B.J. Palmer House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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B.J. Palmer House
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | 808 Brady St. Davenport, Iowa |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1874 |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| MPS | Davenport MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 84001497 |
| Added to NRHP | July 27, 1984 |
The B.J. Palmer House, also known as the Palmer Family Residence, is a historic home in Davenport, Iowa. It is located on the campus of Palmer College of Chiropractic. This special building has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1984. You can even take a tour of the first floor of this interesting mansion.
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Meet B.J. Palmer
Bartlett Joshua Palmer (1882–1961) was the son of Daniel David Palmer. His father started the practice of chiropractic, a way to help people feel better. B.J. Palmer convinced his dad to open a chiropractic school in Davenport.
In the early 1900s, B.J. Palmer bought several large homes on Brady Street for the school. He became the college's president and helped chiropractic grow a lot. In 1922, he bought a small radio station in Rock Island, Illinois. He moved it near the school, and it became WOC. This was the second commercial radio station in the United States. It was also the first one west of the Mississippi River! Palmer later bought another station, WHO, in Des Moines in 1930. He built a big communication business in the 1930s and 1940s.
The Palmer Family Home
The Palmer Family Residence was built in 1874. It was designed in the Second Empire style. Louis C. Dessaint, a local lumber mill owner, built the house. Later, in 1886, F.H. Hancock bought it. Then, in 1895, William D. Petersen became the owner. His family owned a department store downtown that later became Von Maur.
The Petersen family redecorated the house in 1905. They added beautiful parquet floors and fancy plaster designs on the walls. They also put in Italian marble fireplaces. B.J. Palmer bought the property in 1912 for $25,000.
Unique Porch and Entertainment Space
In 1921-1922, B.J. Palmer added a large, enclosed porch around the house. This porch was about 140 feet (43 meters) long. It created a big room perfect for entertaining guests. This addition showed Palmer's unique style. The porch has interesting features like beveled glass. The first studio for WOC radio was even located on this porch!
Inside the Palmer House
The home has a huge Aeolian player pipe organ. The Palmers bought it for $75,000. B.J. Palmer's favorite room was called the "rustic room." It was decorated with the trunks and branches of four oak trees. These trees were cut down to make space for a classroom building next to the house. Some of the logs in the room are wrapped in belts. These belts came from the uniforms of Palmer students who fought in World War I.
The house also has a special "sunken solarium." This room has a ceiling with square patterns painted in bright circus colors. You'll see yellow, green, orange, and red! The white wicker furniture in the solarium came from a prison in the Philippines.
The house is filled with a very interesting collection of items. You can find a humidor (for cigars) and an umbrella stand made from elephants’ feet. Next to them is a kangaroo from Australia. There's also a bird of paradise on top of a Bodhisattva (a spiritual figure) from India. This is placed on a cabinet from Korea, which sits on top of Native American rugs. The collection also includes a shrine from the Philippines holding a Hindu idol. Plus, there's a piece of African art. Other items include a marble figure from Italy, a Buddha from Siam, Japanese lanterns, and a Buddhist monk's umbrella turned into a light fixture.
The Colorful Kitchen
The house's kitchen looks just like it did in the 1950s. The floor is covered in many different colored tiles. Palmer got these tiles from a local merchant named Wayne Montgomery. Every time Montgomery sold a batch of tiles, he would save one aside for Palmer. Over time, the kitchen floor was covered in these unique tiles, so no two look exactly alike! The kitchen also has an old Roper stove and a Kelvinator Foodarama refrigerator/freezer. The walls and wood are painted in bright circus colors, just like the solarium. The butler's pantry still has dishes with the Palmer family crest on them.
A Little Bit O’ Heaven Garden
In 1924, Palmer started building a garden along the north side of the house. He called it "A Little Bit O’ Heaven." This garden was a collection of art and interesting objects. Palmer and his wife, Mabel Heath Palmer, collected these items on their trips to Asia and Europe. Some of their collection was also kept on the porch.
The garden had a courtyard with totem poles and statues of deer, birds, and even the birth of Venus. There was a rock-lined path called “purgatory.” This path led to the main part of the exhibit. Here, you would find a large greenhouse with a 40-foot (12-meter) waterfall. There was also a pond filled with tropical fish, alligators, and art from Asia.
The garden also had what Palmer said was the smallest chapel in the world. It was only 8 square feet (0.74 square meters)! Thousands of people got married there. For a small fee, the public could visit this amazing place. It became one of the most popular attractions in Davenport. After B.J. Palmer passed away in 1961, "A Little Bit O’ Heaven" began to fall apart. It closed to the public in 1981 and was taken down in 1983.
Over their lives, the Palmers collected many artifacts. These items decorated their house and "A Little Bit O’ Heaven." When Mabel died, half of their collection went to their son, David. When B.J. died, half of what was left went to the Putnam Museum in Davenport. The rest went to the Palmers' three granddaughters. Whatever was left after that still remains in the house today. The house is still part of Palmer College, and the old garden courtyard is now a patio for students.
