Heritage Hill Historic District Walking Tour

Center of Power and Culture 1840 to 1910 for Burlington, IA. Homes and Churches for the well to do gentry during those formative years. Wide variety of Victorian era architecture.

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Heritage Hill Historic District Walking Tour

Burlington, Iowa 52601, United States

Created By: Heritage Hill Association

Tour Information

A first view of the Heritage Hill Historic District gives the impression of an affluent Victorian neighborhood with an unusually large number of impressive church structures. This District of 110 homes is on the National Registry of Historical Properties. The district is located on a hill just north of the downtown basin where Burlington business and industry developed. The Hawkeye Creek ravine in which the downtown is located is a unique feature. It has been the core for commerce and industrial development since 1832.The ravine's have divided Burlington into physical neighborhoods. These Hill neighborhoods, coupled with the church steeples dominating the skyline on the hillside of the downtown basin emphasizes the quality that is considerably different from most other Rivertown. The Heritage Hill Historic District contains many impressive churches. The churches on the hillside formed a buffer between the historic district hilltop residence and the valley commerce areas.


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What You'll See on the Tour

The Heritage Center Museum opened in 1898 as the Burlington Public Library. One hundred years later, the Des Moines County Historical Society renovated the historic building, preserving the detailed woodwork, the elegant, open spaces, and m... Read more
Mr. Foster was a prominent banker at the First National Bank. He started as a Messenger and after 27 years at the bank became one of its Vice Presidents. Mr. Foster was born in Galt, Ontario, Canada.  He also served in the civil war for th... Read more
At six stories, mercy is the tallest and largest building in the district.  It was constructed by the Leitner Brothers construction Co. of Cedar Rapids.  RT Hartman was a civil engineer who did the structure design.  Two unusual paroput... Read more
On the left is North Hill Park.  This park was established in 1833 when Burlington, Iowa was the territorial capital of the Wisconsin territory.  This park has great significance to the history of Burlington Iowa.  It began as a gatherin... Read more
Two bridges are seen in the picture.  On the left is the old MaCarther bridge built in 1920.  On the right is the new Highway 34 bridge constructed in 1989 and completed 1992.  The new bridges main spar is 320 feet high.  The bridge cos... Read more
Designed by Burlington architect Charles A.  Dunham, Christ Episcopal Church was originally referred to as an early English type architecture. A round tower terminating in a square belfry covered with a high-pitched gallery is one of t... Read more
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-center doorway and stone lintels.  The c... Read more
Isabel Madison Kratz and Dr. Delbert John “Doc” Kratz who made their home on North 5th Street Delbert was a Dentist in Burlington. Walter B. Eaton also lived at this address in 1920. Walter B Eaton was the Secretary of the Chittenden &a... Read more
Thomas Hedge, Senior made his fortune as a wholesale merchant, and then later became a lumberman with the firm of Gilbert and Hedge. Thomas Hedge., a pioneer of Burlington, was born at Yarmouth, Massachusetts, February 14, 1815, of English ... Read more
Hans Thielson Burlington And Mississippi R. R. Chief Engineer. Mr Thielson spent 50 years in the railroad business.  His first engineering job was to build Michigan Central railroad. He was then engaged to build the Burlington  Missouri r... Read more
Robert Moir's family was the owner of a local button factory.  His home, Moir Hall with its eclectic sort of Georgian revival house built in Flemish brick bond.  Features include multiple hip roofs, modillion blocks, corner quoins, and... Read more
Born in Mason county, Kentucky, Dec. 13, 1815. He was descended from one of the old families of England established in Virginia in colonial days. In 1857 Silas A. Hudson sent him to Denver, Colo., where he opened a supply store, being one o... Read more
Benton Hall was born in 1835. Lived fifty-nine years. He was an Esteemed Lawer and Statesman. He was Commissioner of Patents in Gover Cleveland's administration.
The northwest corner of the Hudson Annex is the original structure.  Tradition holds that it was built as the Silas Hudson carriage house to 501 North 5th., which sits adjacent to it.  It has wood sills and no lintels as opposed to the se... Read more
The Charles E. Schram home is a two-story Queen Anne structure built of coarsed ashlar limestone blocks.  The home's outstanding feature is a large stone porch with an entryway highlighted by two massive stone arches that go to the ground... Read more
The Swann - Schram home is two stories, stucco over brick construction with stone lentils.  The first-floor windows or six over six and all second-floor windows are three over three.  The doorway is a classic Greek revival style with rec... Read more
You are turning onto 6th street where most of the well to do an influential lived from the mid 1800s to the late 1900s. These families were significant to Burlington's development. The Crapo's lived in the second house on the left and... Read more
Absalom Roads 1810 – 1874, 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 the Gardner & Gould Company, whi... Read more
Lawyer Thomas Hedge, Jr..  Was the son of Hedge Hill's owner.  This houses in the early Italianate style with some stone lentils.  Below the hip roof, the large entablature includes paired, pendant eave brackets, dentil work and moni... Read more
  Edward T.  Gardner was born January 05, 1861 in Burlington, Iowa.  He was the son of ET and Louisa Webster gardener.  On June 01, 1900 he joined with E C Gould and formed Gartner in Gould company who manufactured candies and sold ... Read more
Mr. Foster was a DFirector for Burlington Lumber4 Co., Valley Lumber -Ea Claire, Wisconsin and City vWater company Burlington, IA. He was a long time member of Presbyterian Church.
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Sorry, there wasn't any information provided for this point of interest.
During the Civil War Dr. Joseph C. Stone, of Post No. 5, at Burlington, was appointed to fill the vacancy as Provisional Commander. Stone was born in New York in 1829 and had come with his father to the Territory of Iowa in 1844. He had... Read more
611 N 7th is the second home on site.  A Colonial-Georgian Revival was one of the first homes on N. 7th Street.  The first owners of the property were Edward and Catherine Murphy building in 1865, he owned a paint and wallpaper store on N... Read more
Charles Henry Phelps Judge First Judicial Diostrict of Iowa. Born Middlbury Vermont March 27 1825. Mr Phelps was also a Telgrapher by trade before becoming a Lawer and then Judge. The Phelps intended the house to look slightly English and e... Read more
In 1879 Wyman became associated with C. W. Rand as a member of the Wyman-Rand Carpet Company, and later they added a stock of furniture, queensware, glassware, curtains, and other household furnishings. C.W. was president Northwest Manufact... Read more
This home was constructed as a duplex and serves as the example of homes which transitioned from the early classic style to the Italian modes. The original 1855 house is the south half of the façade. The north half was added in 1870 by th... Read more
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George Paul Frudeger owned a Bread Bakery that produced Bamby, Han-D-Maid and Sapphire Bread. 
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William Lemon was Mrs. Mabel Eastmans, personal gardener. He took care of Mrs. Eastmans hidden Japenese garden behind and down the south side of her house. Mrs. Eastman loved tulips. She had Mr. Lemon create a garden behind his house to cul... Read more
John Lockwood Corse 718 Columbia St. 1870.  John L. Corse was one of the originating fathers of Burlington. He was in the very first legislature of Burlington.  He served in the House of Representatives.  He came from by Vannuchi, Italy.... Read more
Frederick Alonzo Smith - an entrepreneur who opened the 1st tobacco store and began manufacturing of cigars, also dealing in all goods of that line. He was also instrumental in establishing the Burlington Pickle Factory. Mr. Smith built t... Read more
Original home was at the corner Spring Street and Central. Home was moved to Central Ave. Overpass area in 1950. It was then moved to the current location in 1960.
William H Mauro was one of the pioneer businessmen who laid the foundation of Burlington's commercial importance.  He was born in Washington DC in 1806.  In 1839 he moved to the west to take charge of the Burlington ferry.  At the same ... Read more
McCash House 1844.  Mr. McCash came to Burlington at a very young age on horseback. His horse went lame so he decided to stay a while in Burlington. He created a livery business here and ended up being an investor.   His brick house w... Read more
.S. Schramm moved to Burlington in 1842, initially working as a printer for the Gazette and then for Edwards at the Hawk-Eye. In 1844, he started in the grocery business and manufactured vinegar, the first in Burlington. In 1853, he shifted... Read more
This house was built for Mabel Eastman Macmillian. She was Philip Eastman's sister. Built in 1925. There have been four homes on this location with first being a rectory for the UCC church on Snake Alley.  This house became the UCC rectory... Read more
The congregation started in 1841, as a gathering of German worshipers meeting in homes and local buildings.  Our first building was built on this site and dedicated in 1851. That church faced east and was the worship center prior to the c... Read more
"The Crookedest Street in the World" Located between Columbia and Washington Streets History The Burlington business district was built in a natural amphitheater surrounded by hills. With all commerce situated in this valley, transportation... Read more
William Garrett 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 Bu... Read more
William W. Baldwin 1845 – 1936 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 Burlington for many ye... Read more
Phillip 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 editor of the Haw... 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 façade is symmetrical with a central entry door,  transom and side lights.  Features include corner quoins,... Read more
William Carson 1859 – 1938 entered the lumber business with Rand Lumber Company, he was later selected for the 1st National Bank of Burlington.), Mr. Tracy (1860- 1932) graduated from Notre Dame and completed his law degree at Iowa Cit... Read more
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