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

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

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Iowa
• History of Iowa
• Oldest buildings in the United States

References

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