Free Walking Sightseeing Tour #2 in Des Moines, United States

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Tour Facts

Number of sights 18 sights
Distance 6 km
Ascend 0 m
Descend 0 m

Explore Des Moines in United States with this free self-guided walking tour. The map shows the route of the tour. Below is a list of attractions, including their details.

Individual Sights in Des Moines

Sight 1: The Newlawn

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The New Lawn is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. This three-story, brick structure was completed in 1915. It features seven units, an U-shaped plan, a symmetrical facade with projecting wings, polychrome brick veneer, a series of quadruple ribbon windows, and a flat roof. The building is located on Sixth Avenue, which by the turn of the 20th century had become a major route utilized by vehicular traffic and streetcar lines. Its proximity to this transportation corridor illustrates the emergence of higher and denser residential use in this area of Des Moines. The apartment building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.

Wikipedia: The New Lawn (Des Moines, Iowa) (EN), Heritage Website

222 meters / 3 minutes

Sight 2: William W. and Elizabeth J. Ainsworth House

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The William W. and Elizabeth J. Ainsworth House, also known as the Catholic Worker House and the Dingman House, is an historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. Ainsworth was a Des Moines businessman who was engaged in various professional occupations. His wife Elizabeth took title to this property in 1886, and they built this 21⁄2-story, frame, Queen Anne house in what was then the suburban community of North Des Moines. It features a hip roof, intersecting gables, a front porch, an enclosed porch in the back, and 2-story bay windows on the south and east elevations. Built as a single-family dwelling, it is now a half-way house for social services operated by the Catholic Worker Movement. The house calls attention to the increased importance of North Des Moines as a residential neighborhood for business and professional people in the late 19th-century Des Moines area. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.

Wikipedia: William W. and Elizabeth J. Ainsworth House (EN), Heritage Website

369 meters / 4 minutes

Sight 3: Susie P. Turner Double House

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The Susie P. Turner Double House is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. This two-story duplex features a symmetrical facade, brick in various colors, decorative cast stone, and a fullwidth front porch that is supported by three brick columns. Built in 1914, its significance is its combination of Prairie School architecture and American Craftsman styling. At the time it was constructed the double house was still a somewhat uncommon building type in Des Moines. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.

Wikipedia: Susie P. Turner Double House (EN), Heritage Website

432 meters / 5 minutes

Sight 4: Byron A. Beeson House

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The Byron A. Beeson House, also known as Mission Temple Academy, is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. Built c. 1890, the 2½-story structure features balloon frame construction, a complex roof system, and wrap-around front porch. Its flared cornice is considered unusual. It was originally a single-family dwelling that later became and education facility associated with the Church of God in Christ. It is also associated with Byron A. Beeson who served as Treasurer of Iowa from 1891 to 1895, and as Adjutant General of the Iowa National Guard around the same time. The house's significance is derived from its location in suburban North Des Moines and its complex roof system. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. A stable along the alley behind the house shares the historic designation.

Wikipedia: Byron A. Beeson House (EN), Heritage Website

436 meters / 5 minutes

Sight 5: Home of Marshall's Horseradish

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The Home of Marshall's Horseradish, also known as the Marshall House, Stish House, and Marshall's Horseradish Farm, is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. The historic designation is made up of three resources: the two-story frame Queen Anne house, the garage, and the remains of the root cellar. They call attention to food processing for local consumption during the late 19th and early 20th-centuries. Marshall's is said to have been established as a business in 1872, and they cultivated, manufactured, and marketed horseradish condiments. The single-family house was completed in 1886. The property includes four residential lots and at one time was also the location of a small manufacturing facility (nonextant). At one time the family owned 160 acres (65 ha) around 2nd Place. While it is possible that some of that land was used to grow the horseradish, the exact location of their fields is not known for sure and the four residential lots are not large enough. The business came to an end in 1941, and the family sold the property to the city of Des Moines who built a greenhouse on the property. George Daysons, the city florist, and his wife lived in the house. The house, garage, and root cellar were listed together on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.

Wikipedia: Home of Marshall's Horseradish (EN), Heritage Website

119 meters / 1 minutes

Sight 6: William B. Hayes House

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The William B. Hayes House is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. The house is significant for its being one of the best examples in Des Moines of the Swiss chalet style subtype of the Stick Style. It was built in 1886 as a single-family dwelling by local developer Lowry W. Goode. This 1½-story frame structure on a brick foundation features a gable-end facade that is intersected by side gables, and wide eaves that are supported by wood braces. The northern side gable extends over an enclosed front porch. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.

Wikipedia: William B. Hayes House (EN), Heritage Website

279 meters / 3 minutes

Sight 7: Sargent's Garage

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Sargent's Garage, also known as the Robinson's Paint and Body Shop, Grand Spring Body and Paint Company, and Fabio's, is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. Completed in 1924, this single-story commercial building emplifies vernacular commercial architecture. It features a rectangular plan, wood siding now covered with metal, and a flat roof. It originally had a symmetrical facade, which has now been altered. Its significance is that it is an early automobile repair and body shop, which was a new architectural form that was emerging in early 20th-century Iowa. It continued to serve this purpose until 1997 when it suffered a minor fire. The building sat vacant for a period of time until it was renovated and reopened. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.

Wikipedia: Sargent's Garage (EN), Website, Heritage Website

77 meters / 1 minutes

Sight 8: Perry and Brainard Block

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The Perry and Brainard Block, also known as the North Des Moines Town Hall, is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. The structure was built between 1888 and 1889 and the second floor served as the city hall for the suburb of North Des Moines. In the late 19th century Des Moines actively sought to annex its Victorian suburbs, with North Des Moines being the largest of these communities. This is the only known public building that has survived from the Annexation Movement era. The local government and community of North Des Moines debated annexation, not only of the municipalities, but of their schools as well. It was also the only community where the residents voted on the annexation issue, and this building also served as a polling place. The building served as the location of the celebration after the referendums passed in 1890. After its use as the city hall, the second floor became the lodge for the Ancient Order of United Workmen.

Wikipedia: Perry and Brainard Block (EN), Heritage Website

48 meters / 1 minutes

Sight 9: Wherry Block

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The Wherry Block, also known as Wherry's Hall, Scruby Brothers Grocery, and Scruby's Grocery Store, is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States.

Wikipedia: Wherry Block (EN), Heritage Website

331 meters / 4 minutes

Sight 10: William H. and Alice Bailey House

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The William H. and Alice Bailey House is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa. It is a two-story, balloon frame, front gable dwelling. Its significance is attributed to its association with the Baileys.

Wikipedia: William H. and Alice Bailey House (EN), Heritage Website

52 meters / 1 minutes

Sight 11: Trent-Beaver House

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Trent-Beaver House is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. This single-story, brick, American Craftsman dwelling was completed in 1917 by the John Martin Company. It was as a single family dwelling built for the Central Land & Real Estate Company, which was a partnership of the brothers Francis E. Trent and John G. Trent. In 1923 it was converted into a mixed use building by Doctors Lincoln and Elizabeth Beaver, who were both chiropractors. They converted the front room into their office and lived in the rest of the house. They remained here until 1940. The house is significant for a couple of reasons. First, it call attention to the importance of small real estate developers and contractor-builders in the suburban residential development of Des Moines during the 1910s. Secondly, it calls attention to the importance of the streetcar in stimulating higher land use along its routes. The Trent-Beaver House was located along the 6th Avenue streetcar line, which helped the conversion of this single-family dwelling into a professional office. It was part of a wider movement of professional services from the central business district to the suburban areas that public transportation made possible. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.

Wikipedia: Trent-Beaver House (EN), Heritage Website

145 meters / 2 minutes

Sight 12: Lowry W. and Hattie N. Goode First North Des Moines House

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The Lowry W. and Hattie N. Goode First North Des Moines House, also known as the Allabach House, is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. The Late Victorian-style single-family dwelling is significant for its association with Lowry W. Goode. Goode was a prominent real estate developer in the Des Moines area in the 19th century. Built c. 1884 in what was the suburb of North Des Moines, this house is one of the last resources that calls attention to his work. The Goode's themselves built and occupied several houses in North Des Moines, and they lived here for about one year after it was built. They then used it as a rental property for a while until they sold it. The two-story brick structure features a main block with a rectangular plan, intersecting gables, a single-story bay window on the west elevation, a two-story extension on the south elevation, and a rear wing. The original porch has been removed. The house was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. It was included as a contributing property in the Polk County Homestead and Trust Company Addition Historic District in 2016.

Wikipedia: Lowry W. and Hattie N. Goode First North Des Moines House (EN), Heritage Website

403 meters / 5 minutes

Sight 13: William A. and Etta Baum Cottage

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The William A. and Etta Baum Cottage is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. Built in 1891, the 1½-story structure features a gable-end facade, brick foundation, and a small front porch with a gable-end roof. It is considered a good example of the gable-on-hip subtype of the Queen Anne cottage. There were only a few that were built with 1½-stories as most were two-stories. Its significance is based on how it demonstrates that a modest-sized dwelling can embrace the picturesque design. The cottage was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. It was included as a contributing property in the Polk County Homestead and Trust Company Addition Historic District in 2016.

Wikipedia: William A. and Etta Baum Cottage (EN), Heritage Website

67 meters / 1 minutes

Sight 14: Trinity Las Americas United Methodist Church

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Trinity United Methodist Church is located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998 as Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church, which was its previous name.

Wikipedia: Trinity United Methodist Church (Des Moines, Iowa) (EN), Heritage Website

44 meters / 1 minutes

Sight 15: Julius Scheibe Cottage

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The Julius Scheibe Cottage at 815 College Ave. in Des Moines, Iowa, United States, was built in 1898. It was a work of architect George E. Hallett. It and the adjacent house split a corner land parcel and both faced south, while all other houses in the area faced the east or west ends of their parcels. The "parcelization of corner lots" this way increased density and the value of their real estate.

Wikipedia: Julius Scheibe Cottage (EN), Heritage Website

412 meters / 5 minutes

Sight 16: Rev. R.W. and Fannie E. Keeler House

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The Rev. R.W. and Fannie E. Keeler House, also known as the Henry C. Borzo House, is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. The house is significant for its being one of the best examples in Des Moines of the attic balcony gable subtype of the Stick Style. It was built by local contractor-builder Detwiler and Bedford in 1889 as speculative housing. Most residential construction in Des Moines was in small developments between about 1880 and 1941, and this house was a part of one such development. This 2½-story frame structure shows its Stick Style influence with a hip and gabled roof, decorative trussed attic balconies that are supported by large decorative brackets, wide bracketed overhanging eaves, and wood clapboard walls with decorative patterns of horizontal boards. The property also contains a barn from the same time period, but it has been significantly altered over the years and now serves as a garage. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.

Wikipedia: Rev. R.W. and Fannie E. Keeler House (EN), Heritage Website

1566 meters / 19 minutes

Sight 17: Basilica of Saint John

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The Basilica of St. John is a Minor Basilica of the Catholic Church in the Drake neighborhood of Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It is also a parish church in the Diocese of Des Moines. The church building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Wikipedia: Basilica of St. John (Des Moines, Iowa) (EN), Website, Heritage Website

966 meters / 12 minutes

Sight 18: Professor Charles O. Denny House

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The Professor Charles O. Denny House is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It is a 2½-story dwelling that follows an irregular plan. It features a hipped roof with gablets and additional gables, fishscale shingles, bargeboards, reeded panels that form the cornice, and a wraparound porch with a pedimented entry. The property on which it stands is one of ten plats that were owned by Drake University. The University sold the lot to C.O. Denny in 1892, and he had the house built the following year. Denny was a Latin professor at Drake and lived nearby. He seems to have bought the property for speculative purposes. Its significance is attributed to the effect of the University's innovative financing techniques upon the settlement of the area around the campus. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

Wikipedia: Professor Charles O. Denny House (EN), Heritage Website

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Disclaimer Please be aware of your surroundings and do not enter private property. We are not liable for any damages that occur during the tours.

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