Object Record
Images
Metadata
Object Name |
House |
Source |
Hancock County Historical Society |
Iowa History Era Tag |
Statewide Settlement (1869-1896) |
Chronological Tag |
The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930) |
Catalog Number |
2018.051.007 |
Credit line |
Hancock County Historical Society - Britt, Iowa |
Description |
This Victorian house was built in Britt, Iowa, for Lewis Larson, a Norwegian immigrant and bank president. The house cost around $15,000 to construct. A local story claims that Larson wanted two towers on his home so that it would look bigger than another Britt home. When Larson left the bank in the early 1900s, the house was given to the new president, Henry Armstrong. Today, the house is maintained by the Hancock County Historical Society. Content can be used with the following standards: 3rd grade SS 3.28 Cultural Contributions in a lesson on the establishment of Iowan towns in the late 1800s. For any use other than instructional resources, please check with the organization that owns this item regarding copyright restrictions. |
Additional Research & Sources |
The town of Britt, Iowa was founded in 1870 by John T. Stoneman and William H. Lorimier, with the town becoming official in the county record on June 20, 1878. The first building of the town was the depot of the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railway in 1870, along with the first home being built on the southside of the railway tracks and owned by J.H. Burdick. As more residents moved to the town, the business sector expanded. The postoffice was built in 1870 with Robert Lattimore serving as postmaster, the first hotel in 1876 run under S.F. Benson and the first mercantile store in May of 1878 run by Thomas Daylor. The Armstrong house was built for Lewis Larson, the president of First National Bank in Britt and was built by John Victoria, a popular architect of the town. Constructed with two towers to beat Larson's merchant neighbor whose home had only one tower, the new home included architectural designs and elements of the time. The house included rooms with 10 ft. ceilings, double pocket doors, stained glass windows, a grand staircase, balconies and a full wrap-around porch. The home's basement is complete with a large coal cellar to supply the furnace, a cistern to collect rain water, a fruit cellar and a laundry chute. In addition to the family, two Norweigian maids also lived in the home. The women immigrated from Norway to work for the Larson family and helped with chores such as cooking and cleaning. A second stairway led from the second floor to the kitchen to avoid disrupting guests in the home. |
Notes on Related Objects |
Object is related to the following library resources, which can be found by searching the catalog number in the advanced search section: Catalog #: 2018.045.168- History of Kossuth, Hancock and Winnebago Counties, Iowa 2018.045.191- Iowa: The Home for Immigrants |
Primary/Secondary Source |
Significant - Local |
County Tag |
Hancock |
People |
Larson, Lewis Armstrong, Henry |
Multimedia Links |
Click here to view/hear the file. |
Search Terms |
Towns People Architecture Building construction Norway |
Legal Status |
Ownership of this resource is held by the Hancock County Historical Society and has been provided here for educational purposes only, specifically for use in the Iowa Museum Association's "Teaching Iowa History" project. It may not be downloaded, reproduced or distributed in any format without written permission from the Rights Holder. For information on U.S. and International copyright laws, consult an attorney. |
