Jordan House

The Jordan House is an historic building located in West Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It was built by abolitionist James C. Jordan and was a station on the Underground Railroad in Iowa. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1973.James C. JordanJordan was a cattle farmer from Virginia, although the area is now in West Virginia, who settled in central Iowa in 1846. As a businessman he organized the State Bank of Des Moines and was involved in bringing the railroad to Des Moines. He platted Valley Junction and raised $70,000 to create a railhead there, which was also near his cattle operation. Today the area is the city of West Des Moines. As a civic leader he served on the Polk County Board of Supervisors, and was elected to both the Iowa Senate and the Iowa House of Representatives. While in the state legislature he led the effort to move the state capital from Iowa City to Des Moines. Jordan was married twice. He and his first wife Melinda had six children. After her death, he married Cynthia Adams and the family grew to eleven children.HistoryJames Jordan’s first dwelling in Polk County was a lean-to tent that he replaced with a log cabin in 1848. Two years later construction started on the present house. They moved into the basement when it was completed. It was divided into a kitchen and a bed/sitting room. In 1851 the first phase of the upper floors was completed. The white frame house is two-stories tall. The first phase of the house featured an elegant entrance, two large rooms on the first floor and a walnut staircase that led to two large bedrooms on the second floor. The kitchen remained in the basement.