, who expanded the modest one-story structure into the two-story home that still stands today. At the time, 3rd Avenue was a lively streetcar corridor, with visitors coming and going from nearby fairgrounds, schools, and downtown Cedar Rapids.
But perhaps the most colorful chapter came in the late 20th century when Ray Westrom, a local chef and collector, filled the house with thousands of antiques and artifacts. Ray loved sharing his collection and was famous for giving three-hour tours of the house, playing ragtime music and proudly showing visitors the view from the tower he added to the roof.
For many years after Ray’s passing, the home sat quietly next to St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, waiting for its next chapter.
That chapter began when Matthew 25 restored the historic property, bringing the house back to life and preparing it to once again serve families in the neighborhood.
On March 26, we would love for you to see the transformation for yourself. At 1316 3rd Avenue SE from 4pm-6pm. Parking is available at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church. See our event page for more details.
Come celebrate this historic home, learn more about its incredible past, and see how Matthew 25 is helping preserve Cedar Rapids history while creating new housing opportunities in the neighborhood.
And if you’re curious about the full story of the Coe–Paul House, from frontier farmland to a collector’s museum, we’ll be sharing more about the remarkable history of this home soon.
It’s a story worth telling.