Discover 7 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Fort Dodge (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Webster County Courthouse, Blanden Art Museum, and Corpus Christi Catholic Church. Also, be sure to include Oakland Cemetery in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Fort Dodge (Iowa).
Table of Contents
Webster County Courthouse
Building in Fort Dodge, Iowa. The Webster County Courthouse is a historic building in Fort Dodge, Iowa, United States. Built in 1902, it primarily houses local government offices for Webster County. The courthouse is the second building the county has used for court functions and county administration. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981, and as a contributing property in the Fort Dodge Downtown Historic District in 2010.[1]
Blanden Art Museum
Art museum, Art gallery, Museum, Shopping
Address: 920 3rd Ave S, 50501-4723 Fort Dodge
Corpus Christi Catholic Church
Church in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Corpus Christi Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Sioux City. The church is located in Fort Dodge, Iowa, United States and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[2]
Address: 402 N 8th St, 50501 Fort Dodge
Oakland Cemetery
Cemetery in Fort Dodge, Iowa. The Oakland Cemetery is a 40-acre public cemetery maintained by the city of Fort Dodge, Iowa, United States. Property for the cemetery was set aside in 1859. It was laid out the same year by Egbert Bagg, an architect and civil engineer from Utica, New York. The graves and monuments are arranged around the natural contours of the hills that overlook Soldier Creek in a natural park-like setting. It is considered a good and rare example of a rural cemetery in North Central Iowa. It has been listed as an historic district on the National Register of Historic Places since 2000.
Its notable resources include:
- a Civil War memorial monument created by a local sculptor and Civil War veteran, William Pollock.
- a Potter's Field
- seven tree stump grave markers, which indicate a life cut short
- grave of Major William Williams, founder of Fort Dodge, who died in 1874
- graves of two black Civil War soldiers, with markers provided by the U.S. Government in years before 2003, with metal military marker and small cloth American flag. These are for "Joseph Kinner, Co H, 1 USCI, 1890," and "Joseph A. Palmer, Serg Co F, 54 Mass Inf.
- grave of Dr. Thomas Fitzhugh Grayson, who practiced medicine in Fort Dodge for many years after serving in the Confederate Army's 8th Virginia Infantry, and who died in 1903, and
- tablet inscribed with "Faithful Colored Servant" at grave of Agnes Grayson, a servant in the home of the Dolliver family, who died in 1935.
Vincent House
Building in Fort Dodge, Iowa. The Vincent House is a historic building located in Fort Dodge, Iowa, United States. The distinguishing features of this three-story, red brick, Second Empire house is its mansard roof and wrap-around porch. Web Vincent moved his family into the house in 1879 and it remained in the Vincent family until 1969 when Anne R. Vincent died. Vincent was a businessman who made his fortune in the local gypsum industry. A ballroom was located on the third floor and its walls were composed of gypsum plaster, which was the first time it was used in the United States. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.[4]
Wahkonsa Hotel
Building in Fort Dodge, Iowa. The Wahkonsa Hotel, also known as Wahkonsa Manor, is a historic building located in Fort Dodge, Iowa, United States. It was built by the city's Commercial Club to provide a first-class hotel for the community. The five story, brick, Renaissance Revival-style structure was designed by the prominent Des Moines architectural firm of Liebbe, Nourse & Rasmussen. The building served as a hotel until 1972 when it was converted into apartments for low-income people. It retained the first-floor commercial space, which was original to the building. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008, and as a contributing property in the Fort Dodge Downtown Historic District in 2010.[5]
First National Bank Building
Building in Fort Dodge, Iowa. The First National Bank Building, now known as the Central Place Apartments, is an historic building located in Fort Dodge, Iowa, United States. The First National Bank was established in 1866 and grew to become the city's principal financial institution. Its officers and directors throughout its existence were among the city's most prominent businessmen. The present building was designed by the Des Moines architectural firm of Liebbe, Nourse & Rasmussen in the Early Commercial style. The six-story structure rises to a height of 90 feet The building has subsequently been renovated into apartments. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003, and as a contributing property in the Fort Dodge Downtown Historic District in 2010.[6]