The house at 410 Franklin Avenue was built in 1905 by George H. France and his wife Nannie. According to a 2002 Des Moines Register article by Renda Lutz, George Henry France and his wife, Nannie, were prominent members of Des Moines society in the late 1800’s.
The home, which is one of the stops along the River Bend Neighborhood Home Tour, was built in the Prairie Style, which is reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright’s designs, which were a successor to and influenced by the English Arts and Crafts movement. The two-and-a-half story house itself is approximately 4500 sq. ft. and once sat on almost an acre of land facing Oakland Ave., with the address of 1820 Oakland Ave.
The property stayed in the family until it was sold by the son, George A. France. The property was divided and the house was then converted into 8 apartments in 1938 by the Open Bible Church and an apartment building was then built in 1956 on the front lot. The house remained primarily unchanged until April of 2007 when it was purchased by Mike Hildebrand and Maurice Adair. Since April the homeowners have been able to convert it back to a single family home.
The 2008 River Bend Neighborhood Home Tour is September 6 and 7.
The charming green and yellow shingle style Victorian house at 1530 - 9th Street was built in 1897. The home was part of a 9th Street development of three houses by George E. Hallett, including the “mushroom house” at 1330 - 9th Street.
Hallett himself filled the roles of both the architect and the developer for this house, and even lived in the home for a time.
Both Hallett-designed houses are featured on the 2008 River Bend Neighborhood Home Tour, which will be held September 6 and 7.
The home at 1961 Arlington, near the intersection of 6th and Hickman Avenues, was built in 1898 by Herber Wyman. One of the featured homes on the 2008 River Bend Neighborhood house tour (September 6 and 7), the house is a fine example of the neo-classical style, but visitors also note a strong Prairie School influence.
The house was sold to Charles and Flora May Colby in 1914, when many of the retaining walls along the river where erected, and the adjacent carriage house was converted into an apartment.
After World War Two, as with many other houses in the neighborhood, it was converted into 8 apartments. Many of the home’s owners since its conversion have lived on the premises, helping to preserve the important architectural features of the home.
The restoration of the house began in 1999, and continues today. Curt Sytsma and his wife Ellen King Huntoon are the current owners, and are working on extensive restoration projects.
The home at 509 Franklin Avenue was built in 1891. The architect for this building and its neighbor at 409 Franklin, was C.C. Cross & Company, who designed the home in the style of a Queen Anne Victorian, with “stick and ball” woodwork in the entry room.
The longest tenure of any occupants of the home were E. Merill Fegtley and his wife, Lulu. They purchased the home in 1918, at which time they secured a mortgage in the amount of $3,000, and maintained ownership of the home until 1982. Since 1982, there have been three owners of the home, all of whom have worked at the still-ongoing process of restoration.
The Franklin Avenue home is one of the stops on this year’s River Bend Neighborhood Home Tour, September 6 and 7, 2008.
Plan on attending the next River Bend Neighborhood Meeting.
When/Where are meetings held?
Meetings are held the second Monday of each month at 7pm at the Salvation Army building at 1330 6th Ave. (Map)
Who can attend?
Everyone is welcome to attend, and there’s no charge. If you want to become a member, which gives you rights to vote for the Association board, the cost is $10 per person per year.
Neighbors and business owners from the River Bend Neighborhood met earlier this week to brainstorm ideas for the revitalization of the Sixth Avenue corridor. Sixth Avenue is a main thoroughfare into downtown Des Moines. It cuts right through the middle of the River Bend Neighborhood, and in recent decades has fallen on hard times. The brainstorming session sought ideas for reversing that trend, and for revitalizing and beautifying this commercial corridor.
One of the brainstorm meeting’s attendees was Neighborhood Finance Corporation (NFC) employee Steve Wilke-Shapiro. Wilke-Shapiro is Real Estate Development Manager for the agency. He recapped the discussion at the Salvation Army offices in this entry on his blog:
“Sixth Avenue is a north-south thoroughfare forming the spine of the River Bend neighborhood. It runs more or less from downtown at the south to Interstate 80 (where it turns into NW 6th Drive). Along the way it strings together a variety of destinations including Mercy Medical Center and North High School as well as crossing I-235, University, and Euclid.
“It is also, for the most part, underutilized and dreary, particularly for the pedestrian. Until now.
“Aaron Todd and Brian Douglas of the River Bend Neighborhood have recognized that the time is ripe for dealing with 6th Ave. The two are project co-leaders of a planning effort to remake 6th Avenue as a neighborhood asset. Toward that end they convened a visioning session of sorts that brought together neighborhood residents, business, and non-profit representatives to start the visioning process for a revitalized 6th Avenue.
“The visioning session commenced with small groups brainstorming “vision” statements and putting into words the elements of a successful streetscape revitalization. After sharing the results with the full group, we proceeded into a SWOC (Strengths - Opportunities - Weaknesses - Challenges) analysis. The next group exercise was a review of the suggested streetscape improvement elements identified by previous plans, and submitted to the city planning staff. The meeting concluded with a discussion of what type of neighborhood festival might work to showcase the neighborhood.
The River Bend Neighborhood boasts a wide range of architectural styles. From the Victorian houses with their ornate gingerbread trim, to the Prairie Style homes with their organic symmetry, there is a little something for everyone.
This year’s River Bend Neighborhood Homes Tour focuses attention on Des Moines architects at the turn of the 20th century. There will be six houses on the tour this year, showcasing the work of three different architects.
Date & Time: Saturday, September 6th, 10 am to 4 pm
Sunday, September 7th, 11 am to 4 pm.
Tickets: $10 for adults & $5 for individuals under 17
Tickets available for purchase at the Wherry 2 Building, 1612 6th Avenue
(at the corner of 6th and College, right next to Something Good Restaurant).
Parking: available same location as ticket sales, behind the Wherry 2 Building, 1612 6th Avenue
(at the corner of 6th and College, right next to Something Good Restaurant)
Transportation to featured homes will be provided.
*Host Homes: 1330 9th St., home of Carolyn Jenison & Angela Thorne
410 Franklin Ave., home of Mike Hildebrand & Maurice Adair.
Lunch: There will be snacks at both Host Homes available for purchase. Also, the restaurants on 6th Ave. will be open for lunch both days.
6th Avenue Revitalization Planning Meeting
Monday, July 21, 2008 at 7:00pm
Salvation Army Building, 1330 6th Ave
Please plan to attend this meeting to learn about plans for the 6th Avenue commercial corridor and to provide input for its improvement. Citizens’ and business owners’ suggestions will be incorporated into vision for a revitalized 6th Avenue and a concrete plan for its improvement.
It’s imperative that a cross-section of the local community is present to ensure that all voices and perspectives are heard.We need to show the City that we are committed and ready to improve the safety, aesthetics, and investment potential of River Bend’s commercial center.
In addition, the River Bend Neighborhood Association will also be sponsoring an ice cream social at the meeting. We hope you can make it!
If you have questions, please contact one of the meeting organizers:
Aaron Todd 515.720.1765
Brian Douglas515.708.1189
Jeanne Johnson515.883.2940
Plan on attending the next River Bend Neighborhood Meeting.
When/Where are meetings held?
Meetings are held the second Monday of each month at 7pm at the Salvation Army building at 1330 6th Ave. (Map)
Who can attend?
Everyone is welcome to attend, and there’s no charge. If you want to become a member, which gives you rights to vote for the Association board, the cost is $10 per person per year.
While the River Bend Neighborhood was largely untouched by the 2008 Des Moines flood, surrounding areas were hit hard.
The Birdland area, north of River Bend, flooded when Des Moines river levies broke:
Flood waters engulfed North High School’s stadium:
In addition to the flooding on the North side of River Bend, flood waters nipped at the neighborhoods East edge.
At 2nd and University on Friday, water erupted from manhole covers, creating a surreal fountain that sent floodwaters towards businesses on the North side:
The house at 410 Franklin Avenue was built in 1905 by George H. France and his wife Nannie. According to a 2002 Des Moines Register article by Renda Lutz, George Henry France and his wife, Nannie, were prominent members of Des Moines society in the late 1800’s.
