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Owner asks council to designate Whitmer House a local landmark; council approves
Summary
Owner John Beard described 13–14 years of restoration of the W. W. Whitmer House at 2900 Grand Avenue and asked the council to approve local landmark designation; the council voted to approve the designation unanimously.
The Des Moines City Council unanimously approved designating the W. W. Whitmer House at 2900 Grand Avenue as a local landmark.
Owner John Beard told the council he has spent 13 or 14 years restoring the property and noted its historic importance, saying the house once served as the original governor’s mansion for the state of Iowa. “I would really appreciate your support to move this forward as a local landmark,” Beard said.
Councilmembers praised Beard’s preservation work and noted the property’s architectural and historical significance. One councilmember said Beard and others are working on a book about the old mansions of Grand Avenue and encouraged residents to visit the restored house.
Speaker 6 moved the designation and the council approved the motion by roll call, 7–0.
The designation will place the Whitmer House under local landmark protections; the transcript does not record implementation details or next steps for the landmark designation process.
