Camp Harlan-Camp McKean Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Camp Harlan-Camp McKean Historic District
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Hugh B. and Mary Swan House (1854)
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | 2260 Hickory Ave. Mount Pleasant, Iowa |
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| Area | 68 acres (28 ha) |
| Built | 1854 (house) 1930 (marker) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 12001117 |
| Added to NRHP | January 2, 2013 |
The Camp Harlan-Camp McKean Historic District is a very important historical site. It is located near Mount Pleasant, Iowa. This area is also known as the Hugh B. and Mary H. Swan Farmstead or the Springdale Stock Farm. It became a nationally recognized historic district in 2013. This means it's a special place protected for its history.
What Makes This Place Special?
This historic district is a farm that played a big role during the American Civil War. It was used as a "rendezvous camp" by the Union Army. A rendezvous camp was a place where soldiers gathered and trained before going to battle.
Historic Buildings and Objects
There are several important parts to this historic district:
- The Swan House: This is a two-story brick house built around 1854. It shows off two cool styles of architecture: Greek Revival and Italianate.
- The Spring House: This is another brick building, also built around 1854. It's called a "spring house" because it was built over a natural spring. People used it to keep food cool. This type of building is rare in Iowa.
- The Monument: A large stone monument stands in one corner of the farm. It was put there in 1930 to remember the two Civil War camps. It was placed by a group called the Daughters of Union Veterans.
- The Fields: The open fields to the east of the house are also important. This is where the actual army camps were set up.
The Camps of the Civil War
The owners of the farm, Hugh B. and Mary H. Swan, leased part of their land to the government. This land was used for two different Union Army camps:
- Camp Harlan: This camp was active from September 1861 to February 1862. It was used by the 4th Iowa Cavalry soldiers.
- Camp McKean: This camp was used from August 1862 to November 1862. The 25th Iowa Infantry trained here.
Iowa had 27 rendezvous camps during the Civil War. Most of them were located along the Mississippi River. However, some "inland" camps were also important. These included camps in Iowa City, Des Moines, Ottumwa, and Oskaloosa.
Camp Harlan and Camp McKean were two of only five camps in Iowa that were active during a key period of the war. Other important camps included Camp McClellan in Davenport, Camp Lincoln in Keokuk, Camp Union in Dubuque, and Camp Pope in Iowa City.
Even though you can't see the old camp structures today, the site is very well-preserved. This is special because many other Civil War camp locations have been built over.
