List of the oldest buildings in Iowa

This article lists the oldest extant buildings in Iowa, including extant buildings and structures constructed during pre-statehood period of Iowa history. Only buildings built prior to 1850 are suitable for inclusion on this list, or the building must be the oldest of its type.

In order to qualify for the list, a structure must:

  • be a recognizable building (defined as any human-made structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or continuous occupancy);
  • incorporate features of building work from the claimed date to at least 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) in height and/or be a listed building.

This consciously excludes ruins of limited height, roads and statues. Bridges may be included if they otherwise fulfill the above criteria. Dates for many of the oldest structures have been arrived at by radiocarbon dating or dendrochronology and should be considered approximate. If the exact year of initial construction is estimated, it will be shown as a range of dates.

List of oldest buildings

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Building Image Location First built Use Notes
Louis Arriandeaux Log House Dubuque, Iowa ca. 1827 Residence Oldest house in Iowa.[1] Located on the grounds of the Mathias Ham House
Stringtown House Davis County, Iowa 1832 Residence Oldest house in Davis County
Claim House Davenport, Iowa ca. 1832-1833 Residence Oldest building in Davenport
Rhodham Bonnifield House Fairfield, Iowa 1838 Residence
St. Anthony's Catholic Church (Davenport, Iowa) Davenport, Iowa 1838 Church Oldest church building in use in Iowa[2]
Alexander Brownlie House Long Grove, Iowa 1839 Residence
Paton and Hannah Wilson House Salem, Iowa 1839 Residence
Rhoda Smalley House Muscatine, Iowa ca. 1839 Residence
I.O.O.F. Hall Bentonsport, Iowa ca. 1840s Fraternity Hall
Abiathar and Nancy White House Burlington, Iowa ca. 1840 Residence Largest Federal-style building in Burlington
Alexander Young Cabin Washington, Iowa ca. 1840 Residence
Cowles House Bentonsport, Iowa ca. 1840 Residence
Henderson Lewelling House Salem, Iowa 1840 Residence
Kuhl House Iowa City, Iowa 1840 Residence Now home to University Press at University of Iowa[3]
Fort Atkinson Fort Atkinson, Iowa ca. 1840-1842 Military Fort
Beers and St. John Company Coach Inn near West Liberty, Iowa 1842 Inn
Iowa Old Capitol Building Iowa City, Iowa 1842 Government [4]
James Brown House Riverdale, Iowa 1842 Residence
Lee County Courthouse Fort Madison, Iowa 1842 Government
Stone Academy Solon, Iowa 1842 School
Collins-Bond House Salem, Iowa 1843 Residence
James Nealey House Muscatine, Iowa ca. 1843 Residence
Potter's Mill Bellevue, Iowa 1843 Commercial/ Mill
Thomas F. and Nancy Tuttle House Pella, Iowa 1843 Residence Oldest building in Pella
Van Buren County Courthouse Keosauqua, Iowa 1843 Courthouse
Aunty Green Hotel Bonaparte, Iowa 1844 Residence
Moyce–Steffens House Fort Madison, Iowa 1844 Residence
Plum Grove Iowa City, Iowa 1844 Residence
Franklin Pearson House Keosauqua, Iowa 1845 Residence
Jackson County Courthouse Bellevue, Iowa 1845 Courthouse
Theodore Niemann House Jackson, County, Iowa 1845 Residence
William Fordney House Burlington, Iowa 1845 Residence
Windrem House Iowa City, Iowa ca. 1845-1850 Residence
Couch-Carskaddan House Muscatine, Iowa ca. 1846 Residence
Larnerd Case House Des Moines, Iowa 1846 Residence [5]
Mason House Inn Bentonsport, Iowa 1846 Residence/ Inn
Paradise Farm Bellevue, Iowa 1846 Residence
Taylor–Van Note House Cedar Rapids, Iowa 1846 Residence
Baptist Church Sperry, Iowa 1847 Church
Buffalo Bill Cody Homestead Butler Township, Scott County, Iowa 1847 Residence
Hancock House Bentonsport, Iowa 1847 Residence
Jacob Wentz House Iowa City, Iowa 1847 Residence
Ambrose Fulton Log Cabin Davenport, Iowa 1848 Residence
Dominie Henry P. Scholte House Pella, Iowa 1848 Residence
Isaac R. and Charlotte Mauck House Muscatine, Iowa ca. 1848 Residence
Jesse and Mary Farley House Dubuque, Iowa ca. 1848 Residence
Jonathan Clark Conger House Washington, Iowa ca. 1848 Residence
Lynnville Mill and Dam Lynnville, Iowa 1848 Commercial/ Mill
Pine Creek Gristmill Muscatine County, Iowa 1848 Commercial, Mill
Pioneer Log Cabin Newton, Iowa 1848 Residence
Spring Side Bellevue, Iowa 1848 Residence
Gen. Samuel R. Curtis House Keokuk, Iowa 1849 Residence
Lamm-Pollmiller Farmstead Salem, Iowa ca. 1849 Residence
Rose Hill Iowa City, Iowa 1849 Residence
Upper Paradise Bellevue, Iowa 1849 Residence
Western Hotel Holy Cross, Iowa ca. 1849-1850 Residence

See also

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References

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  1. ^ https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=43131
  2. ^ Antoine LeClaire, the First Proprietor of Davenport The Annals of Iowa 23(1941), 106-107
  3. ^ "10 Historic University of Iowa Buildings" Mar. 16 https://www.press-citizen.com/picture-gallery/news/education/2014/03/16/10-historic-university-of-iowa-buildings/6482651/
  4. ^ "10 Historic University of Iowa Buildings" Mar. 16 https://www.press-citizen.com/picture-gallery/news/education/2014/03/16/10-historic-university-of-iowa-buildings/6482651/
  5. ^ Barbara Beving Long; Ralph J. Christian. "Larnerd Case House". National Park Service. Retrieved 2017-10-12
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