Ola Babcock Miller Building WikiZero


Iowa State Historical Building
U.S. National Register of Historic Places


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Location	E. 12th and Grand Ave. Des Moines, Iowa
Coordinates	41°35′34″N 93°36′9″W / 41.59278°N 93.60250°W / 41.59278; -93.60250
Area	approximately 1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built	1898-1899 1904-1910
Architect	Oliver O. Smith
Architectural style	Beaux Arts
NRHP reference No.	78001251^[1]
Added to NRHP	November 14, 1978

The Ola Babcock Miller Building, also known as the State Library of Iowa, is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 as the Iowa State Historical Building.^[1]

History[edit]

The State Historical Department was established by the Iowa legislature in 1892. It was originally housed in three rooms of the Iowa State Capitol building. The west wing of this building was completed in 1899, and the Historical Department occupied it in March 1900. The legislature appropriated funds to complete the building, and it was finished in 1910. The building was designed by Des Moines architect Oliver O. Smith, and it is considered a good example of the Beaux Arts style.^[2] It is one of the oldest buildings in the Capitol Complex.^[3] The state historical society remained here until their present building was completed in 1987. After a historic renovation the building was renamed in honor of Ola Babcock Miller, Iowa's first female Secretary of State.^[3] The building now houses the State Library of Iowa, which has occupied space in the building since 1912.

Architecture[edit]

The 260-by-70-foot (79 by 21 m) building features a facade that is organized into five parts, with three projecting pavilions that are connected by hyphens.^[2] The raised basement is faced in rusticated stone while the walls are composed of hollow tiles that are faced with limestone veneer. The plan for the central pavilion is a Greek cross. The portico is arranged distyle in antis with columns of the Ionic order. It is capped with a dome. The building's low, horizontal appearance contrasts with the relatively compact verticality of the capitol building across the street.^[2]

References[edit]

^ ^a ^b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
^ ^a ^b ^c Jack J. Musgrove. "Iowa State Historical Building". National Park Service. Retrieved 2017-10-09. with photo(s)
^ ^a ^b "History". East Village Des Moines. Retrieved 2012-01-12.

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v t e Historic buildings and structures in Des Moines, Iowa
Apartment buildings	Ayrshire Apartments Bryn Mawr Apartments The Elmwood-The Oaks-The Birches Franklin Apartments Hallett Flats–Rawson & Co. Apartment Building Kromer Flats The Lexington The Maine Murillo Flats The New Lawn Norman Apartment Building Plymouth Place
Civic buildings	Des Moines Fire Department Headquarters-Fire Station No. 1 and Shop Building Fire Station No. 4 Iowa Commission for the Blind Building Iowa State Capitol Iowa State Historical Building Municipal Building Polk County Courthouse Public Library of Des Moines United States Courthouse U.S. Post Office
Commercial buildings	American Republic Insurance Company Headquarters Building Apperson-Iowa Motor Car Company Building Argonne Building Baker-Devotie-Hollingsworth Block Burnstein-Malin Grocery D.S. Chamberlain Building Clemens Automobile Company Building Des Moines Building Earle & LeBosquet Block Elliott Furniture Company Equitable Life Insurance Company of Iowa Building Fleming Building Flynn-Griffin Building Hawkeye Insurance Company Building Hippee Building Hohberger Building Home Federal Savings and Loan Association of Des Moines Building Homestead Building Hubbell Building Iowa-Des Moines National Bank Building G.W. Jones Building Liberty Building Perry and Brainard Block Register and Tribune Building Seth Richards Commercial Block Rumely-Des Moines Drug Company Building Sargent's Garage Studebaker Corporation Branch Office Building Syndicate Block Teachout Building Walnut Tire and Battery Co.-Globe Publishing Company Building Wherry Block Youngerman Block Younker Brothers Department Store
Education	Abraham Lincoln High School Fort Des Moines Provisional Army Officer Training School Grand View College (Old Main) Methodist Deaconess Institute—Esther Hall David W. Smouse Opportunity School Theodore Roosevelt High School
Hotels	Hotel Fort Des Moines Hotel Kirkwood Hotel Randolph Northwestern Hotel Savery Hotel
Industrial buildings	Boyt Company Building Crane Building Des Moines Saddlery Company Building Des Moines Western Railway Freight House Firestone District Office and Warehouse Grocers Wholesale Company Building L. Harbach and Sons Furniture Warehouse and Factory Complex Hawkeye Transfer Company Warehouse Herring Motor Car Company Building Iowa Ford Tractor Company Repair and Warehouse Building Mack-International Motor Truck Corporation Building National Biscuit Company Building Schmitt and Henry Manufacturing Company Standard Glass and Paint Company Building Taft-West Warehouse Warfield, Pratt and Howell Company Warehouse
Structures	Court Avenue Bridge Allen Hazen Water Tower Southeast Water Trough Southwest Fifth St. Bridge
Miscellaneous	Des Moines Art Center Fish and Game Pavilion and Aquarium Masonic Temple of Des Moines Scottish Rite Consistory Building
National Register of Historic Places listings in Des Moines, Iowa List of National Historic Landmarks in Iowa