National Register of Historic Places

Savery Hotel

Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa
Listed
November 5, 1998
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
98001324

About this property

The Savery Hotel, now known as the Renaissance Des Moines Savery Hotel, is a historic building in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, United States. This is the third hotel in the city with that name and the second at this location. The prominent Chicago hotel design firm H.L. Stevens & Company designed the 233-room hotel in the Colonial Revival style, which was a rare choice for commercial architecture in Des Moines. The hotel is an eleven-story brick building that rises 140 feet (43 m) above the ground. Opened in 1919, it has additions completed in 1952 and 1953. Across the alley to the west is an annex that was completed circa 1899 for the previous hotel building. During World War II, Des Moines was the location for the first Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) training center. The Savery augmented the facilities at Fort Des Moines and served as the induction center, barracks, mess hall, and classrooms from 1942 to 1945. Notable guests who have stayed here include First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, President Harry S. Truman, and actress Carol Channing, who required a window she could open for fresh air before she would stay here. Entertainer Tiny Tim lived for nearly eight years at the Savery in the 1980s. The hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. It was extensively renovated in 1999 and again in 2016–2017.

Location

401 Locust St.
Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa
41.58746, -93.62311

Categories

COMMERCEMILITARYARCHITECTURE
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

Homestead Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Liberty Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Equitable Life Insurance Company of Iowa Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Home Federal Savings and Loan Association of Des Moines Building
Early Republic
0.1 mi
Iowa-Des Moines National Bank Building
Industrial
0.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Savery Hotel listed on the National Register?

Savery Hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 5, 1998.

What type of historic resource is Savery Hotel?

Savery Hotel is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Savery Hotel?

The period of significance for Savery Hotel is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Savery Hotel?

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