Frank G. Ray House
Introduction
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Prominent local businessman and investor in the Iowa Canning Company Frank G. Ray built this beautiful historic home in 1894. After serving as a private home, it was acquired by the Benton County Historical Society. The house is an elegant example of Queen Anne architecture, featuring a wraparound porch on the first floor, small porches on the second and third floors, a fish scale shingle roof, and a three-story round tower. There is also a carriage house on the property. The house and the carriage house were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
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The Frank G. Ray House was built in 1894 and is one of Vinton's most historic homes. Frank G. Ray was a successful businessman, best known for his association with the Iowa Canning Company.
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
Frank G. Ray was born in Illinois and briefly worked a teacher before arriving in Vinton in 1874. He got a job working at an implement and coal business and became a partner in 1875. In the coming years, Ray invested in other ventures including the State Bank of Vinton (he served as one of the bank's directors), the Vinton Telephone Company, the Virginia Gay Memorial Hospital, the Northwestern Portland Cement Company, and the Iowa Canning Company, which he co-founded in 1892 with businessmen W.C. Ellis and H.B. Kelley.
The Iowa Canning Company was Ray's most successful investment (he served as the company's secretary). It became the largest business in the county and claimed it was the largest corn canning company in the world. At its peak, the company sold 23 different brands of corn and reportedly 10 million cans of sweet corn each year.
Construction of the house began in 1893 and was completed the next year. The interior features original wrought iron and glass light fixtures, decorative woodwork, and six unique fireplaces. Ray and his wife, Emma, hosted social gatherings regularly, and Ray often discussed business activities with partners as well.
Sources
Jacobsen, James. "Frank G. Ray House & Carriage House." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. December 10, 1982. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/82000403_text.
"Ray House." Benton County Historical Society. Accessed September 1, 2021. https://www.bchsiowa.com/ray-house.
Jim Roberts, via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Frank_G._Gray_House.jpg