The Scarlet tit Black, Sept—.1, lﬂ78—pagc 8

 

Around town: a Grinnell walking tour

by Nancy (itiiild

With a little physical exertion,
one can become enlightened about
the historical and recreational
haven of Grinnell, Iowa. Hard to
believe, but Grinnell truly offers an
excess of places of interest that all
too few find the time to visit. The
5&8 has devised a quick and ex
citing tour through the town,
presenting to you the most con
venient Way to view Grinnell at its
best.

To take this tour, one needs to
arm oneself with a sense of ad
venture, a few hours (or more) of
spare time, and a map oi Grinnell
(found at the Chamber of Comr
merce on Broad Street). If all of
these have been obtained, it is time
to explore the town.

The tour begins in iamiliar

spots are located south of these
tracks.

ONI‘ SUL‘II BUILDING on the
south side oi town is squeezed
between a lumber company and a
small brown house. 720 Broad Is
now billed as “Bob’s Woodworking
and Upholstery”7quite a change
from its original function as J B,
Grinnell’s residence This massive
house was built in 1855 and is one of
the oldest homes remaining in
Grinnell. The house shows signs of
settling, the lawn is overgrown,
and the olive green paintis badly in
need oi relinishing, but the
building is still an impressive
structure. Judging from the
building‘s size and design it seems
that old J.B. must have been living
well.

Alter .l.l3,'s place, there is yet
another historical building south of

The architectural bull should dolinitely pay a visit to Stewart
Library. The building has brought Grinnell much lame, receiving
mention in the National Register oi ilistoric Places, (Photo by Karl

' Dukslein.)

territoryion Broad Street, in the
center ol town, Stewart Library,
located 31926 Broad Street, is the
first building of historical
significance on the tour. Built in
loin, the building is now on the
National Register 01 Historic
Places One 01 the reasons (or its
place on this list is the building's
unique architecture, called
“Romanesque Revival.“ The
design of the building makes it one
of Grinnell's most unusual
structures, The library is currently
being remodeled, so that some of
the most interesting rooms are
temporarily closed to the public
Warning: it's best to avoid v' iting
places such as the library's bal-
iilled attic.

CONTINUING ll\' I"I\Mll,ll\lt
territory, the next building
ol importance in Grinnell
is the Poweshiek Bank,
,is located across the street from
Stewart’lilbrary. The bank was
designed in 1914 by Louis Henri
Sullivan, the leader of the
“Chicago School" of architects
during the late 1800's The liuilding
is nicknamed lhe “Jewel Box" and
was supposedly designed in its
cubical shape to imply security
and stability Actually, the bank's

indows are really its biggest
asset and worth taking a look at,
You might lind the stained glass to
he Sullivan's ironic comment on
materialism in Americaithe
pattern looks suspiciously like one
you might lind in a church

Alter l’ilweshiek Bank, it's timc
to Venture into an area that few
students ever find themselves in
Continuing down Broad you will
pass the Grinnell Chamber ol
Commerce and Central Park la
few swings and a few cldcrly
gentlemen enjoying the Sightsl.
until coming upon Grinnell’s
dividing point: therailroad tracks.
Many ol Grinnell:s interesting

which ‘

 

the tracks, Continuing down Broad

and going easton First Avenue will

lead you directly to 1025 First. the
Sumner Bixby house built in 1856,
Sumner probably doesn‘t live
there anymore, but the building’s
current owner has kept the two-
story house in good condition The
house is located on a large lot. and
although the architecture is not as
ornate tls J.B.'s iormel‘ residencei
it is still a line example of an old
Midwestern home

11v THIS TIME. THE average
traveler is likely to be tired 01 all
these historical buildings
Thelefol'e. the next place of in
lel’est Will be Lake Nyallza, located
southeast of the Bixby house on
High Street, (High Street is not
given any special recognition on
this [our for its interesting name)
The lake is located in a highly
industrial area. and is a pleasant
contrast to its surroundings Lake
Nyanza itsoli is not oi a par
ticularly startling 517.0. in lact.
"Pond Nyanza" might be it bit
more appropriate Houever. the
adjacent park.a delightful spot.
sports a few swlngs. a picnic
shelter and an abundance of
tl'ccsipcrfcct tor the wcziry
student. Nyanra also has a (ran
sient goosc population which can
occasionally tic sccn lounging by
the vtater.

Grinnell contains still another
lake, accessible lroin Luke Nyhnza
by traveling eight blocks west on
Washington Avenue. Arbor Lake is
about the size oi Lokc Nyanza, but
this lake has remained unr
developed thus tar. The lake itsell
is bounded by dense trccs on two
sides, with lields visible in the
d ncc. it is a pcacciul spot,
isolated from the sounds of the
town,

ADJACENT TO ARBOR Lake Is
another peaceful area void of
construction—Grinnell's.

cem-.
,etery. The cemeterypieven if

you're not big on such places, is
one of Grinnell's most picturesque
and interesting locations, situated
on a large plot tughl ot land, amid
rolling hills These hills, which
otter marvelous views of the town
and outlying iields, appear to be in
a different world because of their
contrast to Grinnell‘s normally flat
terrain. Not only is the cemetery a
beautiful spot, but the place reeks
with history. The tombstones,
which date back to the mid-1800's,
offer a line lesson in the history at
Grinnellﬁeven the former resident
of 720 Broad Street is buried there.
If you stroll far enough, you will
run into a World War I artillery
piece. _ ,.

After the cemetery, it’s time for
a quick break at one of Grinnell’s
“live star” eating establishments.
Leaving the cemetery through its
entrance on Prairie Street, the
thirsty explorer should head
towards Highway 6 and go west.
There he Will soon find himself on
the doorstep of A&W Root Beer—
not a historical or recreational site,
but certainly a high point in
Grinnell. After a few rootbeeis
have been consumed the visit to the
scenic spots in Grinnell‘s northern
section can be more readily en-
joyed.

While you’re in the area, you
might want to drop by Wagon
Wheels West. which IS just west of
the A&W on the gravel path oil oi
Highway 6. This rustic Western
store had the distinction of being
written up in the Des Moilles
Register this summer because its
lriendly owners. Mr. and Mrs
Spriggs, are lar iroin rustic- they
are actually from Northern
Ireland.

BAILEY PARK CAN be reached
by heading caston a and north on
Prairie Street. The park is one of
the most exciting spots in town, as
it is the home of Grinnell‘s llnest
selection oi playground slides
Tllrce slides, each giving the rider
2] special thrill. re located at the
site. The highlight is “Miracle‘s
Tornado." :1 large red slide with
many twists and turns Secondary
to the slides are two tennis courts
and the municipal swimming pool,
another excellent spot to waste
away the hours

There is yet another playground
to investigate after the thrill oi
Bailey Park, Merrill Park is
located . on the corner of West
Street andl2thAvenue, northeast tit
Bailey Park. Merrill Park offers a
unique selection 01 playground
equi ment. including thc famous
Me ill Park rockeiship, an in
descl'ibable experience. The p k

‘ also contains a picnic shelter and is
well-populated with large trees:
another excellent spot to relax tor
a “hile.

 

This particular building is a must lor the person interested in the
town’s history. “a. Grinnell's desk, along with other artiiacts, are all
on display at the Historical Museum. (Photo by Karl Dukstein.)

WHEN THE TRAVELER has
completed his visit to Merrill Park,
there is another unusual section of
town Close at hand. Directlv north
of the park is an area that can best

he described as a subdivision.

(This area mightprovide ashock of
recognition {or many students, as
it looks as though it would be more
appropriate in the suburbs or a
large city.) it diilers greatly irom
Grinnell’s usual housing pattern, in
that it contains large, modern
houses, contrasting the rest ol
Gl'lnnell's usual wooden strut
tures The subdivision is a taste of
what many students can lind in
their own back yards.

Located close to the new Sub-
division, on 1510 Broad, is another
ol Grinnell’s important ar-
chitectural works. This house, now
occupied by the Voertmans, was
designed by Walter Griffin
Griffin, who worked under Frank
Lloyd Wright from 1901 to 1905 s
noted as an important Anlcr can
architect. The Voertman house,
the last of Grinnell's noted arr
chitectural pieces, is a large red
brick structure. done in a unique
style

11- YOU ll.\\'IZ SOME energy
left by this time, there is one last
place oi historical interest
to visit. Further south, at 1125
Broad Street, is tile Grinnell
Historical Society. The museum
contains relics of Grinnell, such 215

 

clothing, dishes, tools, and fur
niture dating from the mid»
nineteenth century when Grinnell
was founded. One of the museum's
most prized possessions is a
magnificent rolltop desk owned
byiyou guessed it—good ol_d J,B.
The museum's curator, a woman
by the name oi Mrs, Stoops. is
filled with stories and history about
the artifacB and Grinnell itself

Alter paying a visit to the
historical Society it is appropriate
to head back to campus. But it you
are inclined to roam still luriher,

.east oi the campus on Highway 6

are two spots worth investigating,
although they, like the ASIW. have
no historical content, The Dairy
Barn, on the outskirts of town, is an
excellent place to purchase a Soltr
serve ice cream cone (since you
can’t have one with your meals
anymore) Van's Health Food
Store, located closer to campus,
offers a line selection of food and a
friendly set of sales clerks.

GRINNELL "AS A great deal it)
oller, even it you don’t lollow every
detail ol the above route The town
has an innumerable amount oi
streets to wander down, each
containing its share oi interesting
homes, and abundant trees that
soon Will be changing to their tall
coloring The historical and
recreational sites, as well as the
town, are well worth a day‘s tour.

For an exhilarating experience on your tour around town. take a trip on the Merrill Park rocketship—
N.A.s,A.'s pride and joy. tl>hoto by Karl Dukstein.)

 

