National Register of Historic Places

Bedford House

Bedford, Taylor County, Iowa
Listed
June 13, 1977
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
77000560

About this property

Bedford House, also known as the Garland Hotel, is a historic building located in Bedford, Iowa, United States. It was built in three stages. The first section was completed in 1857. Additions were completed in 1877 and 1910. Charles Steele, a local businessman, farmer, and banker, had the structure built and was its first owner. The original hotel was used as a stage coach depot until the railroad came to Bedford in 1872. It suffered some damage in a fire that destroyed five other commercial buildings in 1877. Until 1880 the building also housed a jail in the cement fruit cellar. The hotel was renamed the Hotel Garland by its new owner John Clark in 1906. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. It was included as a contributing property in the Bedford Commercial Historic District in 2002. The hotel closed in 1997 after it served an estimated 150,000 guests. The building started to fall into disrepair. The 1910 addition collapsed in 2004, which almost led to the building being torn down. Instead it led to a community effort to save the building. The 1877 addition, built by Willard Barrows who owned the hotel at the time, fronts the building on Main Street. The three-story brick structure features a symmetrical, a seven bay facade, with a door in the center bay and five-bay wooden porch. The cornice across the front is pressed-tin supported by brackets. It also possesses a central, protruding panel, and a low balustrade.

Location

306 Main St.
Bedford, Taylor County, Iowa
40.66786, -94.72042

Categories

COMMERCE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Bedford House

This page lists Bedford House. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Bedford House report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Bedford Oil Company Station
Industrial
0.1 mi
Taylor County Courthouse
Industrial
0.1 mi
Bedford Commercial Historic District
Civil War
0.1 mi
Lenox Round Barn
Industrial
0.8 mi
Bedford Public Library
Industrial
4.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Bedford House listed on the National Register?

Bedford House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 13, 1977.

What type of historic resource is Bedford House?

Bedford House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Bedford House?

The period of significance for Bedford House is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Bedford House?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Bedford House will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Taylor County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Taylor County.

Explore TaylorCounty ›

More historic places in Iowa

Browse all historic places in Iowa.

View Iowahistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Iowa history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Iowahistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Bedford House will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report