National Register of Historic Places

Franklin County G. A. R. Soldiers' Memorial Hall

Hampton, Franklin County, Iowa
Listed
December 13, 1991
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
91001828

About this property

The Franklin County G. A. R. Soldiers' Memorial Hall, also known simply as the Soldiers' Memorial Hall, is a historic building located in Hampton, Iowa, United States. The octagonal-style structure was designed and built in 1890 by Edward Carl Keifer. It was the meeting place of the J.W. McKenzie Post No. 81, Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.), which was one of 519 GAR posts in Iowa. The building is architecturally significant as it is one of the few examples of a Gothic Revival style structure of this type in the area. It is a memorial chapel that follows a cross-shaped plan capped by an octagonal cupola with a statue of a Union soldier on top. Its significance is also derived from it being the first G.A.R. Memorial Hall built in Iowa. The Iowa legislature had passed a law in 1884 that allowed counties to levy a tax to support building G.A.R. memorials. Captain Rufus S. Benson, a local state representative, had the law amended in 1886 so that it allowed for the construction of a memorial hall, as the local G.A.R. chapter wanted it to be a place where they could meet. The hall was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. In 2003 it was included as a contributing property in the Hampton Double Square Historic District.

Location

3 Federal St. N.
Hampton, Franklin County, Iowa
42.74133, -93.20704

Categories

ARCHITECTURESOCIAL HISTORY
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.

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Overview
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The Land
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
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The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
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Settlement
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Nearby Historic Sites

Franklin County Sheriff's Residence and Jail
Industrial
0.1 mi
Hampton Double Square Historic District
Early Republic
0.1 mi
Franklin County Courthouse
Industrial
0.1 mi
Boehmler, H. E., House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Harriman, Dr. O. B., House
Industrial
0.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Franklin County G. A. R. Soldiers' Memorial Hall listed on the National Register?

Franklin County G. A. R. Soldiers' Memorial Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 13, 1991.

What type of historic resource is Franklin County G. A. R. Soldiers' Memorial Hall?

Franklin County G. A. R. Soldiers' Memorial Hall is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Franklin County G. A. R. Soldiers' Memorial Hall?

The period of significance for Franklin County G. A. R. Soldiers' Memorial Hall is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Franklin County G. A. R. Soldiers' Memorial Hall?

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