2019 Woodland Ave (Cottage), Des Moines, Polk County, IA
Constructed circa 1897 and located near the Sherman Hill Historic District, the architecture of this cottage is significant because it calls attention to a vernacular design, eclectically influenced by Queen Anne and Colonial Revival tastes, and stands as a transitional example of a cottage influenced by these styles in Des Moines. The modest size and architectural detailing of this building illustrates one type of affordable housing being constructed in Des Moines during the boom years of the late 1890s. The expectation of middle-class homeowners had risen by this time, as is attested by the presence of the full basement, which originally also probably included a furnace for central heat. Facing south, this cottage breaks with other town lot configurations as platted by the original proprietors of this and other nearby city additions. As such, the property calls attention to laissez faire town building and irregular real estate development as practiced in Des Moines during the Victorian era. The modest architecture of this cottage also shows how land use affected the quality of town lot improvements. In this instance, the presence of a nearby cemetery depressed the improvement of lots on its fringes, while lots located in neighboring Sherman Hill were more extensively upbuilt.
2019 Woodland Ave (Cottage), Des Moines, Polk County, IA
Constructed circa 1897 and located near the Sherman Hill Historic District, the architecture of this cottage is significant because it calls attention to a vernacular design, eclectically influenced by Queen Anne and Colonial Revival tastes, and stands as a transitional example of a cottage influenced by these styles in Des Moines. The modest size and architectural detailing of this building illustrates one type of affordable housing being constructed in Des Moines during the boom years of the late 1890s. The expectation of middle-class homeowners had risen by this time, as is attested by the presence of the full basement, which originally also probably included a furnace for central heat. Facing south, this cottage breaks with other town lot configurations as platted by the original proprietors of this and other nearby city additions. As such, the property calls attention to laissez faire town building and irregular real estate development as practiced in Des Moines during the Victorian era. The modest architecture of this cottage also shows how land use affected the quality of town lot improvements. In this instance, the presence of a nearby cemetery depressed the improvement of lots on its fringes, while lots located in neighboring Sherman Hill were more extensively upbuilt.
Posted Date
Sep 27, 2021
Source Name
Library of Congress
