National Register of Historic Places

Pierson-Betts House

Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa
Listed
March 28, 1996
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
96000347

About this property

The Pierson–Betts House is a historic residence located in Oskaloosa, Iowa, United States. The house was built by Lewis B. Pierson, the long-time Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds for William Penn College. He built this modest, single-story, brick house in the 1930s as a place that he and his wife Lilly could retire. Instead of moving in, they sold the house to Laura Betts who was the librarian at Penn from 1937 to 1942. She was one of the few single females employed by the college at that time who could afford to buy a house of her own. It is believed she could do so only with financial help from her elderly mother who moved in with her. After Betts moved out, other Penn faculty lived here. It is Pierson's and Betts' association with the college in the context of the Quaker testimony in Oskaloosa that makes this house historic. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.

Location

815 Penn Blvd.
Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa
41.30606, -92.64810

Categories

EDUCATIONSOCIAL 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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Settlement
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Nearby Historic Sites

Klose, Dr. William H. and Mae R., House
Industrial
0 mi
Stranahan, Prof. Edgar H. and Irene D., House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Stokes, Dr. Ella, House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Berry, Dr. William E. and Ethel Rosenberger, House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Johnson, William A. and Ida C., House
Industrial
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Pierson-Betts House listed on the National Register?

Pierson-Betts House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 28, 1996.

What type of historic resource is Pierson-Betts House?

Pierson-Betts House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Pierson-Betts House?

The period of significance for Pierson-Betts House is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Pierson-Betts House?

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