[contributed to RenovateDSM by Jennifer Irsfeld James, MAHP]

Architect-designed houses rare. More commonly built by builders – and may have evolved over time. Especially for 19th-century houses, may have started with a cottage that was expanded over time.

Sanborn Maps

Look for the footprint of your house on the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, available online to Des Moines Public Library card holders.

The Sanborn company produced these detailed plans for use by fire insurance companies and fire departments during a time when fires were a common hazard.

Fire insurance maps of the neighborhood, commonly called “Sanborn maps”, will show the outline of the house and any outbuildings, number of stories, and any outbuildings. Since new maps were often produced every 10 to 20 years, comparing maps may yield clues to additions and other alterations made to structures on the property, as well as changes to street names and numbers.

Savvy homeowners use these maps to help date construction and aid in reconstruction of original porches and carriage houses/garages, plus inappropriate additions best to be removed.

Maps of Des Moines were drawn in 1884, 1891, 1901, and 1920, with updates made through 1956.

Each map shows the most developed areas of the city, where the threat of fire was greatest. It's possible you may not find your address on every map.

Be aware that some street names and numbers (addresses) have changed over the years. In addition, construction of I-235 and university expansion have destroyed many houses, so it can be a bit disorienting to look at pre-1950 maps.

Also keep in mind that these maps were drawn by hand -- so even though they are highly accurate, some minor errors were made. Those caveats aside, the Sanborn maps are a key resource for unlocking the history of your house.

Talk With Neighbors and Locate Previous Residents

A neighbor (or former neighbor) may have a cache of photos that show your house.

Photos, letters, ephemera, oral history from previous neighbors/residents/owners and relatives of the same are best and perhaps most overlooked resources!

Learn About Your Neighborhood

Many resources categorized by historic names of neighborhoods and one-time suburbs now part of the city.

• State Historical Society Of Iowa Historical Research Library

• Des Moines Public Library
• Drake University’s Cowles Library, etc.

Study Maps

Study maps of Des Moines and plat maps over time.

Architectural Surveys and National Register Research

Some excellent resources:

• Jacobsen, James E. and Zeller, John Patrick, “Building a City of Homes: Des Moines, Iowa, 1900-1951” (National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Listing, 2001)

• Jacobsen, James E. and Zeller, John Patrick, “Historical Residential Architecture in Des Moines, 1905-1940: A Study of Two House Types, the Bungalow and the Square House.” (1997)
• Long, Barbara Beving, “Drake University and Related Properties in Des Moines, Iowa, 1881-1918” (National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Listing, 1988)
• Page, William C. and Walroth, Joanne R., “Toward a Greater Des Moines: Development and Early Suburbanization Circa 1880-Circa 1920,” Vol. I – V (National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Listing, 1992-1998)

Photographs

Look for photographs taken of events (a parade passing by your house), public works projects, etc, as well as photos of past owners/residents and the house itself.

Local History Books and Record Books

Sometimes information about houses, neighborhoods, and people are included in books. For example,

• Johnson Brigham’s 1911 Des Moines, the Pioneer of Municipal Progress and Reform of the Middle West Together with the History of Polk County, Iowa, the Largest, Most Populous and Most Prosperous County in the State of Iowa (1911).

• Will Porter’s 1898 Annals of Polk County, Iowa, and the City of Des Moines
• Institutional histories (Nearby Church, College, Hospital, Government, etc)

Old Newspapers

City had several newspapers – and include a wealth of information. However, not indexed. If you have a construction year – or extra time on your hands – fascinating to read. Photographs and writeups about construction in the business section, society section, and want ads – plus advertisements for plats and new construction homes when first built.

• Des Moines Public Library newspapers indexes and clipping files

Specialty newspapers:

• Drake Delphic (Drake U. student newspaper), 1884-present. Card catalog exists for early citations.

• The Bystander (excellent source for news about the African-American community)

Period Books, Yearbooks, Magazines

Old yearbooks, such as Drake University Quax yearbooks, show buildings.

The Builder Magazine showed house plans and photographs; Better Homes and Gardens has featured many Des Moines homes over the years; more recently, The Iowan has done a lot of reporting.

Postcards

Antique stores and eBay

Internet Searches

Use search engines such as Google.com, to find documents about previous owners and the house. The Library of Congress (loc.gov) has a powerful search engine that connects library collections around the country.

For More Information

Betsy Green’s Discovering the History of Your House: And Your Neighborhood