Smith Farmhouse (Lake City, Iowa) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Smith Farmhouse
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | Junction of Rainbow Rd., S. and Monroe St. Lake City, Iowa |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1877 |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| MPS | Lake City Iowa MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 90001206 |
| Added to NRHP | August 27, 1990 |
The Smith Farmhouse is a special old house in Lake City, Iowa, USA. It is also known as the Smith Homestead Farmhouse. This house is important because of the Smith family, who were pioneers. Pioneers were some of the first people to settle in a new area.
Peter and Sarah Smith, with their four young sons, moved here from Cass County, Michigan in 1855. They built two earlier homes on this land. Their first house and barn were made of logs. Their second home was built from wood frames.
Lake City was chosen as the main town, or county seat, for Calhoun County, Iowa. This was because it had the most people living there at the time. Peter Smith even gave 40 acres of his land to help start the town.
Contents
The Smith Family's Story
Starting a New Life
In 1871, Peter Smith and two of his sons opened a general store in Lake City. Peter and his wife, Sarah, moved into the town around this time. Their son James took over the farm work for his parents. He farmed the land until 1874.
James then moved to another farm east of Lake City. But Peter Smith still owned the Smith Farmhouse property. He owned it until he passed away in 1899.
Who Built the House?
The beautiful brick house you see today was built in 1877. It is designed in the Italianate style. This style was popular in the late 1800s. It often features tall windows and decorative eaves.
We don't know who built this specific house. We also don't know who lived in it until 1890. In March of that year, Peter's third son, Clark, moved into the house.
Family Changes and New Owners
Before 1875, Peter and Sarah had moved to Glidden, Iowa. Sarah passed away while they were living there. Peter later married a widow from Lake City named Mary Orr.
They returned to Lake City in 1881. Peter and Mary eventually built another house on Main Street. After Peter died, Mary inherited the farm. She then sold it to James, Peter's son.
James lived in the Smith Farmhouse until 1921. He then sold the house to the Hatfield family.
A Recognized Landmark
The Smith Farmhouse is a very important historical building. In 1990, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a list of places in the United States that are important to history. Being on this list helps protect the house for future generations.
