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Dow House

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1872–1874. South end of Princes St., off US 30
  • Dow House (David Gebhard and Gerald Mansheim)

The town was named for its founder, Simeon E. Dow, and his house was sited like a feudal castle, visually dominating the community below. Dow was a land speculator and promoter, and he entertained high hopes for his new city. His grand two-story brick house shares a number of qualities with a similarly sited house, Montauk (1874), in Clermont. Both are Italianate in style, both are strong and aggressive designs, and both are situated on high eminences overlooking their respective communities. The bracketed roof of the Dow house is broken in the front by a central curved gable that contains a circular window. The principal windows and doorways of the house have segmental curved lintels that project from the surrounding brick walls.

Writing Credits

Author: 
David Gebhard and Gerald Mansheim
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Data

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Citation

David Gebhard and Gerald Mansheim, "Dow House", [Dow City, Iowa], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/IA-01-MW045.

Print Source

Buildings of Iowa, David Gebhard and Gerald Mansheim. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993, 470-470.

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