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Hugh W. and Sarah Sample House facts for kids

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Hugh W. and Sarah Sample House
Sample Keokuk 205 2nd.JPG
Hugh W. and Sarah Sample House is located in Iowa
Hugh W. and Sarah Sample House
Location in Iowa
Hugh W. and Sarah Sample House is located in the United States
Hugh W. and Sarah Sample House
Location in the United States
Location 205 N. Second St.
Keokuk, Iowa
Area less than one acre
Built 1859
Architectural style Italianate
NRHP reference No. 95001318
Added to NRHP November 22, 1995

The Hugh W. and Sarah Sample House is a special old building in Keokuk, Iowa, United States. It was built a long time ago, in 1859. This house is important because it shows a beautiful old building style. It also tells us about a person who was once the mayor of Keokuk.

Discover the Sample House

The Hugh W. and Sarah Sample House is a historic home. It stands out in Keokuk, Iowa, for its unique look. This house is a great example of a style called Italianate architecture. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. This means it is recognized as a very important historical site.

Who Was Hugh Sample?

Hugh Sample was an important person in Keokuk. He became the mayor of the city in 1858. A mayor is like the main leader of a city. The year after he became mayor, in 1859, he had this house built. Hugh Sample lived in this house until he passed away in 1870.

What is Italianate Architecture?

The Sample House was built in the Italianate style. This style was popular in the mid-1800s. It was inspired by Italian farmhouses and villas. The Sample House is considered the best example of this style in Keokuk.

Key Features of the House

The house has a unique shape, which is called an irregular plan. It has two and a half stories. You can see its special style in many ways:

  • It has tall, narrow windows. These windows have fancy decorations above them, like little crowns.
  • The roof is gently sloped. This is known as a low-pitch gabled roof.
  • The roof also has wide eaves. These are the parts of the roof that hang over the walls. They are supported by decorative brackets.
  • Inside, the rooms have very high ceilings. They are about 12 feet (3.7 meters) tall.
  • Long ago, the house also had a fancy cupola. A cupola is a small, dome-shaped tower on top of a roof.

This house helps us learn about the past. It shows us how people lived and built homes in the 1800s.

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