Salisbury House (Des Moines, Iowa) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Salisbury House
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A view of Salisbury House from its beautiful gardens.
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | 4025 Tonawanda Dr. Des Moines, Iowa |
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| Area | 9.4 acres (3.8 ha) |
| Built | 1923 |
| Architect | Byron Bennett Boyd; William Whitney Rasmussen |
| Architectural style | Tudor Revival, Jacobethan Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 77000551 |
| Added to NRHP | July 20, 1977 |
Salisbury House is a grand mansion in Des Moines, Iowa, that looks like it was plucked right out of old England. It was built between 1923 and 1928 by Carl Weeks, a successful businessman who made his fortune in cosmetics, and his wife, Edith Van Slyke Weeks.
The house was inspired by the famous King's House in Salisbury, England. It's a massive home with 42 rooms, covering over 22,000 square feet (2,000 m2). Today, Salisbury House is a museum run by the Salisbury House Foundation. You can visit it for tours, special events, or even rent it for private parties.
In 1977, Salisbury House was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a special list of places in the United States that are important to the country's history and worth protecting.
Contents
The History of the House
The story of Salisbury House is full of interesting changes over the years.
Building a Dream Home (1923–1928)
When the Weeks family decided to build their dream home, they planned to spend about $150,000. But as they built and filled it with amazing treasures, the final cost grew to $3 million! In 1926, Carl and Edith moved in with their four sons: Charles, William, Evert, and Lafayette.
A New Chapter (1934–1954)
In 1934, the Weeks family generously donated Salisbury House to Drake University. However, they loved their home so much that they continued to live there, paying rent to the university until 1954.
An Office and a Museum (1954–Present)
In 1954, the Iowa State Education Association (ISEA) bought the house and its collections for $180,000. For many years, they used this historic mansion as their main office.
By 1993, people realized the house was too special to be just an office. The Salisbury House Foundation was created to protect and share the house with everyone. In 1998, the Foundation bought the property from the ISEA for $4 million. A year later, in 1999, it officially opened its doors as the historic house museum we can visit today.
What Treasures Are Inside?
The Weeks family loved collecting beautiful and rare items. They filled their home with fine art, unique furniture, rare books, musical instruments, and even old weapons and sculptures. Most of these amazing collections are still in Salisbury House for visitors to see.
In 2019, the family's library, which included about 3,000 books and 2,500 historic papers, was purchased by Grinnell College. The collection was moved to the college's library, where it is available for people to study. Grinnell College and Salisbury House still work together to share these fascinating items with the public.
If you visit Salisbury House, you can take a tour to see many of the incredible treasures the Weeks family collected from all over the world.
