Free Walking Sightseeing Tour #1 in Des Moines, United States

The Rumely–Des Moines Drug Company Building at 110 SW. Fourth St. in Des Moines, Iowa is a large brick warehouse block building. It is a work of architects Hallett & Rawson. It has also been known as the Rumely Bldg, as the Federal Machine Corp Bldg, and as the Security File Warehouse Building. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.

Wikipedia: Rumely–Des Moines Drug Company Building (EN), Heritage Website

The Science Center of Iowa is a science museum located in Des Moines, Iowa.

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The L. Harbach and Sons Furniture Warehouse and Factory Complex, also known as the Way-Helms Co. & Red Cross Mattress, L. Ginsberg & Sons wholesale furniture warehouse, and the A.A. Schneiderhahn electronic appliances warehouse, is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. This is actually two adjacent buildings completed in 1906. Their significance is their successive ownership by three prominent furniture retailers/wholesalers. L. Harbach & Sons Co. was one of Iowa's largest furniture wholesalers, and they manufactured furniture in Des Moines for more than seventy years. The company was established in 1856 by Louis Harbach, Sr. Louis had immigrated from Germany in 1850 at the age of 12. A catalog of their furniture is available at the National Museum of America. L. Harbach & Sons occupied this complex from 1906 to 1928. One of the buildings was their factory and the other was their warehouse. The Harbach family sold the business around 1920 to the Davidson family, who continued to use the Harbach name until through 1928, and continued to own the building until 1952. They leased the buildings to Way-Helms Co. & Red Cross Mattress for a short time, and then beginning in 1930, to the Ginsberg family. Both the Davidsons and the Ginsbergs owned local furniture stores. The Ginsbergs acquired the buildings from the Davisons and they owned them until 1985. They altered the building as trucks replaced trains as the main mode of transportation for furniture warehousing and distribution. The buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.

Wikipedia: L. Harbach and Sons Furniture Warehouse and Factory Complex (EN), Heritage Website

The Hubbell Warehouse is an historic building located in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.

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The Schmitt and Henry Manufacturing Company is a complex of three historic buildings located in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, United States. The complex was built in three stages from 1901 to 1914 by Schmitt-Henry, who manufactured furniture. It was designed by Des Moines architect Harry D. Rawson of the firm Proudfoot, Bird and Rawson. Sealy Mattress Company took over the building in 1973 after Schmitt-Henry moved to West Des Moines. Hubbell Reality purchased the complex in 1994 for $75.000. Plans were approved in 2009 to convert the complex, as well as the Hawkeye Transfer Company Warehouse, into loft apartments. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.

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The Hawkeye Transfer Company Warehouse, also known as the Rocket Transfer Building, is a historic building located in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, United States. The building was built by Frederick Hubbell who founded F.M. Hubbell and Son, which became Hubbell Realty Co. The company has retained ownership of the building since it was built. Plans were approved in 2009 to convert the building, as well as the Schmitt and Henry Manufacturing Company complex, into loft apartments. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.

Wikipedia: Hawkeye Transfer Company Warehouse (EN), Heritage Website

The Grocers Wholesale Company Building, also known as the Sears and Roebuck Farm Store, is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. Completed in 1916, this was the first of four warehouses built and owned by Iowa's only and most successful statewide cooperative grocery warehouse. It is possible that it was the first statewide organization of this kind in the country. The cooperative allowed independent grocers to compete against chain stores and survive wholesale grocers' surcharges. They leased their first warehouse after they organized in 1912. Each successive time the cooperative built a new warehouse it was larger and technologically more advanced than the previous one. This particular cooperative grew to include parts of four states: Iowa, southern Minnesota, northern Missouri and eastern Nebraska. They built their second warehouse in 1930 and moved out of this facility. They continued to own this building until 1968, and they leased it out to other firms. The Sears Farm Equipment Store began to occupy the building in 1937 and continued here until 1959. The cooperative became the Associated Grocers of Iowa in the late 1950s, and it continued in existence until 1985. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.

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The National Biscuit Company Building, also known as National Biscuit Company Flats, is a historic building located in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, United States. The heavy timber and masonry building was built in 1906. Only half of the planned building was completed, and the north half of the property was later sold. It initially served as a production and distribution facility for the National Biscuit Company. Architect William F. Wilmouth, who designed the company's buildings is presumed to be the architect of this four-story Neoclassical building. Benson & Marxer served as the contractors. Des Moines was the third largest sales territory for the company. It was one of a few bakeries in the company that produced the Uneeda Biscuit, and it was one of three that produced a corn cracker in the mid-1920s.

Wikipedia: National Biscuit Company Building (Des Moines, Iowa) (EN), Heritage Website

The Standard Glass and Paint Company Building, also known as 10th Street Lofts, is a historic building located in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, United States. Ashton and Ross Clemens, who were brothers, had the building built in 1913 to house their company, which was said to be the largest glass and paint business west of Chicago. Local contractor J.E. Lovejoy was responsible for its construction. It was one of several warehouse buildings on the southwest corner of the downtown area. Established by the Clemens brothers, Standard Glass and Paint Company was in existence from 1903 to 1979. It was Des Moines' leading wholesale and retail supplier of a variety of building and remodeling supplies. The company remained in this building until the mid-1920s when they moved to the Clemens Automobile Company Building, which was owned by the same family. After it sat empty until 1931 various wholesale companies occupied this building over the succeeding years. Along with the neighboring Herring Motor Car Company Building it has been converted into loft apartments. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

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The Herring Motor Car Company Building, also known as 10th Street Lofts, is a historic building located in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, United States. The building is a six-story brick structure that rises 90 feet (27 m) above the ground. It was designed by the Des Moines architectural firm of Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson in the Classical Revival style. Clyde L. Herring had the building built in 1912 and it was completed the following year. It was originally a four-story building and two more floors were added 18 months after it was originally built. By 1915 the company was building 32 Ford automobiles a day, and had delivered “more automobiles than any other one automobile agency in the United States”. Along with the neighboring Standard Glass and Paint Company Building it is part of the same loft apartment complex. The National Biscuit Company Building on the other side of the building has also been converted into an apartment building. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

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The Hotel Fort Des Moines is a historic building located in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

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The Mack-International Motor Truck Corporation Building is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It was built by master builder and general contractor J.E. Lovejoy, who was also its original owner. Lovejoy and other tenants had offices on the second floor, while Mack Trucks occupied the ground floor. The front was used to showcase trucks and an industrial service space was in the back of the building. The two-story brick structure grew to take up a full quarter block after annexes were built in about 1931 and 1940. Located in Des Moines' historic Auto Row, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.

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The Iowa Ford Tractor Company Repair and Warehouse Building is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. The single-story, 15,000-square-foot (1,400 m2) building was built in 1949. It was used by the Iowa Ford Tractor Company as a tractor repair and storage facility. In 1977 the building was acquired by the H.B. Leiserowitz Company. They were mostly a photography supply company but they were also a general store and they sold wholesale candy, soda, chips, and cigarettes to small grocery stories and gas stations. It closed in 2017 after its owner died. Green Acre Development Company bought the building later the same year and has plans to convert it into offices. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2021.

Wikipedia: Iowa Ford Tractor Company Repair and Warehouse Building (EN)

The Walnut Tire and Battery Co. Globe Publishing Company Building is a historic building located on the west side of downtown Des Moines, Iowa, United States. The two-story brick commercial building features two mirror-image sections that were completed four years apart. The western section of the Late Gothic Revival structure was completed in 1924 and the eastern section in 1928. Between the two sections is an interior staircase and a lightwell. The building is located on Des Moines' historic Auto Row, and it housed automobile-related businesses. Walnut Tire and Battery Co. built the original section for their own use and to rent space to tenants. They built the second section to increase the tenant space. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.

Wikipedia: Walnut Tire and Battery Co.-Globe Publishing Company Building (EN)

The Studebaker Corporation Branch Office Building, also known as the Iowa Truck and Tractor Co., Apperson Iowa Motor Car Co., Sears Auto Co., and the Sanders Motor Co., is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. This is actually two adjacent buildings, built four years apart. The building at 1442 Locust Street was completed in 1918 to house a Studebaker dealership, auto repair shop, and a corporate branch office. The addition of the corporate office made this building different from the others on Des Moines' "Auto Row," where it is located. The building was designed by the prominent local architectural firm of Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson, and built for the Hubbell Building Company who leased it out. The first floor was the location for Glass & Patton, the local Studebaker dealer. The second floor was where Studebaker's wholesale business in the state of Iowa was conducted. The third floor was a store room for automobiles. Studebaker's tenure here was short-lived, and by 1919 other auto and truck related businesses started to occupy the building.

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Herndon Hall, also known as the Bergmann Mansion, is an historical residential building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. The house was built in 1881 in the Queen Anne style. It was designed by the Des Moines architectural firm of Foster & Liebbe for attorney Jefferson Polk. He named the house after his wife, Julia Herndon. Over the years it has been the home of three bishops of the Diocese of Des Moines, a clothing store, and it served as the National Headquarters for Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate Service. It now houses a cosmetic & reconstructive surgery practice It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

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The Jay Norwood and Genevieve Pendleton Darling House is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. The residence was the home of cartoonist Ding Darling, who worked for The Des Moines Register and whose cartoons were syndicated in over 100 newspapers across the country. In the early 1930s, he became involved in the conservation movement, especially wildlife conservation. His advocacy was reflected in his cartoons. Part of his conservation legacy in Iowa is the Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit program that he initiated at Iowa State College and the expansion of the research facilities at Iowa Lakeside Laboratory.

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The Albert Baird Cummins House, also known as Terrace Tower, is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. This 21/2-story stone and stucco Queen Anne was built in 1893. It is significant because of its association with Albert Baird Cummins who lived here from the time it was built until 1920. A Republican, Cummins served as Governor of Iowa from 1902 to 1908 and as United States Senator from 1908 until his death in 1926. He was a Progressive who supported the "Iowa Idea," which sought to destroy trusts by removing tariffs from trust made products. As a senator he sponsored the Esch-Cummins Act that returned the railroads to private control after the government took them over during World War I. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

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Terrace Hill, also known as Hubbell Mansion, Benjamin F. Allen House or the Iowa Governor's Mansion, is the official residence of the governor of Iowa, United States. Located at 2300 Grand Avenue in Des Moines, it is an example of Second Empire architecture. The home measures 18,000 square feet. It sits on a hill overlooking downtown Des Moines, and has a 90-foot (27 m) tower that offers a commanding view of the city. The building's steeply pitched mansard roof, open verandas, long and narrow and frequently paired windows, and bracketed eaves give this house an irreplaceable design. The house was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2003.

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