Bryn Mawr Apartments
National Register of Historic Places

Bryn Mawr Apartments

Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa
Listed
October 10, 2017
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
100001699

About this property

Bryn Mawr Apartments is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. Built in 1918, it is significant as an example of the "kitchenette" type apartment building from the early years of the city's apartment boom. Designed by the prominent Des Moines architectural firm of Proudfoot, Bird and Rawson, "it is representative of the effort to increase profit on residential construction by eliminating the number of rooms in each unit." The three-story brick structure contains 26 efficiency units. Each floor has eight units with two units in the basement, although one of the basement units is not historic. All of the units feature a combined sleeping/living space, dining room, kitchenette, bathroom, and closets. Historically, a Murphy bed was included in each unit. Each unit opens to the central corridor. In addition to the two units, the basement also includes storage, laundry, and maintenance areas. The exterior features a variety of window openings and a cast concrete and brick cornice. The main entrance is in the center of the main façade features a cast stone surround with pilasters that support a lintel entablature with the building's name carved in it. The apartment building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.

Location

511 29th St.
Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa
41.58517, -93.65644

Categories

ARCHITECTURECOMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
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.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Owl's Head Historic District
Listed
0.2 mi
Mahnke House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Darling, Jay Norwood and Genevieve Pendleton, House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Ingersoll Place Plat Historic District
Modern
0.2 mi
Cummins, Albert Baird, House
Industrial
0.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Bryn Mawr Apartments listed on the National Register?

Bryn Mawr Apartments was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 10, 2017.

What type of historic resource is Bryn Mawr Apartments?

Bryn Mawr Apartments is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Bryn Mawr Apartments?

The period of significance for Bryn Mawr Apartments is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1918.

Can I research the history near Bryn Mawr Apartments?

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