The Robert and Esther Armstrong House, also known as Pleasant Hill, is a historic building located in

Cedar Rapids, Iowa Cedar Rapids () is the second-largest city in Iowa, United States and is the county seat of Linn County, Iowa, Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River (Iowa River), Cedar River, north of Iowa City, Iowa, Iowa City and north ...

, United States. This is the last of two documented houses that regionalist artist

Grant Wood Grant DeVolson Wood (February 13, 1891 February 12, 1942) was an American painter and representative of Regionalism, best known for his paintings depicting the rural American Midwest. He is particularly well known for '' American Gothic'' (193 ...

designed in its entirety in the city. with There are 14 documented houses that he designed, at least in part, between 1925 and 1933. He took on the work to help support himself and his mother. Like his artwork, his house designs evolved from more classical styles to the more simpler lines of vernacular forms. In addition, he used local materials to construct the house, including the exterior limestone quarried at Stone City for this house. In addition, Esther Armstrong, local builder Bruce McKay and Wood scoured the countryside looking for design ideas. They settled on two Pennsylvania-style fieldstone structures, from which Wood designed this home. He also served as interior decorator as well. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.

References

Houses completed in 1933 Vernacular architecture in Iowa Houses in Cedar Rapids, Iowa National Register of Historic Places in Cedar Rapids, Iowa Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa Grant Wood {{Iowa-struct-stub