Local resident Mrs. Carrie Lee was the Society's first president. One of the first projects the Society undertook was to select sites to have historical markers. Eight were chosen, including the Locust School, Hesper Friends Church, and the site of the first county fair. The Society acquired the Old County Jail in 2000 when a new jail facility at the Law Enforcement Center was built. At the Locust School, children experience a typical day in a one-room schoolhouse during the 1800s. They participate in a number of school-related activities including reading, a spelling bee, and working on math using slate boards. They're also encouraged to dress in period clothing.The Landers-Adams-Bodensteiner House was first built in 1860 by Sarah and Frederick Landers and later expanded in 1871. It is one of the oldest buildings in Decorah. The Landers' daughter, Winnie, married Burton Adams, who co-founded the Adams Seed Company. Their daughter, Helen, married Leonard Bodensteiner. The Adams and Bodensteiner families lived in the house. One of the Bodensteiner's sons, Joe, and his wife, Emily, donated the house to the Winneshiek County Historical Society.

 The Winneshiek County Historical Society is located in the historic Landers-Adams-Bodensteiner House, which was built in 1860. The house is now called the Winneshiek County Heritage Center.

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Founded in 1963, the Winneshiek County Historical Society is dedicated to preserving and promoting the county's history. It is located in the historic Landers-Adams-Bodensteiner House, which was originally built in 1860. The house is now called the Winneshiek County Heritage Center. The Society also owns and operates the Old County Jail, which is located on the grounds of the county courthouse, and the historic 1854 Locust School. The jail building serves as the society's archival repository. The school is used as a museum for children.

Winneshiek County Historical Society

This walk through Decorah begins with a historic hotel and the county courthouse before moving on to a local museum, historical society, and the National Norwegian-American Museum. The tour also includes a pair of buildings on or near the campus of Luther College.  

Decorah, Iowa Walking Tour

<h3>Steyer Opera House</h3>Joseph B. Steyer immigrated to the United States in 1852. He was a stonecutter and lived in Ohio, Minnesota and perhaps other Midwestern states before arriving in Decorah in 1865. It isn't clear if he continued to work as a stonecutter but he did open a saloon and become a stockholder in the First National Bank. His success enabled him to build the Steyer Opera House in 1870. The building consisted of space for businesses on the first floor, offices and apartments on the second floor, and the hall and stage on the third floor. In 1875, Steyer built an addition and renovated the hall, which included adding the curved balcony. The hall features decorative tin-covered walls and ceilings, and framed arched doorways on either side of the stage. Over the years, the hall was used for a variety of purposes besides performances such as community gatherings, political rallies, and dances. It was also used as a four-lane bowling alley, wrestling arena, roller skating arena, and basketball court. The Opera House gradually deteriorated over time however and was abandoned until 1997 when a two-year project to restore it began (the new owner also renovated the hotel as noted below). Today it is used for performances, weddings and other events.<h3>Hotel Winneshiek</h3>By the early 1900s it was clear to city officials that a new hotel worthy of Decorah's growing prosperity was needed. With an initial investment of $32,000 in seed money, they hired the Chicago firm Turnock &amp; Ohrenstein to design the hotel. It is a fine example of Beau-Arts architecture, featuring a main entrance with a pair of classical columns and a small pediment above the doors. Decorative cartouches are located on each side of the door and above it. There is also a three-story octagonal lobby featuring a stained glass ceiling. The hotel opened on April 27, 1905 with 51 guest rooms. New owners in the 1930s remodeled the hotel and that work included covering up the atrium and lobby. In the 1970s the building was converted into apartments. In 1997, a philanthropist from Chicago bought the old hotel and Opera House and proceeded to rehabilitate them. Hotel Winneshiek opened again on April 13, 2000. A family-owned company now operates the hotel.

The Hotel Winneshiek and the adjoining Steyer Opera House are two of Decorah's most important landmarks. The city built Hotel Winneshiek in 1905 and is the city's premier hotel. Luxembourg immigrant Joseph B. Steyer built the Steyer Opera House in 1870. It has served as a popular performance and event venue for most of its history. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it is now owned and operated by the hotel. Both buildings are contributing properties of the Decorah Commercial District, which was added to the National Register in 1980.

Hotel Winneshiek & Steyer Opera House

Winneshiek County was established around 1851. That year, Decorah became the county seat but that was only because of voter fraud and lost ballots. In the next several years, other towns made bids to become the county seat. All of these attempts failed. The first courthouse in Decorah was built 1858 at a cost of $18,000. A vote was held to replace it in 1898 but residents rejected the proposal. In 1902 the county tried again and this time the voters approved. Construction began in 1903 and was finished in November 1904. The cost for this courthouse was significantly higher at $125,000. The second and third floors were renovated in the early 1990s. The courthouse grounds include a replica of the Statue of Liberty and a Civil War monument.

The Winneshiek County Courthouse was erected in 1904 and is the second courthouse building to serve the county. Located in the center of Decorah, it is a fine example of Neoclassical architecture, featuring a large portico with ornate capitals, stone carvings above the entrances, and a large four-sided clock tower with columns and a round cupola. The courthouse is a contributing property of the Broadway-Phelps Park Historic District, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

Winneshiek County Courthouse

Englishman Dighton B. Ellsworth (1822-1896) built the house in 1867. When he immigrated to the United States is unclear but he arrived in Decorah from New York in Decorah in 1885 and opened a general store with a partner. In the coming years he built a successful business career, becoming involved in a number of business interests. This success enabled him to build the house.Two years after he died, Francis and Emma Young bought the house. Frank (1854-1921) was also a successful businessman, earning his wealth in hardware, farm machinery, and cattle buying. He and Emma (1857-1945) came to Decorah from the town of Fort Atkinson, Iowa, along with their daughter, Grace (1880-1964). After Grace and Bert (1879-1968) married in 1904, he moved into the house and Frank and Emma continued to live there as well (interestingly, Bert grew up in the house across the street. As a young man, he often visited Decorah in the summer to visit his maternal grandparents, who raised him. It was during these visits that he met and fell in love with Grace). Neither Bert or Grace worked. As children of wealthy families, they inherited fortunes that allowed them to freely pursue their interests. They did not have children and lived in the house for the rest of their lives.Bert came up with the idea of converting his grandparent's house into a natural history museum using his collection in 1940. However, the city rejected the proposal. It wasn't until after Grace died in 1964 that the idea was proposed again. In despair after losing Grace, Bert began selling his personal items and furnishings. His friend Dale Ahern suggested Bert use his own house as a museum. Bert deeded the house to the Winneshiek County Historical Society in 1966 and it was officially established in 1968 when he died. It opened in 1969. The Society owned and operated the museum until 1980 when it became its own organization.

This elegant home is the historic Ellsworth-Porter House, which was built in 1867 and has operated as a museum since 1969. It is named after the Ellsworth and Porter families, who lived here from 1867 to 1898 and from 1904 to 1966, respectively. The museum serves as a showcase for the life and work of Adelbert "Bert" and Grace Porter, both of whom were artists. Bert was interested in the natural world and collected specimens on the many trips overseas he and Grace went on. The specimens include butterflies and other insects, rocks, and fossils. He created artwork using them as well as ferns, mosses, and flowers. He also built the wall surrounding the house using rocks he collected. Grace made needlepoint and painted china, and was involved in social activism as well. The museum is also furnished with households items they collected. The house, which is a fine example of Italianate architecture, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. It is also a contributing property of the Broadway-Phelps Historic District.

Porter House Museum

Vesterheim's roots date back to 1877 when Norwegian Americans started acquiring objects and storing them at Luther College here in Decorah. By beginning to preserve their history, these immigrants laid the foundation for what the museum is today, a widely respected organization that is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. A large portion of the museum's collection arrived from Norway in 1927. After years of preparation, 23 crates full of historical objects were sent to Decorah to as a gift to support the museum's mission. Norway's ties to Vesterheim have remained strong. Norwegian folk artists have taught at the school and Norwegian organizations and artists have hosted visits to Norway. Norwegian government officials and members of the Norway's royal family have visited the museum on several occasions.The main building itself was built in c.1877 as the Arlington House hotel. It is a good example of Italianate architecture, featuring rounded window headers, balconies, and wide overhanging eaves supported by brackets. In 1882, it became dormitory for Decorah College business students. At some point it became the Lutheran Publishing House, which operated in Decorah from 1869 to 1931. Sometime after 1932, it started to house the collection from Luther College. Vesterheim officially opened in 1975 when King Olav of Norway rededicated the building as a museum.The buildings in Heritage Park explore what life was like for Norwegians and Norwegian immigrants. The buildings include the Painter-Bernatz Mill erected in 1851 (it is considered the oldest building in the city), the 1856 Norris Miller House, the 1852 Egge-Koren House, and the c.1854 Mikkelson-Skree Blacksmith Shop. The main museum building is a contributing property of the Decorah Commercial Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.

Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum &amp; Folk Art School, is one of the leading museums in the country dedicated toward a single immigrant group. Located in the historic Arlington Hotel/Publishing House building, it boasts the world's most extensive collection of Norwegian-American artifacts, which number over 33,000 items. Many of these artifacts are displayed in the museum's exhibits in the main building. The museum also manages 12 historic buildings and operates a library and archives. The buildings are located in Heritage Park behind the main building. Highlights of the museum include a 25-foot wooden sailboat, an immigrant log house dating to 1853, and folk art dating back centuries to today. The Folk Art School offers a variety of classes including in woodcarving, weaving, and metalwork. Classes in cooking and the Norwegian language are offered as well.

Vesterheim - The National Norwegian-American Museum & Folk Art School

The idea for a swimming pool was first proposed in 1935. In July that year, the city applied for funds from the WPA for 45% of the cost; the rest would be paid through municipal bonds. Both unskilled and skilled workers were hired for the project. The WPA hired most of the unskilled workers and the city was required to hire the skilled workers and the supervisors. Construction of the bathhouse and pool (the pool required a large number of skilled workers) began in late summer of fall of 1936 and was completed in 1938. It was a state-of-the art facility for its time and has been well maintained.The WPA helped build public works projects (recreational facilities, schools, dams, courthouses, roads, etc.) with local governments across the country and thereby provided of jobs to people who desperately needed work. The bathhouse facility represents this collaborative effort.

Located next to the Luther College campus, the Decorah Municipal Bathhouse and Swimming Pool is unique not only in Decorah but in all of Iowa as well. Built in 1938, it is significant for both its Moderne-style design and association with the Works Progress Administration (WPA), which provided part of the funds to built it. The WPA was one of several agencies the federal government created during the Great Depression to boost economy. The bathhouse is the only WPA building of its kind remaining in Iowa and the facility has operated continuously since it opened. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.

Decorah Municipal Bathhouse and Swimming Pool

Large numbers of Norwegian Lutherans immigrated to the United States during the 19th century, particularly between 1825 and the start of the Civil War. The primary motivation for making the long journey across the Atlantic was to own land. Since Norway is mostly mountainous, the amount of cultivatable land is limited, and ownership was usually passed down to sons through inheritance. By 1845, there were only around 78,000 landholders in Norway. As a result, many Norwegians had little hope of acquiring property of their own and made the decision to embark on a new life in America.Many settled in Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest. In Iowa, Decorah attracted Norwegians in large numbers. The town was situated in timbered land at the edge of the prairie. It also had a U.S. Land Office. Early immigrants favored timbered land since it was similar to what they were used to in Norway. Consequently, Decorah grew significantly in the early 1850s and established itself a center of Norwegian culture in northeastern Iowa.The immigrants brought their Lutheran faith them. At the time, Lutheranism was the state religion in Norway and it was characterized by a hierarchical system with educated, trained pastors who believed they were the only ones who could preach. In the United States, the lack of ordained clergy concerned these men and those in Norway. In 1853, a group of these pastors established the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (NELC) near Madison, Wisconsin. To ensure a steady flow of educated, ordained pastors in frontier communities in the Upper Midwest, the NELC established a seminary and raise funds for school buildings in October 1857.Classes did not initially begin in Decorah, however. They began in 1859 at Concordia College in St. Louis where a Norwegian pastor named Rev. Laurentius Larsen had been named professor to the students. His appointment on October 14, 1859 was later declared the Founders' Day of Luther College. The outbreak of the Civil War forced Concordia College and the seminary to close. The NELC did not give up, however, and opened a small college with 16 students near present-day La Crosse, Wisconsin in September 1861. The college moved to Decorah permanently the next year. Classes were held in a building that is still standing on the corner of Winnebago and Main Streets. The college built the first building on campus, called "Main", in 1865.For many years, the college adopted a classical curriculum and was only open to men. The main goal was still to train students to become ministers. However, the college accepted non-Lutheran students and its offering of non-theological classes made it unique among Lutheran institutions of higher learning in the Midwest. Rev. Larsen, who was classically educated, was responsible for implementing the classical curriculum. The college ended this in 1932 when it adopted a liberal arts curriculum. Students no longer had to take Greek and Latin from that point forward. Women were allowed to enroll in 1936.Over time, other buildings were constructed and the campus grew. The buildings were designed in a number styles including Italianate, Late Victorian, and Mid-century Modern. Not all of the early buildings have survived, including the first two Main buildings. The Campus House, which was built in 1867 and was used as a parsonage, is the only one from the 1860s still standing. Several buildings were erected in the 1960s and then in then in the 1900s and 2000s.

Campus House was built in 1867 and is the old structure on the campus of Luther College which was established in 1861 by the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Luther College is historically significant in a number of ways. It represents Norwegian immigration to the United States and the successful establishment of Lutheran-based institutions across the country during the 19th century. It was also the first Lutheran college in the country to offer baccalaureate degrees. Luther College is significant for its architecture as well. The historic buildings on campus, which range in date from 1867 to 1969, comprise the Luther College Campus Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Though designed in a variety of styles, the buildings were built with red brick, white stone trim, and light-gray concrete. Taken together, they help unify the appearance of the campus. They also reflect the growth and needs of the college during its first one-hundred years.

Decorah, Iowa Walking Tour

Winneshiek County Historical Society

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information