Lucas House (Plum Grove)

Robert Lucas was the first territorial governor of Iowa. He modeled his 1844 house, built on some 80 acres south of Iowa City, on his earlier house, Friendly Grove, in Ohio, where he had served two terms as governor. Plum Grove, a 30-by-30-foot two-story gable-roofed brick house, is a classic example of the Federal architectural tradition continuing with almost no change right down to the middle of the nineteenth century. The gabled end of the building forms its front, and the entrance is off to one side. Other than the slight returns of the roof eaves, a round window within the gable end, and a transom light over the entrance door, the front is plain and un-decorated. Within the house and its one-story wing to the rear are seven rooms: four on the first floor, three above. Each of these rooms has its own fireplace. Restoration of the house began in 1940, and was completed in 1946. The furnished house is now open to the public.