Victorian houses in Des Moines
Victorian is a broad label for the ornamented styles built during Queen Victoria's reign, from 1837 to 1901. On American buildings it usually signals elaborate millwork, steep roofs and mixed materials rather than one set of rules.
The stops that carry a construction date run from 1888 to 1896. 13 stops, 1.4 miles end to end.
Distances are straight lines between the coordinates in the National Park Service Register data, so the walk on the street will be longer. Nobody has walked or checked this as a route, and a listing does not mean a place is open to visitors. Stops last changed Sep 18, 2026.
All walking tours in Des Moines → · Every listing in Des Moines →
Map
Coordinates come from the National Park Service National Register spatial data, or from Wikidata where the spatial data has no point. The solid line joins the stops in walking order and is not a street route. Listings with a restricted address in the Register are never mapped and never become stops. Data refreshed November 02, 2026.
Walking order
- 1Odenweller, F. F.–James P. and Nettie Morey House1115 27th St.Building · built 1896 · listed 1988start
- 2John P. Simmons House1113 27th St.Building · built 1894 · listed 198898 ft from stop 1
- 3Josiah Andrews House1128 27th St.Building · listed 19880.3 mi from stop 2
- 4Hill McClelland Bell House1091 26th St.Building · listed 19880.1 mi from stop 3
- 5Professor Charles O. Denny House1084 Twenty-fifth St.Building · built 1893 · listed 1988234 ft from stop 4
- 6Dr. Richard and Paulina Stuart House1060 Twenty-fifth St.Building · built 1895 · listed 1988199 ft from stop 5
- 7Lampson P. Sherman House1052 Twenty-sixth St.Building · built 1888 · listed 1988297 ft from stop 6
- 8Vail, Mrs. Marian D.–Prof. Charles Noyes Kinney House1056 26th St.Building · built 1889 · listed 1988135 ft from stop 7
- 9Anson O. Reynolds House1022 Twenty-sixth St.Building · built 1890 · listed 19880.1 mi from stop 8
- 10Mary A. and Caleb D. Scott House1014 Twenty-sixth St.Building · built 1889 · listed 198899 ft from stop 9
- 11Nellie and Thomas Knotts House1021 Twenty-sixth St.Building · built 1894 · listed 1988164 ft from stop 10
- 12Francis M. Kirkham House1026 Twenty-fourth St.Building · built 1888 · listed 19880.1 mi from stop 11
- 13Henry Wallace House756 16th St.Building · listed 19930.6 mi from stop 12
1.4 straight-line miles over 12 legs.
Taking it along
- Download the route as GPXFor a handheld GPS or a phone app
- Open all 13 stops in Google MapsSet the mode to walking once it opens
- Open the first stop in Apple MapsThe Apple Maps web link carries one destination, so this is stop 1 only
Other walks in Des Moines
- The work of Proudfoot & Bird in Des Moines13 stops · 2.2 milesThe record behind every stop attributes it to Proudfoot & Bird. The dated ones went up between 1869 and 1921, and Neoclassical is the label that recurs most across them.
- Neoclassical architecture in Des Moines10 stops · 1.7 milesNeoclassical buildings borrow the columns, pediments and symmetry of Greek and Roman temples. The Des Moines examples on this route went up between 1912 and 1916.
- Houses and mansions in Des Moines15 stops · 1.4 milesThe route links houses built between 1884 and 1886. Many are private homes and the stops are meant to be seen from the sidewalk.
Local history books for Des Moines
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Guidebooks to historic places and travel in Iowa
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.