Harlan House Hotel

The Harlan House Hotel is historically significant for its association with Senator James Harlan (1820-1899), who served in the U.S. Senate from 1855-1865 and from 1867-1873, and was a close friend and advisor to President Abraham Lincoln. The former hotel, which now appears to be an apartment building, consists of three sections. The original section in the center was built in 1857 as Harlan's house and the additions on either side were built later. In terms of design, the building is a good example of Italianate architecture. Its design, size and connection to Harlan make it one of the most prominent landmarks in the city.

James Harlan was born in Illinois in 1820 but his family moved to Iowa when he was four. As a young man, he studied law at Indiana Asbury University, which is now DePauw University, and graduated in 1845. He moved to Iowa City where he became president of Iowa City College and then, in 1847, became the Superintendent of Schools. Harlan studied law around this time and passed the bar exam in 1850. In 1853 he moved to Mount Pleasant to became the president of Iowa Wesleyan College (now university) and served until 1855 when he was elected to his first term in the U.S. Senate. In 1865, President Abraham Lincoln, before he was assassinated, appointed Harlan as Secretary of the Department of the Interior. Harlan served in the position under President Andrew Johnson but strongly disagreed with Johnson's Reconstruction policies and resigned in 1866.

Harland was elected to the Senate for the second time in 1867 and served until 1873 (he ran for a third term but lost). He and his wife, Ann, then returned to Mount Pleasant. Now that he was longer in the Senate, Harlan needed a regular source of income and decided to convert their home into a hotel. He built the additions in c.1890 and 1892. In 1895 he moved into the hotel where spent the last years of his life. His daughter, Mary, who married Lincoln's son, Robert, sold the hotel and all of its furnishings in 1901. Since then, the building has largely remained unchanged. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. Harlan and Ann lived in the nearby Harlan-Lincoln House Museum from 1873-1895.

Wilde, Christopher A. "Harlan House Hotel." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. November 16, 1987. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/87002019_text.