Pre-1997

The Blum House located at 414 West Main Street in Collinsville is a home closely connected with one of the town's most well known industries. Two of the three generations of the Blum family who operated the internationally known Blum Bell Factory lived in the house.

The property which is located immediately to the west of the Collinville Memorial Library Center is the site of a stately two-story frame house built circa 1906. The home with its distinct wrap-around porch is graced by huge pine trees on its front and side yards. These trees, according to Mrs. Helen Blum who lived in the house until 1997 were planted in the late 1930s replacing a group of maple trees. The house was built by J. Henry Blum and in that first decade of the 20th century was considered to be at the West edge of town.

The house has had a few changes since its origin. The sunroom on the east side of the home was added in the late 1920s.

Following J. Henry Blum's death in 1935 his widow Martha continued to live in the home. Their son, J. Henry and Helen Blum lived their entire married life in the home at 414 West Main. They had one daughter, Virginia (Gaines).

1997 to the present

In June 1997 after the death of Helen Downey Blum in January, the Collinsville Building and



Loan purchased the house from Helen's daughter, Virginia and donated it to the Collinsville Memorial Library.

Through a Congressional grant secured by Representative Jay Hoffman major renovation including windows and siding were approved for the Blum House in 2004.

In December 2006 a debilitating ice storm did irreparable damage to many of the large pine trees on the grounds of the Blum House necessitating the removal of most of them.

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