Lambrite–Iles–Petersen House facts for kids
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Lambrite–Iles–Petersen House
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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August 2018
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | 510 W. 6th St. Davenport, Iowa |
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| Built | 1856 |
| Architect | John C. Cochrane |
| Architectural style | Italian villa |
| Part of | Hamburg Historic District (ID83003656) |
| MPS | Davenport MRA |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | November 18, 1983 |
The Lambrite–Iles–Petersen House is a historic home in Davenport, Iowa. It is located in the Hamburg Historic District. This district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The house itself was listed on the Davenport Register of Historic Properties in 2012.
This house was the first home in Davenport built in the Italian villa style. It was also one of the earliest examples of this style in all of Iowa. The house is named after three important people who owned it. These are Joseph Lambrite, who built the house, Dr. Thomas Iles, a doctor, and John H.C. Petersen, who started a famous department store called Von Maur.
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History of the House
The Lambrite–Iles–Petersen House was designed by John C. Cochrane. He was one of the first professional architects in Davenport. The house was built in 1856.
Soon after it was built, Joseph Lambrite faced financial difficulties. He lost ownership of the house. Several other people owned the house after him. Thomas Iles bought it around 1863.
After Iles passed away in the mid-1880s, John H.C. Petersen bought the house. He owned it until he passed away in 1910. The Petersen family kept the house for ten more years. They sold it to Joseph Schick in 1920. Schick added new porches to the house. He also built another small house on the property in 1925.
Later, the house was divided into apartments. In the mid-1970s, Gordon Muller and Dean Christensen bought it. They worked to restore the house to its original look.
However, the house was not kept up well after that. In 2010, the city said it was no longer safe to live in. Its local landmark status helps the city's historic preservation group. This group can step in to help save the building. In 2013, the house was put on Iowa's list of most endangered properties.
In May 2014, the city of Davenport started a process to take over the house. This was to save it from being lost forever. It was the first time the city tried to save an abandoned house this way. The house is currently being fixed up.
Meet the Owners
Joseph Lambrite
Joseph Lambrite was a partner in a large sawmill in Davenport. Sawmills were very important to the city's early growth. His mill was located along the Mississippi River.
Thomas Jefferson Iles
Thomas Iles was a doctor from Midway, Kentucky. He and his wife, Maria Louisa Nuckols, had eight children. In 1862, his family moved to Davenport.
During the Civil War, he worked as the main surgeon. He helped at the Confederate prison camp located at the Rock Island Arsenal. After the war, Dr. Iles became a well-known doctor in Davenport. He owned the house until he passed away.
John H.C. Petersen
John H. C. Petersen was born in Schleswig, which is now part of Germany. He went to school until he was 16. Then, he started learning about selling dry goods.
In 1844, Petersen married Johanna Elsbeth Hansen. They had ten children together. The family moved to the United States in 1860. They settled in Scott County, Iowa. At first, he worked on a farm. Two years later, he started his own business selling goods.
He first had a partner, but later he bought out his partner's share. In 1872, he started the business he would be known for. This was the J.H.C. Petersen's Sons' Store. It was located at 219 Second Street. As his business grew, he added more buildings.
His store became one of the most important stores in Davenport. In 1916, it was sold to Charles J. von Maur, R.H. Harned, and Cable von Maur. They already owned their own store. In 1928, the two stores joined together. They formed a new store called Petersen Harned Von Maur. In 1989, the store's name was made shorter to just Von Maur.
