Bates Park Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Bates Park Historic District
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | c 4th St. between Orchard and Clark Sts. Des Moines, Iowa |
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| Architect | William Newton |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| MPS | Towards a Greater Des Moines MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 96001154 |
| Added to NRHP | October 25, 1996 |
The Bates Park Historic District is a special area in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It's like a historical neighborhood that has been officially recognized for its important old buildings and its park. This district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. This means it's considered a valuable part of American history and architecture.
What is the Bates Park Historic District Like?
This historic district is part of a larger area called the Bates Addition. It's located within the River Bend Neighborhood of Des Moines. The main part of this neighborhood is a lovely park. Houses are built all around this park.
The district sits on a flat, raised area, like a small hill, called a plateau. To the west, the land gently rises. To the east, it slopes down towards the Des Moines River. This gives some homes nice views of the river valley.
The buildings in this historic district were built a long time ago, mostly between the late 1800s and early 1900s. The district has 23 important features. Out of these, 17 are "contributing properties." This means they help make the district historically important.
Bates Park itself is one of these important features. There are also 14 single-family homes. Two old stables are also part of the district. These stables were originally built for horses and carriages. Some of the larger, more expensive houses face the park and overlook the river. Smaller, more modest homes are located south of the park.
How Did Bates Park Get Its Start?
The land where the historic district is located was bought by a lawyer and journalist named Curtis Bates in 1860. He spent the last years of his life managing his land. When he passed away in 1879, the land was mostly empty.
His wife, Sophia Bates, decided to develop the land in 1883. She planned it out as the "Bates Addition." She also wanted to set aside land for a park. However, state law at the time prevented the city from accepting her park donation.
It wasn't until 1900 that Sophia was finally able to give the land to the city. Bates Park was officially opened on August 14, 1900. Over the years, the park has been improved. A pavilion, a wading pool, and playground equipment have been added for everyone to enjoy. Sadly, a group of elm trees in the park were lost in the 1960s due to a tree disease called Dutch Elm disease.
What Do the Houses Look Like?
The houses in the Bates Park Historic District were built starting in the 1890s. All construction in the area was finished by 1920. These are single-family homes. Most of them are built in the Colonial Revival and American Four Square styles.
The homes for middle-class families on the west side of the park were built first. The more modest homes south of the park started to be built soon after. Most of these houses have simple designs. They don't have a lot of fancy decorations or detailed architectural features.
