National Register of Historic Places

"Lockkeeper's" House

Eldon, Davis County, Iowa
Listed
October 13, 2009
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
09000826

About this property

"Lockkeeper's" House is a historic building located south of Eldon along the Des Moines River in Davis County, Iowa, United States. More specifically it is located in Section 12 of Salt Creek Township. Local legend associates this stone house with the Des Moines River Improvement Project, which was conceived to build a lock and dam system along the Des Moines River to make it navigable from the Mississippi River to the Raccoon River at Des Moines. Historically, the resource was situated at this location for access and control over the river locks proposed to be built at Eldon. With the failure of the Des Moines River Navigation Company the project failed in the early 1841's. Built in 1857 the Lockkeeper's House consists of a 13⁄4 story, end gabled, solid masonry building. The building served only as a residence having never been used for the locks, which were never built. It has a two-over-two room plan and a masonry central dividing wall with a built in chimney. While local legend may not be accurate, the 13⁄4-story structure is a fine example of mid-19th century vernacular architecture. The house is unique in that limestone was rarely used in residential construction in this part of Iowa. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.

Location

Eldon, Davis County, Iowa
40.88706, -92.19718

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
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

Big 4 Fair Art Hall
Industrial
1.8 mi
McHaffey Opera House
Industrial
2.5 mi
Dibble House
Industrial
2.5 mi
Eldon Carnegie Public Library
Industrial
2.7 mi
Fulton, Fred and Rosa, Barn
Industrial
3.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was "Lockkeeper's" House listed on the National Register?

"Lockkeeper's" House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 13, 2009.

What type of historic resource is "Lockkeeper's" House?

"Lockkeeper's" House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for "Lockkeeper's" House?

The period of significance for "Lockkeeper's" House is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near "Lockkeeper's" House?

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