Free Walking Sightseeing Tour #3 in Des Moines, United States

The Minnie Y. and Frank P. Mattes House is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. Its significance is attributed to its association with the prominent Des Moines architectural firm of Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson, and it calls attention to their residential work. The historic designation includes the large scale Tudor Revival house, automobile garage, and the retaining wall and entrance steps that were all constructed in 1910 for the Mattes. Both Frank and Minnie were from prominent Des Moines German-American families. He was a brewer until prohibition in the city, and he was then involved with real estate. The property was sold to Guy M. and Madeline Lambert in 1944, who sold it to the Drake University sorority Kappa Gamma in 1959. Other houses in the neighborhood were converted in a similar manner.

Wikipedia: Minnie Y. and Frank P. Mattes House (EN), Heritage Website

The Norman Apartment Building is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. This three-story brick structure was the first of five apartment buildings, housing 60 families, that Drake University planned to build near its campus. They would be controlled by the university's board of trustees. The Norman and the more modest McCoy Apartments were the only two buildings constructed. The building features two shades of tan brick, a considerable amount of Gothic Revival limestone trim, a Tudor arched entry, medieval lettering on a name plaque between the second and third floors, and ogee arches on some windows. The building's significance is related to the "University's growth and development and the effect its financial policies had on nearby settlement." It is also significant for its association with the prominent Des Moines architectural firm of Proudfoot & Bird who designed it. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

Wikipedia: Norman Apartment Building (EN), Heritage Website

The Josiah Andrews House is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It is a 2½-story, rectangular, frame, front gable dwelling. It features Stick Style strips on the gable end, and brackets along the cornice. The property on which it stands is part of one of ten plats that were owned by Drake University. The university sold the lot to J. and H.L. Andrews in 1896, and they built this house at that time. 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: Josiah Andrews House (EN), Heritage Website

The John P. Simmons House is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. This simple 1½-story frame dwelling features a gable front, rectangular plan, and a hipped roof front porch. The property on which it stands is one of ten plats that were owned by Drake University. The house's significance is attributed to the effect of the University's innovative financing techniques upon the settlement of the area around the campus. Delos Cutler, one of the organizers of the University Land Company, acquired this lot and the one next to it in 1887. He sold them to F.F. Odenweller the following year. John P. Simmons bought this lot 25 in 1894, the same year the house was built. He either sold or mortgaged it to University Bank in 1900. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

Wikipedia: John P. Simmons House (EN), Heritage Website

The Hill McClelland Bell House is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. Built 1902, the 2½-story structure features a rectangular plan, a gable front, and a wrap-around porch. Decorative elements include wood shingles in the gable end, and some of the windows have a diamond mullion pattern. The house's significance is derived from its association with Hill McClelland Bell, president of Drake University from 1902 to 1918. This was a period of dramatic growth for the college. It was during his tenure that the institution was accredited with the North Central Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges, the establishment of a faculty pension, an increase in the school's endowment, a decrease in its debts, eminent professors joined the faculty, and several colleges were reorganized. Enrollment increased during this period of time, and five significant buildings were built on campus. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

Wikipedia: Hill McClelland Bell House (EN), Heritage Website

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

The Richard T.C. Lord and William V. Wilcox House is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. This 2½-story dwelling follows a crossed gable plan that features elements of both the Colonial Revival and Queen Anne styles. The Colonial Revival influence includes grouped round porch columns and a pedimented porch entry. The Queen Anne influences include its massing, the brackets at the gable end, the second story corner porch, bargeboards, shingles, and the large porch. The property on which it stands is one of ten plats that were owned by Drake University. The house's significance is attributed to the effect of the university's innovative financing techniques upon the settlement of the area around the campus. Lord was a realtor, one of the organizers of the University Land Company, and he was a member of the first board of trustees of the university. He lived here from 1888 to around 1890 when he sold it to W.V. Wilcox, an insurance agent for Hawkeye Insurance Company. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

Wikipedia: Richard T.C. Lord and William V. Wilcox House (EN), Heritage Website

The Nellie and Thomas Knotts House is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. This two-story dwelling is a gabled-ell type house that features a chamfered front section with gable-end detail, fishscale shingles, and a hipped porch. The property on which it stands is one of ten plats that were owned by Drake University. The University sold this lot and two others to Adam Howell in 1886. He sold this lot to Harold R. Howell in 1891. Nellie J. and Thomas H. Knotts acquired the property in 1893, and the house was built the following year. Knotts was president of Iowa Printing Company and then became a manager of the Union Mutual Life Insurance Company. He and his wife resided here until at least 1907. 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: Nellie and Thomas Knotts House (EN), Heritage Website

The Mrs. Marian D. Vail-Prof. Charles Noyes Kinney House is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. This 2½-story frame dwelling follows an irregular plan and features a truncated hipped roof, various gables, a shed-roofed front porch with turned columns, fishscale shingles, and reeded panels along the gable ends. The property on which it stands is one of ten plats that were owned by Drake University. The house's significance is attributed to the effect of the University's innovative financing techniques upon the settlement of the area around the campus. Marian Vail acquired the property in 1884, and the house was built in 1889. Her daughter Jennie was a Drake student at that time. Charles Noyes Kinney, who bought the house in 1914, taught chemistry at the University for 30 years and served as the State Chemist for around 15 years. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

Wikipedia: Mrs. Marian D. Vail-Prof. Charles Noyes Kinney House (EN), Heritage Website

The Lampson P. Sherman House is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. This 2½-story frame dwelling features crossed gables that create a cross shape, shingles in the gable ends, porch and gable end brackets, and turned porch columns. The property on which it stands is one of ten plats that were owned by Drake University. The house's significance is attributed to the effect of the University's innovative financing techniques upon the settlement of the area around the campus. Hoyt Sherman bought the property from the University Land Company in 1885. The house was built in 1888 and Sherman sold it to his brother Lampson, who was a student at Drake, two years later. The house remained in the Sherman family until 1904. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

Wikipedia: Lampson P. Sherman House (EN), Heritage Website

The Mary A. and Caleb D. Scott House is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. This 2½-story dwelling features a hipped roof with gablets, various gables, reeded panels along cornice and base, and a shed-roofed porch with brackets, turned columns, and an open grill. The property on which it stands is one of ten plats that were owned by Drake University. The house's significance is attributed to the effect of the University's innovative financing techniques upon the settlement of the area around the campus. Charles H. Atkins and R.T.C. Lord owned the property between 1887 and 1888. Mary A. Scott bought the property in 1888 and the house was built the following year. She lived here in 1889 with Caleb D. Scott, a streetcar conductor, and James L. Scott, who was retired. The Scotts lived here until 1899. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

Wikipedia: Mary A. and Caleb D. Scott House (EN), Heritage Website

The Mahnke House is an historical residential building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. The house was built by prolific Des Moines builder Fred W. Weitz in 1909 in the Prairie School style. The exterior is covered in Flemish bond brick veneer. It features a hip roof, a single-story west side solarium, a rear porch and a flat-roofed centered front portico with a raised entrance and square paned window lights. George and Emma Mahnke owned the house between 1909 and 1952 when they transferred the property to the Des Moines Annual Conference of the Methodist Church. The house then became the residence of the organization's superintendents. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, and it was included as a contributing property in the Ingersoll Place Plat Historic District in 2000.

Wikipedia: Mahnke House (EN), Heritage Website

The Maish House is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. George H. Maish was involved with a coal company and bank in his native Pennsylvania before he and his family relocated to Des Moines in 1869. While here he was a partner with his brother-in-law in a drug firm, in banking, and insurance. He had this house built in 1882. It calls attention to Maish as a prosperous 19th-century businessman, and its high-quality Victorian craftsmanship. The two-story frame structure was built in the Italianate style with Eastlake details, especially on the inside. It includes a burglar alarm/servants' call box which is still operative. The exterior features a wrap around porch, a hip roof, metal cresting on the ridge, various gables that are filled in with glass, bracketed eaves, and three corbelled chimneys. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

Wikipedia: Maish House (EN), Heritage Website

The Henry Wallace House is an historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It was the home of Henry Wallace who was an advocate for agricultural improvement and reform. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property in the Sherman Hill Historic District in 1979 and it has been individually listed since 1993.

Wikipedia: Henry Wallace House (EN), Website, Heritage Website