Bentonsport, a village on the
Des Moines River
The Des Moines River () is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the upper Midwestern United States that is approximately long from its farther headwaters.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe Na ...
near
Keosauqua, in
Van Buren County, Iowa
Van Buren County ( ) is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census the population was 7,203, making it the state's tenth-least populous county. The county seat is Keosauqu ...
, was recognized in 1972 for being very little changed since its historic heyday as a thriving steamboat port in the mid-1800s. A
historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...
covering 16 original blocks in the historic center of the village was then approved for listing on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
.
[ with ] The district also included waterfront property and the village's historic wagon bridge across the river to the village of Vernon.[
The village was platted in March, 1836, and was located at the first dam and locks on the Des Moines River authorized by the state in 1839. Soon it had two grist mills and a saw mill. It was named "Benton's Port" for Thomas Hart Benton and once had a population of about 1,000. It declined after the Keokuk, Fort Des Moines and Minnesota Railroad reached ]Des Moines
Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...
in 1866. The river became non-navigable in 1870 and the dam and locks deteriorated, with the dam "failing" in 1879. The Bentonsport bridge opened in 1883 and is "the oldest wagon bridge of its type remaining on the Des Moines River."[
Today the village has 40 residents, many of them artists and bed & breakfast keepers.][
*Cowles House, 1840s
*a blacksmith shop, 1840s
* I.O.O.F. Hall, 1840s, the oldest and perhaps first Odd Fellows Hall in Iowa
*Mason House Inn, 1846
*Sanford House, 1852
*Bentonsport Academy, 1851, perhaps Iowa's oldest high school
*Presbyterian Church, 1855
*Methodist Parsonage, 1855
*Methodist Church, 1857
*Herman Greef House, 1863
*Greef Dry Goods Store, 1865
*Bentonsport General Store
*historic bridge, 1882–85
The district includes ]Federal
Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to:
Politics
General
*Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies
*Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...
, Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...
, and " Steamboat Gothic" architecture.[
In 2010, as a promotional term, the area calls itself "Bentonsport National Historic District".]
References
External links
Greef General Store, Bentonsport Historic District
Geography of Van Buren County, Iowa
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa
Tourist attractions in Van Buren County, Iowa
National Register of Historic Places in Van Buren County, Iowa
Historic districts in Van Buren County, Iowa
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