Historic QC Mansion Offers Perfect Spot for Revelry, Comedy
By Jonathan Turner
Saturday night, March 1, combined some of my favorite things in one magical night – a beautiful, historic property; clear skies and stunning sunset; playing piano for others; enjoying good food and adult beverages; talking about theater and the arts, and dancing.
I was lucky enough to do all this at the 80th birthday party of a QC theater luminary at the elegant Renwick Mansion (901 Tremont Ave., Davenport), which towers on a hill over the Mississippi River and downtown, in its four gorgeous stories.
The eye-catching Davenport landmark was built in 1877 by industrialist William Renwick, who took over a lumber/sawmill business founded by his father, James, an immigrant from England. The mansion is Davenport’s finest example of Italian Revival Villa architecture, according to renwickmansion.net.
The imposing home features a large fourth-story tower, detailed wooden trim, hardwood floors, and 12-to-14-foot-tall doors, eight exquisitely appointed bedrooms available for rent, eight fireplaces, a three-story staircase, a limestone exterior, and it sits on four acres.
The four-story mansion seen on March 1, 2025 (photo by Jonathan Turner).
In 1907, the mansion became part of St. Katharine’s School, and in 1973 was sold and became part of a nursing home complex. Although it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, the home fell into disrepair. The ailing complex was purchased by a historic property developer in 1997, who renovated the St. Katherine’s location and the Renwick House.
In 2007, the Renwick was updated by Joe Seng with geothermal and opened to the public as a wedding reception venue and bed-and-breakfast. After closing in 2016, the Renwick was purchased by the super nice, industrious married couple Dane and Sarah Moulton, who renovated it again and opened in 2017 as a premier location for weddings, receptions, reunions, parties and meetings.
The Renwick specializes in hosting weddings and other private events, and features eight bedrooms for rent.
One of eight fireplaces at the Renwick.
Dane Moulton’s brother got married at the Renwick, as did Sarah’s mom. Their main business is weddings and other special events, and they love to have comedy and concerts. Fittingly for the new Roaring Twenties, they hosted a 1920’s-themed New Year’s Eve party to welcome 2025.
Building owners Dane Moulton (left) and Sarah Moulton (3rd from left) among the revelers at their New Year's Eve 2024 party.
The “Tomfoolery on Tremont” comedy series started in 2018, organized by Q-C comedian Chris Schlichting. Averaging a show per month, the great series often catches bigger names as they’re passing through on tour, and many of those events are on Sunday nights.
On Sunday, March 23, the Renwick will host comedian Costaki Economopoulos with a 7 p.m. show, and doors open at 6 p.m. Admission is $20 in advance.
For 20 years, Costaki has been living his dream as a full-time stand-up comic. He has written jokes for Bette Midler, Jay Leno, MTV and BET. You may have seen him on Showtime, or heard him on Sirius, but you probably know him best from his regular appearances on the nationally syndicated Bob & Tom Radio Show (heard locally on 106.5 FM).
The 1877 mansion lit dramatically at night.
If you need the perfect wedding or party venue, contact the Moultons at 563-484-0202 or [email protected]. It will not only be an historic night, but an unforgettable one.
Jonathan Turner is a veteran journalist and piano player, who has made the QC home since 1995 and loves writing about arts and culture. He is the author of the books “A Brief History of Bucktown: Davenport's Infamous District Transformed,” and “100 Things To Do in the Quad Cities Before You Die”.