Dwellings -- Iowa -- Fort Dodge; Fort Dodge (Iowa) -- Buildings, structures, etc.; Historic buildings -- Iowa -- Fort Dodge
[Illustration: The Stevens home
510 3rd Avenue Northwest]
The house has foundation walls of solid granite blocks two feet thick.
Oak woodwork was used throughout the house and floors are solid oak, an
inch in thickness. First floor of the house has living room, dining
room, kitchen, pantry, large music room and half bath. The upstairs has
four bedrooms, sewing room and full bath. A porch extends across the
south and east sides of the house.
Socrates G. Stevens, who established the Douglas Township farm, was born
in North Carolina in 1811. Married in 1835 he and his wife came to
Oskaloosa in 1856 and the following year began their farming career in
Webster County. Their daughter, Mary, was 15 years old when she came to
Iowa with her parents. She completed schooling in Oskaloosa and after
coming to the Fort Dodge area was a school teacher for 22 terms.
Following the death of her mother in 1888 Miss Stevens quit teaching and
remained at home and helped to operate the farm. She was reputed to be
one of the most efficient business women of Webster County and after the
death of her father in 1901 she successfully carried on the farm
operations.
Ownership of the house and surrounding farmland was transferred to
Harriet Ainsworth after Miss Stevens’ death in 1929. In 1939 the
property was bequeathed to Sterling Ainsworth. For a time in the early
1930s the house was leased out and the Red Feather Inn, a popular dining
place, operated there.
THE E. F. ARMSTRONG HOME
This large residence at 1302 10th Ave. N., was one of the first
constructed in the Crawford-Armstrong Addition to the city after it was
platted in 1910. Built in 1911 by E. F. Armstrong, a well-known
pharmacist and drug company officer, the house remained in possession of
the Armstrong family until 1948.
[Illustration: The Armstrong home
1302 10th Avenue North]
It was then sold to Dr. J. J. Foley, a Fort Dodge dentist. Following his
death the home was acquired by Arthur H. Johnson and his wife, Ann. The
Johnsons completely remodeled the house giving it a traditional and
attractive English style of architecture.
The first floor has living room, family room, dining room, kitchen and
half bath; the second floor three bedrooms and two full baths. The third
floor has a large bedroom, walk-in storage closet, two double closets
with sliding doors and a built-in chest of drawers. A large recreation
room is located in the basement, complete with sauna bathroom, full bath
and laundry.
Exterior of the house features gray cement walls with tobacco brown wood
trim and roof of heavy split cedar wood shakes. The front porch and
patio area has a red brick wall—bricks being from the old Chicago Great
Western depot which was razed some years ago. Adjoining the house at the
rear is a family room and double garage.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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