"The Old House"

representing the communities of

 Keokuk & Nauvoo

Available Lodging for Families

Located in Keokuk, Iowa

629 High St

Just minutes from the Nauvoo LDS Temple and the historical Carthage Jail where Joseph Smith was martyred in 1844.

The wonderful home is in a perfect historical location for family history excursions, family reunions, and weddings.  Fully equipped with linens and dishes.  See below for complete list of amenities.

This completely remodeled Historical Home was built in 1842; The famous author Mark Twain lived across the street from  "The Old House".

This house typifies the unique and peaceful spirit of the area and look forward to sharing it with you.

Three-Story Home

Family Room

Living Room

Dining Room

Game Room

Kitchen

6 Bedrooms

3 Suites (Queen Bed, Full Bath & Baby crib)

Yellow Room ( 1 Set of bunk beds)

2 Attic Rooms (each w/ twin bed)

5 Bathrooms

Laundry Room (w/washer & dryer)

2 Car electric entry garage

Non-Smoking Environment

Sorry, No pets

Nightly: $250 (minimum 3 night stay)

For Reservations:

Brielle Hill (319) 524-1867

email Brielle Hill

or

Don Pearson

(760) 446-4811 or (760) 382-2299

email:  Don & Diana Pearson

Church History

The Nauvoo Temple, once the religious center of a growing community and the most magnificent structure of Old Nauvoo, rises as a present-day reconstructed building.

Originally built of locally quarried gray limestone, the Nauvoo Temple required over five years in construction. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints volunteered labor and sacrificed jewelry, china, and heirlooms to purchase needed building materials. Although many of the Saints were forced to leave Nauvoo early in 1846, the temple provided a place to receive sacred ordinances before their departure.

Following the exodus, the Temple was gutted by fire in 1848 and was further weakened by a tornado in May 1850. The ruined building was later razed, and its stones were used to construct other buildings.

Plans to reconstruct the temple were announced in April 1999 and the completed temple was dedicated 27 June 2002. Built according to the original architectural drawings and using period-influenced design elements, the temple replicates the original as nearly as possible.

Tours of the interior of the temple are not available.

Carthage Jail

More Photos of "The Old House"

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WINTERTIME PHOTO

Things to see and do in Keokuk

Chief Keokuk

This statue of Chief Kiyo' kaga, (one who moves about alert), 1788-1848, later known as Chief Keokuck, or Chief Keokuk, stands in Rand Park, the front yard of the city named after him. It is unclear why the city was named after a man who barely if ever spent any of his life in the town named after him but one thing is clear, the town was christened with whiskey. It is said that on July 4, 1829, at a river party celebration held upon a steamboat here, Col. George Davenport proposed the name of Keokuk. As they were non-residents, the official naming of the town took place 5 years later in 1834 by 9 citizens here. In John Gaines saloon a decanter of whiskey was set on the bar and at Gaines' suggestion, all those present who wanted to name the settlement "Keokuk" were to step up to the bar and have a drink. The vote carried 8 to 1. The town when named contained one frame house and ten log cabins. Kiyo' kaga was not a full blooded Indian, and was not in line to be the Chief that he later was acknowledged to be. His father was 1/2 French and 1/2 Indian. His mother was a full blooded Indian, in fact, if surnames were used as they are today, his last name would have been LaMot. According to the records, he was more of a politician than a brave leader

Bridge Observation Deck
With completion of the new bridge, the Keokuk side of the old bridge was transformed into an Observation Deck. The deck provides a wonderful view of the River, Lock & Dam 19, the George M. Verity and Victory Park.

Lock & Dam
Construction on U.S. Lock and Dam #19 began in 1910, and when completed in 1913, it was the largest electricity generating plant in the world. Lock 19 is the largest lock on the Mississippi and is on the National Register of Historic places.  The area is open 24 hours a day for viewing of river traffic. Call (319) 524-6363 for information.The lock and dam, as well as the rest of the river, can be viewed from a distance on the Observation Deck of the old bridge.
The locks are 1200 feet long and 110 feet wide, with a lift of over 38 feet. The present lock was put into operation in 1957 at a cost of 13.5 million dollars. It is owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Power House and spillways (shown above) are owned and operated by Union Electric Company.

Keokuk National Cemetery 1701 J. Street. It is one of 12 original national cemeteries designated by the U.S. Congress. During the Civil War, the presence of the College of Physicians and Surgeons caused the federal government to locate a military hospital in Estes House (formerly at 500 Main Street), and four other sites in Keokuk. The sick and wounded were transported to the hospitals in Keokuk by riverboats on the Mississippi River. Many soldiers, from the North and South, died at the hospitals in Keokuk during the Civil War, and were buried in what became Iowa’s only National Cemetery. The cemetery is currently the final resting place for the remains of over 4,000 American soldiers. In 1997 the Cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places

Verity River Museum
The George M. Verity River Museum is located in Victory Park on the riverfront. The paddle boat was built in Dubuque, Iowa by the U.S. Government in 1927 to revive river transportation and move barges from St Louis to St. Paul. It was then known as the S.S. Thorpe. Armco Steel Corporation bought the boat in 1940 and put it into service on the Ohio River, renaming it after the founder of their company, George M. Verity. The George M. Verity was donated to the City of Keokuk in 1961 after being retired from service. The museum is open April 1 - October 31. The hours are 9 AM - Noon & 4:00 PM - 6:00 P.M., Thursday, Friday and Monday, then 9:00 A.M. - 6:00 P.M. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is $3 for adults and $1.50 for children. To learn more, write for a free brochure at P.O. Box 400, Keokuk, IA 52632-0400, or call (319) 524-4765