place

Perry and Brainard Block

Buildings and structures in Des Moines, IowaCity and town halls on the National Register of Historic Places in IowaCommercial buildings completed in 1889Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in IowaDes Moines, Iowa stubs
Iowa building and structure stubsNational Register of Historic Places in Des Moines, IowaPolk County, Iowa Registered Historic Place stubs
Perry and Brainard Block
Perry and Brainard Block

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. The building's commercial space is also significant in that it is in one of two commercial areas in North Des Moines, which indicates the size and influence the community had in the late 19th century. It was one of the first of the commercial buildings that were constructed at this intersection. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. It was listed in 2011 as one of Iowa's Most Endangered Properties.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Perry and Brainard Block (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Perry and Brainard Block
College Avenue, Des Moines

Geographical coordinates (GPS) Address Nearby Places
placeShow on map

Wikipedia: Perry and Brainard BlockContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 41.608055555556 ° E -93.625277777778 °
placeShow on map

Address

College Avenue 515
50314 Des Moines
Iowa, United States
mapOpen on Google Maps

Perry and Brainard Block
Perry and Brainard Block
Share experience

Nearby Places

Polk County Homestead and Trust Company Addition Historic District
Polk County Homestead and Trust Company Addition Historic District

The Polk County Homestead and Trust Company Addition Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. At the time of its nomination the district consisted of 86 resources, including 48 contributing buildings, 11 contributing structures, 18 non-contributing buildings, and nine non-contributing structures. The end of the 19th-century saw the rise of the Victorian suburbs around Des Moines. This was a period of economic growth for the metropolitan area. The largest of these suburbs was North Des Moines. It was connected to Des Moines by way of three streetcar lines, whiched added to its attractiveness. Local real estate investors established the Polk County Homestead & Trust Co. to develop the northern portion of North Des Moines in partnership with the Prospect Park Improvement Company. This area was platted in 1884. Polk County Homestead & Trust Co. bought this property from the Prospect Park Improvement Company, and the two advertised the addition together. The streets, alleys, and large town lots of the plat are laid out on a grid, which differs from the surrounding area's curvilinear streets and irregular lots further north and more erratic development to the south. The historic district's period of significance is 1886 when the first house was built, to 1945 when some of the single-family dwellings were converted into multi-family dwellings. The addition is dominated by the Late Victorian and Colonial Revival styles. The Queen Anne style was popular in this middle and upper-middle-class neighborhood before the Panic of 1893. Five houses are individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places: the Lowry W. and Hattie N. Goode House (1886), the Chaffee-Hunter House (1886), the Dr. John B. and Anna M. Hatton House (c. 1887), the Dr. Anna E. and Andrew A. Johnstone House (1887), and the William A. and Etta Baum Cottage (1891). The former Norman Wiles Seventh-day Adventist School (c. 1925) is the only institutional building in the historic district.