National Register of Historic Places

Letovsky-Rohret House

Iowa City, Johnson County, Iowa
Listed
April 11, 1982
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
82002624

About this property

The Letovsky-Rohret House is a historic building located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. This simple two-story wood-frame structure largely embodies the Greek Revival style with its side gable roof, entablature window and door heads, boxed cornice and plain frieze, and its pedimented attic vents. The tall windows on the first floor and arched windows on the main door reflect elements of the Italianate style. Built in 1881, the house originally faced Van Buren Street, but it was turned to face Davenport Street in 1919 and placed on the eastern end of its lot so two more house could be built there. The house is associated with two immigrant families. Bonhumil Barta Letovsky, who had the house built, was born in present-day Czech Republic. His father helped found the first Czech language newspaper in the United States, Slovan Amerikansky, in Wisconsin. After they settled in Iowa City they established Iowa's first Czech newspaper, Slovan Americky. After the family relocated to Cedar Rapids, Iowa with its larger Czech community, the house was bought by Mary H. Rohret in 1891. Her husband Peter was a native of Bavaria and was known for his ax skills. While he worked most of his life as a farmer, Rohret is thought to have helped build the Old Capitol in Iowa City in his youth. He was also involved in local politics. The Rohrets lived here until their respective deaths in 1914 (Peter) and 1918 (Mary). The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

Location

515 E. Davenport St.
Iowa City, Johnson County, Iowa
41.66541, -91.52780

Categories

EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENTCOMMUNICATIONS
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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Nearby Historic Sites

Czecho Slovakian Association Hall
Industrial
0.1 mi
Nicking House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Rittenmeyer, F. X., House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Wentz, Jacob, House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Harvat, Emma J., and Mary E. Stach House
Industrial
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Letovsky-Rohret House listed on the National Register?

Letovsky-Rohret House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 11, 1982.

What type of historic resource is Letovsky-Rohret House?

Letovsky-Rohret House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Letovsky-Rohret House?

The period of significance for Letovsky-Rohret House is recorded as the industrial era.

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