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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10
Jul
2017Jordan Scholar JJ Kapur Named National Speech Champion
JJ Kapur, Jordan Scholar class of 2017, recently competed in the National Speech and Debate Championships. After 13 rounds of competition, JJ was named the National Champion in Original Oratory. Titled “Let’s...
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07
Jul
2017WDMHS Receives Prairie Meadows Grant!
Our enthusiastic thanks to Prairie Meadows for their recently announced Community Betterment Award to the West Des Moines Historical Society. WDMHS will receive $7,500 for the recently developed enhanced curriculum projects...
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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.