This house on Grand Avenue was built in 1883 and is still standing. It was the home of Jefferson S. Polk and his wife Julia. Mr. Polk was born in Kentucky on February 18, 1831. He came to Des Moines in 1855 as a lawyer. He was a founder and promoter…
This house on Capitol Avenue was the home of George M. King and his wife Marguerite. Mr. King was the president of the George M. King Electric Manufacturing Co. The house is no longer standing.
This house on Grand Avenue was the home of J. H. Cownie. Mr. Cownie was the president of J H Cownie Glove Company. The house is no longer standing. Current site of The College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery.
This was the home of George H. France and his wife Nannie. Mr. France worked in various financial and real estate interests in Des Moines. He was born in Sharon, Wisconsin on September 17, 1851 and came to Des Moines in 1887. The original address of…
Central Church of Christ was founded in 1860 by a group of Des Moines pioneers. Peter T. Russell was the first reverend. The first meetings of the church were held in schools and public halls. Current site of the Principal Financial Campus.
The First Methodist Episcopal Church was originally located on Fifth Street. The building was erected in 1856 but later torn down. A second church was built and the two later combined and moved to the present location in 1908. The architectural style…
Founded in 1865 in an abandoned Lutheran College building, Des Moines College opened as a Baptist institution. After some financial troubles, the school grew, and moved to this new campus in 1884. In 1920, it merged with Central College and Highland…
The Young Men's Christian Association opened in Des Moines in 1868. This building was finished in 1889 and demolished 1924. The YMCA expanded into a newer building a block north in 1912.
