PLAN YOUR VISIT
Experience The Jordan House, a stately Victorian home of Italianate Gothic design and Bennett School, one of the last one-room schoolhouses built in Iowa.
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BECOME A MEMBER
West Des Moines Historical Society is dedicated to the mission of historic preservation and to educate public about our historic sites in Central Iowa.
MAKE A DONATION
Your tax-deductible contribution supports community enrichment through education, preservation, and celebration of the history of the greater WDM area.
RECENT NEWS
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07
Mar
2019History After Hours; Ladies Night
Wednesday, March 20 6pm-7:30pm Everyone needs to relax! Plan a ladies night with friends, and learn more about West Des Moines History, then share a glass of wine and some light appetizers while trying on some amazing...
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07
Mar
2019Tea Time at the Jordan House
Reserve your time and favorite room for an afternoon at the historic Jordan House Museum. $15 per person, and includes food, drink, the chance to make a lavender sachet and a voucher for a future Jordan House Museum...
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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WEST DES MOINES HISTORICAL SOCIETY - HISTORIC BUILDINGS
The Jordan House
The Jordan House, a stately Victorian home of Italianate Gothic design, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a member of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program....
The Bennett School
Built in 1926 or ’27 the Bennett School was one of the last one room schools to be built in West Des Moines and was in use until at least 1941. It was originally located on an acre of ground donated...
Jordan House and The Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a loosely organized system for helping escaped slaves from the southern states reach freedom in the North or Canada in the years before the Civil War.
To learn more about the Underground Railroad, click here.