West Des Moines Historical Society

Mission

The West Des Moines Historical Society is a 501(c)3 volunteer-based organization dedicated to community enrichment through education, preservation, and celebration of the history and the heritage of the greater West Des Moines area and its environs.

We maintain two unique properties, The James Jordan House at 2001 Fuller Road and Bennett School, 4001 Fuller Road.

The Jordan House, a stately Victorian home of Italianate Gothic design, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a member of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program. It is one of the oldest structures in Polk Country and the oldest in West Des Moines. Built by one of West Des Moines' first settlers, James C. Jordan, the house today serves both as a museum for West Des Moines and as the office of West Des Moines Historical Society. The sixteen period rooms serve as a fitting backdrop of displaying the many antique treasures gathered from the rich heritage of West Des Moines. Visitors will also be interested in both the Underground Railroad Exhibit and the many artifacts from the regular railroad which played an important role in the early years of West Des Moines.

Built in 1926 or '27 the Bennett School was one of the last one room schools to be built in West Des Moines and was in use until at least 1941. It was originally located on an acre of ground donated by the Bennett family at the southwest corner of what is now known as Fuller Road and 50th Street. The school was eventually sold, remodeled slightly, and used as a private home for a number of years before being donated to the West Des Moines Historical Society by its final owners. Through the generosity of the community, a restoration project was begun in 1997 which returned the school to it's former appearance.