National Register Listings in Polk County, Iowa
Abraham Lincoln High School
Acadian Manor Historic District
Ainsworth, William W. and Elizabeth J., House
Alleman, Richard L. and Verda M., Farm Historic District
American Republic Insurance Company Headquarters Building
Andrews, Josiah, House
Argonne Building
Ashby Manor Historic District
Ayrshire Apartments
Bailey, William H. and Alice, House
Baker, C. H., Double House
Baker-Devotie-Hollingsworth Block
Baker-DeVotie-Hollingsworth Block (Boundary Increase)
Bartlett, Walter M., Double House
Bates Park Historic District
Baum, William A. and Etta, Cottage
Beeson, Byron A., House
Bell, Hill McClelland, House
Benham, F. A., House
Big Creek Schoolhouse
Boyd, Byron and Ivan, House
Boyt Company Building
Bryn Mawr Apartments
Burns United Methodist Church
Camp Dodge Pool District
Carpenter, James Sansom, House
Case, Larnerd, House
Chaffee-Hunter House
Chamberlain, D.S., Building
Chautauqua Park Historic District
Civic Center Historic District
Clemens Automobile Company Building
College Corner Commercial Historic Business District
Cottage Grove Avenue Presbyterian Church
Court Avenue Bridge
Crane Building
Crawford House
Cummins, Albert Baird, House
Darling, Jay Norwood and Genevieve Pendleton, House
Denny, Professor Charles O., House
Des Moines Art Center
Des Moines Building
Des Moines Fire Department Headquarters-Fire Station No. 1 and Shop Building
Des Moines Saddlery Company Building
Des Moines Western Railway Freight House
Drake University Campus Historic District
Earle & LeBosquet Block
East Des Moines Commercial Historic District
East Des Moines Industrial Historic District
Elliott Furniture Company
Elmwood, The- The Oaks-The Birches
Equitable Life Insurance Company of Iowa Building
Evans, Edward B. and Nettie E., House
Farmhouse, Olmsted Family
Fire Station No. 4
First Methodist Episcopal Church
Fish and Game Pavilion and Aquarium
Fitch, F.W., Company Historic District
Fleming Building
Flynn Farm, Mansion, and Barn
Flynn-Griffin Building
Fort Des Moines Provisional Army Officer Training School
Franklin Apartments
Gabriel, Rees, House
Goddard Bungalow Court Historic District
Goode, Lowry W., and Hattie N., First North Des Moines House
Grand View College (Old Main)
Greek Orthodox Church of Saint George
Greenwood Park Plats Historic District
Grocers Wholesale Company Building
Haley, F.E., Double House
Hallett Flat-Rawson & Co. Apartment Building
Harbach, L. and Sons Furniture Warehouse and Factory Complex
Hatton, Dr. John B. and Anna M., House
Hawkeye Insurance Company Building
Hawkeye Transfer Company Warehouse
Hayes, William B., House
Hazen, Allen, Water Tower
Henshie-Briggs Row House
Herndon Hall
Herring Motor Car Company Building
Herrold Bridge
Highland Park Historic Business District at Euclid and Sixth Avenues
Hippee Building
Hohberger Building
Home Federal Savings and Loan Association of Des Moines Building
Home of Marshall's Horseradish
Homestead Building
Hotel Fort Des Moines
Hotel Kirkwood
Hotel Randolph
Hubbell Building
Hubbell Warehouse
I.O.O.F. (International Order of Odd Fellows) Valley Junction Lodge Hall No. 604
Ingersoll Place Plat Historic District
Iowa Commission for the Blind Building
Iowa Ford Tractor Company Repair and Warehouse Building
Iowa State Capitol
Iowa State Fair and Exposition Grounds Historic District
Iowa State Historical Building
Iowa-Des Moines National Bank Building
Johnson, Capt. Nicholas W. and Emma, House
Johnstone, Dr. Anna E. and Andrew A., House
Jordan House
Keeler, Rev. R. W. and Fannie E., House
Kingman Place Historic District
Kirkham, Francis M., House
Knotts, Nellie and Thomas, House
Kromer Flats
Lexington, The
Liberty Building
Linden Heights Historic District
Lord, Richard T. C., and William V. Wilcox House
Lustron House #02437
Mack-International Motor Truck Corporation Building
Mahnke House
Maine, The
Maish House
Masonic Temple of Des Moines
Mattes, Minnie Y. and Frank P., House
Methodist Deaconess Institute-Esther Hall
Middlesex Plat Historic District
Municipal Building
Murillo Flats
National Biscuit Company Building
Naylor House
New Lawn, The
Newens Sanitary Dairy Historic District
Norman Apartment Building
Northwestern Hotel
Oaklands, The, Historic District
Odenweller, F. F.-James P. and Nettie Morey House
Owl's Head Historic District
Peak, George B., House
Perry and Brainard Block
Plymouth Place
Polk County Courthouse
Polk County Homestead and Trust Company Addition Historic District
Prospect Park Second Plat Historic District
Public Library of Des Moines
Register and Tribune Building
Reynolds, Anson O., House
Riverview Park Plat Historic District
Rollins, Ralph, House
Rumely-Des Moines Drug Company Building
Saint John's Roman Catholic Church
Salisbury House
Sargent's Garage
Savery Hotel
Scheibe, Julius, Cottage
Schmitt and Henry Manufacturing Company
Scott, Mary A. and Caleb D., House
Scottish Rite Consistory Building
Seth Richards Commercial Block
Sherman Hill Historic District
Sherman Hill Historic District (Boundary Increase and Decrease)
Sherman, Hoyt, Place
Sherman, Lampson P., House
Simmons, John P., House
Sixth and Forest Historic District
Smouse, David W., Opportunity School
Southeast Water Trough
Southwest Fifth St. Bridge
St. Ambrose Cathedral and Rectory
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Standard Glass and Paint Company Building
Stevenson, Samuel A. and Margaret, House
Stoner, Thomas I., House
Stuart, Dr. Richard and Paulina, House
Studebaker Corporation Branch Office Building
Sylvan Theater Historic District
Syndicate Block
Taft-West Warehouse
Teachout Building
Terrace Hill
Terrace Hill
Theodore Roosevelt High School
Trent-Beaver House
Trier, Paul J. and Ida, House
Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church
Turner, Susie P., Double House
U.S. Post Office
Universalist Church
Vail, Mrs. Marian D.-Prof. Charles Noyes Kinney House
Valley Auto Co.-Morgan Auto Co. Garage
Valley Junction Commercial Historic District
Valley Junction-West Des Moines City Hall and Engine House
Veneman's Bungalow Court Historic District
Wallace, Henry, House
Walnut Tire and Battery Co.-Globe Publishing Company Building
Warfield, Pratt and Howell Company Warehouse
Washington and Elizabeth Miller Tract-Center-Soll Community Historic District
Weitz, Charles H. and Lena May, House
West Chester
West Ninth Streetcar Line Historic District
Wherry Block
Woodland Place Historic District
Youngerman Block
Younker Brothers Department Store
About Polk County
Polk County Timeline
Polk County, Iowa has a rich and diverse history that stretches back thousands of years. Native American tribes such as the Sauk and Meskwaki inhabited the region before European settlement. In the early 1800s, the area was explored by French trappers and later became part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Following the Black Hawk War in 1832, the Sauk and Meskwaki were forcibly removed from the county.
Polk County was officially established on January 13, 1846, and was named after President James K. Polk. Des Moines, which is now the state capital and largest city in Iowa, became the county seat. In its early years, Polk County developed as an agricultural center, with farms and small communities dotting the landscape.
The county experienced significant growth with the arrival of the railroad in the late 19th century. The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad and the Chicago and North Western Railway helped establish Des Moines as a transportation hub, leading to increased industrialization and economic development. The city became a leading center for insurance and financial services, which had a lasting impact on Polk County's economy.
Throughout the 20th century, Polk County continued to evolve, with a growing population and expanding urban areas. Major landmarks like the Iowa State Capitol, the Principal Riverwalk, and the Des Moines Art Center have further solidified Des Moines' position as a regional cultural and economic hub. Today, Polk County is known for its diverse economy, strong education system, and vibrant cultural scene, making it a desirable place to live, work, and visit.
Polk County was officially established on January 13, 1846, and was named after President James K. Polk. Des Moines, which is now the state capital and largest city in Iowa, became the county seat. In its early years, Polk County developed as an agricultural center, with farms and small communities dotting the landscape.
The county experienced significant growth with the arrival of the railroad in the late 19th century. The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad and the Chicago and North Western Railway helped establish Des Moines as a transportation hub, leading to increased industrialization and economic development. The city became a leading center for insurance and financial services, which had a lasting impact on Polk County's economy.
Throughout the 20th century, Polk County continued to evolve, with a growing population and expanding urban areas. Major landmarks like the Iowa State Capitol, the Principal Riverwalk, and the Des Moines Art Center have further solidified Des Moines' position as a regional cultural and economic hub. Today, Polk County is known for its diverse economy, strong education system, and vibrant cultural scene, making it a desirable place to live, work, and visit.
Polk County Timeline
This timeline provides a condensed summary of the historical journey of Polk County, Iowa.
- 1836 - Polk County was established as one of the original counties in the Iowa Territory.
- 1843 - Fort Des Moines was established as a U.S. Army post in the county.
- 1851 - The city of Des Moines was officially incorporated.
- 1865 - The Iowa State Capitol building was completed in Des Moines.
- 1873 - The Des Moines Public Library was established, making it the first public library in the state of Iowa.
- 1884 - The Des Moines Water Works was founded to provide clean water to the city.
- 1907 - Hy-Vee, a popular supermarket chain, was founded in Beaconsfield, Iowa (later moved to Des Moines).
- 1929 - Principal Financial Group, now one of the largest financial services companies in the United States, was founded in Des Moines.
- 1958 - Construction of the 59-story Equitable Life Building (now known as the Financial Center) was completed, becoming the tallest building between Chicago and Denver at the time.
- 1985 - The Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden opened to the public.
- 2004 - The Pappajohn Sculpture Park was established in downtown Des Moines.