William Penn University is a private university in Oskaloosa, Iowa. It was founded by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in 1873 as Penn College. In 1933, the name was changed to William Penn College, and finally to William Penn University in 2000.
The Emma Willard House is a historic house at 131 South Main Street in Middlebury, Vermont, United States. Built in 1809, it was from 1809 to 1819 the home of Emma Willard (1787–1870), an influential pioneer in the development of women's education in the United States. Willard established a school for girls at her home in 1814 known as the Middlebury Female Seminary. The school was a precursor to the Emma Willard School, an all girl, private boarding and university preparatory day school opened by Willard in 1821 in Troy, New York. The house was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1965. It now houses the Middlebury College Admissions Office.
The Dr. Anna E. and Andrew A. Johnstone House is a historic house in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. Built in 1887, the Queen Anne-style house 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.
Carroll Alsop House) is a historic house located at 1907 A Avenue East in Oskaloosa, Iowa.
The Jack Lamberson House, also known as the Maunu house, is a historic residence located in Oskaloosa, Iowa, United States. It is one of seven Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Usonian houses located in Iowa, and one of two that were constructed in Oskaloosa. Both were completed in 1951. The Lamberson house is unique from the other Iowa Usonians for its extensive use of 60º and 120º angles. It features a low, sweeping pitched roof that makes the house look deceptively large, yet it is the second smallest of Iowa's Usonians. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
Frank E. Wetherell (1869-1961) was an architect in the U.S. state of Iowa who worked during 1892–1931. He founded the second oldest architectural firm in the state in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1905. He worked with Roland Harrison in partnership Wetherell & Harrison. The firm designed numerous Masonic buildings.
The E. H. Gibbs House, was built in 1903 in Oskaloosa, Iowa. It was designed by Frank E. Wetherell in Classical Revival architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.
The Oskaloosa City Park and Band Stand is a nationally recognized historic district located in Oskaloosa, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The listing includes one contributing site and five contributing objects. The town square, which is the site, was part of the original town plat in 1844. Landscaping projects were undertaken in the 1860s, 1911 and 1970–1971. In addition to the landscaping the sidewalks and curbing were installed in 1911. The bandstand in the center was designed by Des Moines architect Frank E. Wetherell, an Oskaloosa native, and built in 1912. The 29-foot (8.8 m) high octagonal structure is composed of concrete, iron and steel.
The Seeberger–Loring–Kilburn House is a historic residence located in Oskaloosa, Iowa, United States. The house was the work of David L. Evans, a master builder who completed it in 1859. It is the oldest known surviving work of his, and calls attention to his skill as a builder. Evans was a native of Wales and emigrated to the United States at the age of 14. He settled in Ohio and St. Louis before settling in Oskaloosa in 1845. The two-story, brick, Italianate structure features a hip roof and deck, bracketed cornice and simple hood molds. The second story was added in 1869 by Evans. Des Moines architect Frank E. Wetherell, who was born in Oskaloosa, designed an expansion of the house in 1916. It added the solarium on the east side, and a pergola on the west. The house was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. It was included as a contributing property in the Paradise Block Historic District in 1991.
Iowa Yearly Meeting House-College Avenue Friends Church is a historic church building located in Oskaloosa, Iowa, United States. The Colonial Revival structure was designed by Bloomington, Illinois architect A.T. Simmons, and completed in 1913. As their membership declined, Quakers in Iowa decided to concentrate on a few fundamental tenets of their faith, but gave way on their traditional concerns about simplicity and restraint. This more elaborate building replaced a simple 2½-story, brick and stone structure that was completed in 1865. The building project was a cooperative arraignment that included the Yearly Meeting, the Monthly Meeting, and nearby William Penn College. Oskaloosa had been chosen as the location of the Iowa Yearly Meeting, or the denominational headquarters, because of its central location to where the Quakers settled west of the Mississippi River. The previous building had separate meeting facilities for men and women, and this one does not. That separation was no longer considered necessary by the time this building was built. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
The Smith–Johnson House, also known as The Old Brick, is a historic residence located in Oskaloosa, Iowa, United States. It was built for William T. Smith in 1853, the same year he was elected as the first mayor of Oskaloosa. A lawyer, Smith was a native of Pennsylvania who settled in the town in 1848 and became county attorney the same year. In addition to his political and legal responsibilities he founded the first bank in town, and he was involved with other profitable financial ventures. He lived in the house until 1865 when Abijah Johnson, a Quaker merchant who moved to Oskaloosa to be a part of the flourishing Quaker communities here and in the surrounding areas. His son J. Kelly Johnson, an attorney who served in the Iowa Senate, took over the house after his father's death in 1894.
The Dr. William E. and Ethel Rosenberger Berry House is a historic residence located in Oskaloosa, Iowa, United States. The Berry's were Quakers and members of the faculty of William Penn College. He taught classical languages and served as Dean, while she taught French. They were among the first to settle in the Penn College Addition. The college platted and sold these lots, which in turn helped the institution financially survive. The Berry's bought several lots, and built their house on one of them. Their Colonial Revival house was built in 1924 by P.W. Sparks, a local contractor. It is a two-story, frame, single-family dwelling that features a side-gable roof, an enclosed front porch, and a solarium. It is the Berry's association with the school in the context of the Quaker testimony in Oskaloosa that makes this house historic. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
The Thomas J. Conover House is a historic residence located in Oskaloosa, Iowa, United States. Thomas J. Conover was a farmer who retired to town as a widower about 1910. He and his daughter Casa Mae Conover, lived here together while she worked at William Penn College. Between 1925 and 1951 she was a teacher of religious education, assistant registrar, secretary to the president, and the registrar. Single women who worked for the college rarely owned their own home. This suggests the difference in pay between men and women at the institution, even as it espoused gender equality. Casa had to live with her father and care for him in his old-age. Their Colonial Revival house was built about 1910. It is a two-story, frame, single-family dwelling that features a gable-end facade roof with hip-on-gable roof embellishment, fishscale shingles on the gable end, and a full-length front porch. It is the Casa Mae Conover's association with the school in the context of the Quaker testimony in Oskaloosa that makes this house historic. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
The William A. and Ida C. Johnson House is a historic residence located in Oskaloosa, Iowa, United States. The Johnsons, who were farmers, moved to town so that their children could attend Quaker schools there. This was typical of many Quaker families of that era. Other family members also boarded with them so they too could attend the schools. William Johnson also served on the William Penn College Board of Trustees, and served as its president from 1915 through 1922. It was during his tenure that the Main Building was destroyed by fire and the college moved to its present location. This Queen Anne style house is a 2½-story, frame, single-family dwelling. It features a wrap-around full-width porch with a gable-end entryway, and a bay window on the main facade. The house is capped with a complex roof of intersecting steeply-pitched gables. It is the Johnsons' association with the school in the context of the Quaker testimony in Oskaloosa that makes this house historic. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
The Dr. William H. and Mae R. Klose House is a historic residence located in Oskaloosa, Iowa, United States. Dr. Klose taught German at nearby William Penn College, and was one of the longer serving faculty members. His dedication to the school helped it survive through its years of turmoil. They were also among the first to settle in the Penn College Addition. The college platted and sold these lots, which in turn helped the institution financially survive. This Colonial Revival style house is a 1½-story, frame, single-family dwelling. It features a side-gable roof, a facade gambrel dormer, and a bay window to the right to the main entry. It is the Klose's association with the school in the context of the Quaker testimony in Oskaloosa that makes this house historic. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
The Prof. Edgar H. and Irene D. Stranahan House is a historic residence located in Oskaloosa, Iowa, United States. Both Stranahans taught religious education at William Penn College, and he was one of the longer serving faculty members. Their daughter Esther taught religion at the college, which calls attention to family members from more than one generation who worked at the college. Edgar also served as master of ceremonies for the Oskaloosa Chautauqua in the 1920s. The Stranahans were among the first to settle in the Penn College Addition. The college platted and sold these lots, which in turn helped the institution financially survive. This two-story, single-family, frame dwelling is covered with stucco. It features vertical boards that define pilasters on the main facade, Moorish-type arch worked into the stucco, a front entry with pilasters that support a pedimented gable roof, and a solarium. It is the Stranahans' association with the college in the context of the Quaker testimony in Oskaloosa that makes this house historic. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
The Pierson–Betts House is a historic residence located in Oskaloosa, Iowa, United States. The house was built by Lewis B. Pierson, the long-time Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds for William Penn College. He built this modest, single-story, brick house in the 1930s as a place that he and his wife Lilly could retire. Instead of moving in, they sold the house to Laura Betts who was the librarian at Penn from 1937 to 1942. She was one of the few single females employed by the college at that time who could afford to buy a house of her own. It is believed she could do so only with financial help from her elderly mother who moved in with her. After Betts moved out, other Penn faculty lived here. It is Pierson's and Betts' association with the college in the context of the Quaker testimony in Oskaloosa that makes this house historic. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
The Spurgin Residence, also known as the Rice House, is a historic residence located in Oskaloosa, Iowa, United States. The 1½-story, frame, single-family house was built in 1895. From 1916 to about 1936 the structure was used as a "practice house" for domestic science instruction and student housing at nearby William Penn College. It is its association with the college in the context of the Quaker testimony in Oskaloosa that makes this house historic. The name "Spurgin Residence" was used by the college during its period of significance. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
The Oskaloosa Monthly Meeting of Friends Parsonage is a historic building located in Oskaloosa, Iowa, United States. Its historic significance is found in its association with nearby William Penn University in the context of the Quaker testimony in Oskaloosa. The country's entry into World War I created problems for the Quaker's Peace Testimony. The Oskaloosa Monthly Meeting counseled students from the college about military conscription and pacifism. Because of this the parsonage was vandalized in 1917 with yellow crosses painted on the house. The congregation's pastor, Clarence Pickett, was tied to a spring wagon and led through town. Some vandalism also occurred during World War II, including yellow paint smeared on the parsonage.
The President's Cottage is a historic residence located in Oskaloosa, Iowa, United States. From 1892, when it was built, to 1918 this structure housed the president of William Penn College. It highlights the school's improved finances at the time of its construction, the importance it placed on its leadership, and its association with the Quaker testimony in Oskaloosa, which makes this house historic. The placement of the house on a corner lot at the end of College Avenue gave the campus a linear feel in the "Yale Row" concept of college design. Absalom Rosenberger and David M. Edwards and their families lived here during their presidencies. H. Edwin McGrew did not live in the house, and it is not certain whether some of the presidents lived here either because they already had homes in Oskaloosa. The college subsequently sold the house and it now serves as a private residence. The 2½-story frame structure features Queen Anne influences, a wrap-around front porch, and a gable-end roof with intersecting gables. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
