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Island History -
The lot on which this house stands was purchased in August of 1887 by a Doctor Snyder who had come to Kelleys Island to set up his practice in February of the same year. He may have left the island before building, as the next information relating to the house was in an article in the Sandusky Weekly Register of August of 1888 stating that a Captain Ed Collins built a house next to Hubbard Dwelle on Division Street. Born in New York in 1826, Capt. Collins sailed for many years on Great Lakes freighters before retiring and moving to Kelleys Island with his family in 1880.
Capt. Collins purchased extensive quarry lands on the island's west side that yielded a superior quality of building, lime and flux stone, which were shipped from Ashtabula to the Lake Superior region. Capt. To accommodate heavy draft vessels, Capt. Collins enlarged the West Bay Dock started in the 1840's by John Titus. For many years he and his son, Edward Jr., worked together to supervise these holdings. The son rented a house in the West Bay area, living there with his family to be close to the quarries.
After his first store on Bookerman Road burned and he had purchased the General Store business, in 1922 Frank Reinheimer bought this house to be closer to his work. After Mr. Reinheimer's death, his widow sold the house in 1930 to the Village to be used as a house for island doctors. The offer of free housing was an incentive to secure the much needed services of a physician. The cost of the purchase was divided between the Village and the Kelleys Island Lime and Transport Company. (KIL&TCo.).
Source: "The National Register Inventory for Kelley Island" by Kevin and Betty Pape
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