The Grenville M. Dodge House is a
historic house museum
A historic house museum is a house of historic significance that has been transformed into a museum. Historic furnishings may be displayed in a way that reflects their original placement and usage in a home. Historic house museums are held to a ...
in
Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States. This
Second Empire Second Empire may refer to:
* Second British Empire, used by some historians to describe the British Empire after 1783
* Second Bulgarian Empire (1185–1396)
* Second French Empire (1852–1870)
** Second Empire architecture, an architectural styl ...
mansion, built in 1869, was the home of
Grenville M. Dodge (1831-1916), a
Union Army
During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...
general, politician, and a major figure in the development of the railroads across the
American West. The house was declared a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
in 1961 for its association with Dodge;
in 2005 it was included as a
contributing property in the
Willow-Bluff-3rd Street Historic District.
It is now owned by the city of Council Bluffs and is open for tours.
Description and history
The Dodge House is located southeast of downtown Council Bluffs, on the east side of 3rd Street, between 5th and Fairview Avenues. It is a large and rambling three-story brick building, designed by
W.W. Boyington of
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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and built in 1869 at a cost of $35,000. It has a
mansard roof with a modillioned eave, pierced by dormers with eared and rounded tops. Most windows are tall and narrow, with segmented-arch tops, some of which have decorative stone hoods. The interior features elaborate interior black walnut woodwork, and original fixtures including bronze hinges with silver butts. The house is decorated with items from the Dodge family. The property also includes an 1871 carriage barn, which houses a caretaker's residence.
Grenville Dodge was involved in railroad construction from an early age, and he distinguished himself with his engineering skills, which were notably applied during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
in the replacement of destroyed bridges. After the war he became chief engineer of the
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...
, leading the effort that successfully completed the
first transcontinental railroad in 1869.
In addition to his engineering, Dodge served in managerial and leadership capacities with the railroads, and was politically active, serving in the United States Congress.
Dodge's house remained in the family until 1950, when it was converted into apartments. The city purchased it in 1963 for conversion to a museum, reversing most of the alterations made, restoring the home to the period of Dodge's occupancy.
Both the Dodge House and the Beresheim House next door are operated together as a house museum.
See also
*
List of National Historic Landmarks in Iowa
The List of National Historic Landmarks in Iowa contains the landmarks designated by the U.S. Federal Government for the U.S. state of Iowa.
There are 27 National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) in Iowa.
;Key
Current NHLs
...
*
References
External links
Historic General Dodge House- official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dodge, Grenville M. House
National Historic Landmarks in Iowa
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa
Museums in Council Bluffs, Iowa
Union Pacific Railroad people
Houses completed in 1869
National Register of Historic Places in Pottawattamie County, Iowa
Historic house museums in Iowa
1869 establishments in Iowa
Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in Iowa
Second Empire architecture in Iowa