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Plum Grove
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Plum Grove, Iowa City, 1996
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| Location: | 1030 Carroll Ave., Iowa City, Iowa |
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| Built: | 1844 |
| Architectural style: | Greek Revival |
| Governing body: | State |
| NRHP Reference#: |
73000731 [1] |
| Added to NRHP: | May 07, 1973 |
Plum Grove is a historic house located in Iowa City, United States. Plum Grove was the retirement home of Gov. Robert Lucas and the childhood home of the author Eleanor Hoyt Brainerd. Built in 1844, Lucas lived there with his wife, Friendly, and several children and grandchildren. Lucas died at Plum Grove in 1853, and his family moved out by 1866.
Subsequent owners include the Hoyt family,[2] who were associated with the Eleutherian College, and Plum Grove was the birthplace of Eleanor Hoyt Brainerd in 1868. The house was subsequently occupied by the family of Jacob Carroll Switzer,[3] a Civil War hero, and then by a number of immigrant and impoverished families. It was bought by the state of Iowa in 1943 and refurbished as a monument to Lucas. The house is maintained by the Johnson County Historical Society, but owned by the State Historical Society of Iowa.
Hours:
Memorial Day through Labor Day
Wednesday though Sunday
1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Labor Day through October 31
Saturday and Sunday
1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and by group appointment
Contact:
For more information or to schedule a group tour, contact the local manager at:
Leigh Ann Jero
Johnson County Historical Society
P.O. Box 5081
Coralville, Iowa 52241
Telephone: 319-351-5738
The grounds have been the focus of archaeological research since 1974, documenting Iowa frontier history and changes in farming from 1844 until 1943. Most of this work has been led by Thomas Charlton of the University of Iowa's Department of Anthropology. Previous excavations have uncovered house additions, outbuildings, and a large trench full of butchered animal bones.[4]
The linked PowerPoint presents results of archaeological excavations in 1978:
A Reevaluation of Early Commercial Food Production in Eastern Iowa