Grand Mound Town Hall and Waterworks Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Grand Mound Town Hall and Waterworks Historic District
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | 613-615 Clinton St. Grand Mound, Iowa |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1892 (town hall) 1915 (waterworks) |
| Architect | Gustav Ahlff (town hall) Iowa Engineering Company (water tower) |
| NRHP reference No. | 01000910 |
| Added to NRHP | August 30, 2001 |
The Grand Mound Town Hall and Waterworks Historic District is a special area in Grand Mound, Iowa, United States. It's known for its important old buildings. This district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. It includes two main buildings and the town's water tower. Together, they show how the town grew and provided important services to its people.
The Old Town Hall
The old town hall is a two-story building made of wood. It has a pointed roof, which is called a gable front. A local lumberyard owner named Gustav Ahlff designed it. The building is about 20 by 32 feet (6.1 by 9.8 m) in size.
The front of the building has three sections with openings. The first floor has a large garage door in the middle, with two windows on either side. The second floor has three windows that look just like the ones below. You can enter the upstairs from the south side of the building. On top of the building is a small tower, called a belfry, which holds a bell. The original bell is now part of a monument outside the pump house. Inside, each floor has one large room. There is also a staircase at the back. People think a small area on the first floor might have been a jail cell long ago.
The town council decided not to add fancy decorations to the building. They felt it was not right to spend taxpayer money on something that looked like a monument. Henry Ehlers built the town hall for $675 in 1892. After it was built, many groups used the town hall, not just the government. A town marshal was hired in 1894, and the jail cell was used until 1936. The first floor also stored the town's fire-fighting equipment. The second floor was where the town council met until a new town hall was built in 1955.
The Pump House
Grand Mound got its first water system in 1898. A wooden building was built to hold the water pumps. Stories say that the first pump was destroyed by an explosion. The current pump house was built in 1915 in the same spot.
This building is made of brick and has one story. It measures about 20 by 24 feet (6.1 by 7.3 m). The front of the building has a unique roofline that looks like steps. The main entrance has windows on both sides. There is also another entrance on the east side. Later, more sections were added to the back and east sides of the building. One brick addition is about 11 by 13 feet (3.4 by 4.0 m). Another addition is a garage made of cement blocks. The pumping equipment inside was updated in the late 1960s. A special picnic shelter was built behind the pump house in 1968. People still use it for picnics today.
The Water Tower
The old water tower's tank was no longer safe in 1914. So, a new water tower was built in 1915, and a deep well was dug. The current water tower stands 80 feet (24 m) tall. It has a large steel tank on top that can hold 50,000-US-gallon (190 kl) of water. The strong support beams that hold up the tower are 32 feet (10 m) apart. The water tank itself is 32 feet (10 m) wide. The Iowa Engineering Company designed the tower. The Des Moines Bridge and Iron Company built it.
