Experiencing "North HILL" Burlington,IA

What a nice day to take a drive through Burlington, IA's historic neighborhoods!

Tour Information
Tour Map
Tour Stops
Comments

Experiencing "North HILL" Burlington,IA

Burlington, Iowa 52601, United States

Created By: Heritage Hill Association

Tour Information

Welcome to a North Burlington look at Burlington IA's North Hill area. We will drive toward the North along the the bluff overlooking the Mississippi.We will look at the beautiful homes and parks Burlingtonians built and see how they were in the late 1800's and hear stories about the people that built them.We will finish our tour in downtown Burlington after seeing homes in Heritage Hill and viewing the homes and businesses around "SNAKE ALLEY"!


Tour Map

Loading Tour

 

What You'll See on the Tour

​We begin at the Mississippi river where WEST bound settlers came. They came to  “Flint Hills” which was opened to European settlement in 1833.  It was soon renamed “Burlington” after Burlington, Vermont.​Burlington was the se... Read more
As we turn the corner on the door side is Big Muddies restaurant. Note: This restaurant is now closed!  Big Muddies was in 1898 a freight house for Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railroad which began in 1866.  Currently the railroa... Read more
Straight ahead is the Burlington Public Library.  Started 1868 by Grimes and friends as a subscription library. The current Library opened 2006. This library is heated and cooled by a Geo Thermal System. This library is not a Carnegie Libr... Read more
On the door side is the Des Moines County courthouse built in 1940 designed by Keffer and Jones Des Moines and built by Paul Steenberg of St. Paul, MN for $240,000.  It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. The ar... Read more
As we turn toward the west we will head from main two blocks to St. Paul Catholic Church and Des Moines County Historical Society buildings.​​
On the door side is St. Paul’s Catholic Church.. A small brick building was constructed here in 1840. The current building was designed by a Chicago architect James J. Edgan, in the High Victorian Gothic Revival style. It is made of nativ... Read more
On the driver’s side is the Des Moines County Heritage Center (formerly the Burlington Public Library 1868-2006) (Gothic Revival style).  It has a wonderful museum on three floors with an elevator.  If you love history, especially the e... Read more
On the driver’s side North Hill Park This was the center of all civic events in Burlington in the 1830's.  Dr. Ross (a founding father of Burlington) held the 1st school session and religious service here in 1834. Burlingtons first store... Read more
We are now in the North Hill part of Burlington's residential area. After crossing highway 34 we move north on 4th street turning east onto Arch on our way to north 3rd street.​
Third Street residence look out from a Bluff 200 feet above the Mississippi. On the driver’s side One of the two brick houses was the home of Louella Parsons (born Louella Rose Oettinger in Freeport, Illinois), well known gossip columnist... Read more
On the Door Side  922 N 3rd street. This was probably the first pre-fabricated house west of the Mississippi River. First owned by Margret Kelly who came here on a Bridal Trip in 1835. Margret Kelly married and stayed. As a Bridal gift Ma... Read more
Corner of 4th and Franklin.  Named because it is small. As you look out on the bueatiful Mississippi you will see a set of islands. From the wright are the island of Moor Bar, to its left is Willow Bar, then Fetter, then Baby Rush, follow... Read more
As we turn off Franklin onto North 4th Street we see beautiful Italianate ahead of us. 
This is a Victorian Stick style house. These houses had steeply pitched roofs, decorative trusses, wood siding and cross gables. Leon Eisfeld lived here in 1899. He was part owner of a wholesale clothing business. The current owner was one ... Read more
This home is a beautiful example of an Italianate. Theses home had two or three stories. Low pitched roofs. They have wide overhangs with decorative brackets, tall and narrow windows, commonly arched or curved at the top. Windows usually ha... Read more
Built by F.W. Chamberlin. He was General Manger for the “Opera House” and owned shares in 22 other Playhouses in the Iowa - Illinois region.   This is a Colonial Georgian. A popular design in 1700 to 1780 in the original colonies. They... Read more
This is an English Tudor. It is decorated in the half-timber style. The half-timber style was to mimic medieval infilled timber framing. Windows are typically casement wood or metal. Windows are frequently grouped in sets of three. It is in... Read more
This overlook Point was named for Chamberlin a lifelong manager of the “Grand Opera House”. Chamberlin lived on North 4th street in the Late 1800's This point overlooks Bluff Harbor Marina The only full-service marina in Pool 19, the la... Read more
This is a Colonial Revival House. The entrance to the house has a curved header over the front door. This house was built by E. D. Runge manufacturer of Confections and dealer for fruits, nuts and fishing equipment in the late 1800’s. F.E... Read more
This is a Half Timber Tudor Home.  It was home to the Rundoff family that were primarily Grocers.​
This is a Queen Anne style home. It has single shake covering with dental molding and decorative brackets. It was built by C. G. Pauly. He was the proprietor of a high end restaurant on main street in late 1800's.
AS we turn from North onto 5th street we see straight ahead on North a Bed and Breakfast called the "Squirrels Nest". 
On Driver side 1022 North 5th s is a Romanesque Revival house built in 1889. It was built by  General Guest. His business after the civil war was a  Piano Store on Main Street.  At its time this house was considered the cultural center o... Read more
On the door side, (Italianate or Steamboat gothic home) what you might see in Charleston in the south on the door side.  Brick house with pink window Brick Belvedere on the top of the home. . Nueman House. First Judge in IOWA.   ...
This house was built by IC McConnell a wholesaler of Saddlery goods The limestone used in the house was quarried from the hill it was built on. . 
On the door side,  907-909 North 5th.  Eisfeld Homes. Wholesale Distributor of mens clothes. Brick Italianate homes. With Beautiful pillars on the porch.   
On Driver side Judge Rorer House 5th and Spring. Judge Rorer was a founding father of Burlington. In 1834 completed first land survey of city.​ Judge Rorer Died before completion of his house.
This is a Gothic Revival House. Built from 1840 to !880's. Steep pitched roofs with cross gable's.Gables commonly decorated with vergeboards. In 1899 John Lahee lived here. The Lahee brothers had an Insurance and Real-Estate business at Was... Read more
Built by Robert Moirs son James in 1905. This is a 13 room house complete with a 3rd floor ballroom. The Moirs built a business empire in distilling, banking, loans, lumber, general merchandise, logging and milling. They also owned the busi... Read more
On the door side Christ Episcopal Church, founded 1838) It is located at the corner of 5th & High Street. It is build with local limestone.  Built in a Rubble stone Style reminiscent of old Scottish or English construction. It was burn... Read more
On the door side  is  621 North 5th - Obadiah Schenk, along with Lewis Dalhoff, were partners in the pork packing business.  This two-story brick home is an example of an early Italian style with a hip roof, paired eave brackets, off-cen... Read more
On the door side   613 North Fifth circa 1863. is the Kratz house, Isabel Madison Kratz and Dr. Delbert John “Doc” Kratz who made their home on North 5th Street Delbert was a Dentist in Burlington. This house exhibits Second Empire fea... Read more
On the door side  Hedge Hill Home.  Where all the social events occurred the late 1800’s. The architecture is Georgian. The two lots this house sit's on were bought for $10 in 1841. The house was built in 1859. Thomas Hedge opened a G... Read more
Robert Moir 1824 – 1901, Conducted a distilling business and extended his operations to banking, merchandising, logging and milling. Mr. Moir became one of the most prominent figures in the financial circles of the Middle West. The Moir H... Read more
Roads – Gardner (Absalom Roads 1810 – 1874, Mr. Roads engaged in the mercantile business early in his career later embarking in the real-estate and loan business. E.T. Gardner 1802 – 1881, Mr. Gardner was VP & treasurer of t... Read more
Thomas Hedge Jr (1844 – 1920, graduated from Phillips Academy, Andover, Mass., in 1861, Yale College in 1867, and Columbia College Law School, New York City, in 1869; was admitted to the bar in New York in 1869 and commenced practice in... Read more
This house was built to be the Parsonage for the First Methodist Church.  This is a two-story, hard brick, Georgian Revival.  The facade is symmetrical with a central entry door,  transom and side lights.  Features include corner quoins... Read more
Phillip Crapo (Mr. Crapo 1844 – 1903, a special agent for the Connecticut Mutual life insurance company. In addition to his extensive business interest, Mr. Crapo was actively concerned in local affairs, at one time being the local edit... Read more
William W. Baldwin (1845 – 1936, Mr. Baldwin obtained his law degree from Iowa Law college, and later became the land commissioner for the Chicago, Burlington, Quincy Railroad Company. He served as president of the school board of Burli... Read more
Ripley's Believe It or Not calls Snake Alley the "Crookedest Street in the World." Perhaps Burlington's most famous landmark, Snake Alley is located between Columbia and Washington Streets North 6th Street and consists of five half-curves... Read more

 

Leave a Comment

 

 

Download the App

Download the PocketSights Tour Guide mobile app to take this self-guided tour on your GPS-enabled mobile device.

iOS Tour Guide Android Tour Guide

 

 

Updates and Corrections

Please send change requests to changerequest@pocketsights.com.