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Click on the images to enlarge. 
For more photos of the American Gothic House, check out the American Gothic House Photo Gallery |
The House
- The Dibble House
- Is the house in its original location?
- How did Grant Wood find the house?
- Who were the Jones Family?
- Why did the original owners choose a gothic window?
- Who were the Dibbles?
- The American Gothic House through the years
- Interest in preserving the house
- Correspondence on the fate of the house
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
- Carl E. Smith donates the house to the State Historical Society of Iowa
- The American Gothic House Center opens
The American Gothic House in Eldon, Iowa is famous as the backdrop of Grant Wood's 1930 painting American Gothic. Since completion, the painting has become an American icon and the model for an unknown number of parodies. The American Gothic House is located in a small rural community in southeast Wapello County.
The American Gothic House was listed on the National Register in 1974. The common name is listed as the American Gothic House and the historic name as "Dibble House." Dibble was the owner of the property at the time of construction in 1881-1882. The National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form, prepared by Alvin Harding, Eldon, Iowa Heritage Committeeman and Director, Wapello County Bicentennial Association, Inc., in February 8, 1974, has the following paragraph:
The Dibble House
back to top"The Dibble, or American Gothic House, served as a model for the small white frame building which appeared in the background of American painter Grant Wood's painting American Gothic (1930). A year before his painting which now hangs in the Chicago Art Institute [sic] was completed, the Iowa bom painter was invited by a gallery in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to give a sketching exhibition in Eldon which is located in Wapello County south of Cedar Rapids. Apparently Wood's search for the right house with the proper window to appear in his next painting ended upon first sight of this small frame house in Eldon. And, indeed, his faithful rendering of the building in his painting testifies to his choice. Wood sketched the window and part of the house on the back of an envelope and upon his return north requested that a photo be provided him as well. The resulting composition with frontal views of two figures dressed in farm attire standing before the frame house reveals how essential the gentle curve mullions of the central window in the house were to the overall composition. A three pronged arrangement of lines is repeated both in the pitchfork held by the male figure and in the seams of that figure's clothing. Also, the arched nature of the window itself is reflected in the elongated oval shapes of the figures' faces."
Is the house in its
original location?
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In the 1960’s and early 1970’s, there were discussions about moving the house to a more convenient location, but no action was taken. Now with its listing on the National Register of Historic Places (1974), its donation to the State Historical Society of Iowa by Carl E. Smith (1991), and the addition of the American Gothic House Center (2007), the house is secure in its original location.
How did Grant Wood find the house?
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Grant Wood reacquainted himself with local artist John Sharp when he visited Eldon. According to a June 7, 1973 letter of recollections from Sharp’s brother Edward, he remembers that Wood…
“…came to our home in Eldon with my brother John…. My mother prepared a large lunch for Mr. Wood and my brother, and I was banished to the kitchen to listen. Mr. Wood expressed much pleasure in his enjoyment of my mother’s cooking, I remember. After the lunch was finished, my brother suggested that he take Mr. Wood driving around town and the surrounding countryside for he thought he might find something interesting that he might like to paint. And so it was that during the drive, John Sharp drove him through PULL-TAIL and as soon as Mr. Wood spotted the ‘house with the beautiful window’ he asked John to stop the car so he could study the window. I believe that he pulled out an envelope from his pocket and drew the design of the window on it sitting in my brother’s car.”
Interviews with Wood tell us that upon seeing the window, he was amused. He called the window pretentious for such a small house, and decided to paint a portrait of who he imagined would live in a house like that. After requesting the permission of the Jones family, he used the back of an envelope to sketch his idea. As he did with most paintings, he sketched his idea on site, but returned to his studio in Cedar Rapids to complete the painting.
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Click on the images to enlarge. 
Gideon (Gid) and Mary Jones. |
Who were the Jones Family?
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In 1930 the house was owned by Mary Hart Jones (1855-1941) and Gideon Jones (1849-1937). The Jones’ bought the house in 1917 and owned it until 1933. Before moving to Eldon, the Jones’ lived in Laddsdale, Iowa—a company owned coal mining community not far from Eldon. When the coal ran out, the company moved away and the town of Laddsdale ceased to exist. Mr. Jones, or Gid as he was called, owned a very fine pair of mules, which became his means for making a living as a drayman. He hauled sand, water or anything else one needed hauled from one place to another for $1.00 per load.
Mrs. Jones kept a nice “cozy” home. There were lots of homemade rag rugs on the floor. She maintained a large garden with the best leaf lettuce, peas, beans, strawberries and raspberries. They also had apple trees and lots of flowers such as hollyhocks, sunflowers, sweet williams, pink dianthus and strawflowers.
When Mrs. Jones (age 75) saw Wood outside sketching her home in August 1930, she called her daughter to come help clean the house inside and out. They took down the lace curtains from the upstairs window, washed and stretched them. Then they sat on the porch and waited, but Wood never came back. He had everything he needed to compose his painting, so imagine their surprise when Wood hung different curtains in their window!
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Why did the original owners choose a gothic window?
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It is unknown why the Dibble family chose to include gothic windows in the gables of their home. It is believed that the windows were purchased through the Sears catalogue, but why they chose a window that belongs in a church no one knows for sure. One thought is that among the struggles of life and work, this was one way that the Dibbles were able to add a little beauty to their everyday lives.
On the other hand, the use of gothic windows follows a mid-19th century trend known as Carpenter Gothic. The style grew out of a need for quickly built homes and a desire for fanciful details. The price to add fanciful details to wood-framed structures decreased significantly so that even the humblest homes were able to incorporate some extra beauty. Identifying features of Carpenter Gothic include steeply-pitched roofs and gables, carved porch railings, strong vertical design elements, such as board and batten siding, and of course, pointed-arch windows.
Who were the Dibbles?
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The original portion of the house that contains the two gothic windows was built in 1881-82 by Catherine and Charles Dibble. As the original owners of the home, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Dibble House, aka American Gothic House. Mr. Dibble owned a livery stable in Eldon. It appears he later lost the house and it was sold for overdue taxes.
The American Gothic House through the years...
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has inspired other artists,
has been discussed in the media,
has been lived in by a variety of people,
has spent some time vacant and abandoned,
has brought people from the community together,
and it will continue to do so for years to come.
1881: Property platted by W.H. Jaques.
1887: Charles and Catherine Dibble become the first recorded owners of the home. Mr. Dibble owned a livery stable in Eldon. They later lost the house when it was sold for taxes.
1897: E.P. Forest Howard purchases the home. He used the front room for a candy and novelty store. This venture was unsuccessful.
May 1917 - Sept 1933: Gideon and Mary Jones purchase the home. Mr. Jones was a drayman who owned a very fine pair of mules. Their children were grown and gone when they moved into the house. The Kitchen Addition (or west wing) is added by the Jones family in the 1920's.
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Click on the images to enlarge. 
American Gothic House Grounds of 1930. 
American Gothic House Sketch by Bill Wagner, 1960. |
August 1930: Wood visits Eldon during Edward Rowan's exhibit, and John Sharp takes Wood on a drive through town, which leads to his discovery of the house that would inspire his painting "American Gothic."
1942-1960, the Seldon Smith Family owns the house. |
1942-1960: Seldon and Myra Smith purchase the home from a family named Howard. Seldon’s brother and wife, Mr. and Mrs. P. Wilbur Smith live in the home.
Interest in Preserving the House
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1960: The Eldon Forum reports that there is “Interest shown by architect artist for preserving American Gothic Home.”
“A recent visit by Des Moines architect, William (Bill) J. Wagner, and Register & Tribune art critic George Shane, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Shane, has added another chapter to the story of the modest old house in Eldon. Wagner made the trip to view the house, after Shane and Eldon banker, Robert (Bob) Weidenbach, had interested him in the subject. In the process of looking at the home, Wagner, who is also a free hand sketch artist, made a drawing of the place, as a future reference.”
February 2, 1960
Bill Wagner writes Bob Weidenbach that “The visit to your American Gothic House was very interesting and enjoyable. I will probably seem a little too enthusiastic, but I do feel you have a ‘First’ in Eldon. It was the painting ‘American Gothic’ that made Grant Wood internationally known. Phil Strong wrote that Grant Wood was the first Iowa painter to bring fame to Iowa. ”I feel it would be a mistake to move the home to another location. The greatest advantage for leaving the house as is, is the vacant piece of ground across the road. This offers you a place for parking autos and a picnic area, which is a good adjunct to a historic site.”
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Click on the image to enlarge. 
The American Gothic House by Miss. Cecil Cantabery, 1970. |
Correspondence on the Fate of the House
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1970-1971: Excerpts from letters between Robert Weidenbach and Carl Smith
November 7, 1970
Dear Mr. Smith:
Your letter dated Oct. 17, 1970 relative to the American Gothic House in Eldon was received. The Lions Club, the Wapello County Agriculture Fair Ass’n, and the Town Council, as well as local citizens and the business men are very much interested and enthused with your letter offering the house as is. The Town Council told me they now have arranged for 24 hour Police Protection in Eldon and that a Police car will make all the rounds each hour day and night. The Council will cooperate fully with us. We feel proper lighting at nighttime can also be arranged and street improvements will also come. The lots across the street belong to the City and they can become a parking ground and rest area. If it is left where it is we could get at it soon and in a few work days we certainly could clean-up the location where it now stands and a carpenter could be put to work. As we see it, this could develop into a terrific thing for Eldon. May we get your reaction promptly – time is running out.
Most cordially,
Robert Weidenbach
November 22, 1971
SUBJECT: Seldon Smith House
Dear Mr. Smith:
In our recent telephone conversation I mentioned that the City of Eldon is willing to accept a Deed or Title to the above mentioned house. We have enough funds to get things started and it could be well onto the way of restoration by summertime as the Lions Club will furnish much of the labor and we have excellent carpenters to supervise the work. If you feel you should have some cash in this transaction — please let us know your figure. Our plans do not call for moving the property. The City has installed better lighting there and plans to make a better road if the property can be secured. Our plan calls for tearing off the back porch which detracts from the house. We also plan on a good safe cellar door and for filling in that old cistern before someone gets hurt. know it is hard to keep children and some older folks out of an unoccupied house. The Boy Scouts are busy and their Committees are live have had good publicity about the “Gothic Trail” but there has been a lot of criticism regarding the shape in which the visitors find the old house and naturally we want to correct that situation. I would appreciate hearing from you, at an early date, so that we may make our plans.
Thanking you, I am sincerely,
Robert Weidenbach
December 10, 1971
SUBJECT: American Gothic House
Dear Mr. Weidenbach:
I want to thank you for your letter of November 22, and for your phone call. I have been trying to clear my schedule for a trip to Eldon. I was hoping that my son could make this trip with me. As yet, I have been unable to firm up any trip plans. My son is very capable in Industrial Arts, the subject in which he has a college major and a degree. He would be capable of renovating the house and I was hoping that he and his wife could live there until some of the more urgent things were completed and then if necessary have someone else take over, so that the place would be occupied with responsible people that are sympathetic to the ideas which you and I have in making this a worthwhile attraction for the Eldon Community. At this moment, I do not feel that we should turn it over to anyone, lock stock and barrel, however, what we have in mind is complimentary to the ideas which you have been suggesting.
Sincerely yours,
Carl E. Smith
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Click on the image below to view a PDF of the Nomination
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Listed on the National Register
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1974: National Register of Historic Places Nomination.
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Click on the images to enlarge. 
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1977-1981: Railroader Bill Wilkinson and his wife Carol rent the house with their young daughter Allisa. They enjoy visits from Carl Smith and especially enjoy the visit from Nan Wood Graham. Rent is $50.00.
July 19, 1980: On Nan Wood Grahams birthday, and 50 years after the painting was completed, Carl E. Smith and Nan pose in front of the house in celebration of mounting the bronze National Historic Plaque on the American Gothic House.
1981: The house is 100 years old.
1982-1989: Kelly Dale Haynes, an unemployed manufacturing worker, his wife Kelly Ann and their two children, one dog and one cat rent the house from Carl E. Smith. Talks begin in earnest between the State of Iowa and Carl E. Smith causing some concern for the family.
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Carl E. Smith donates the House to the State Historic Society of Iowa
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1991: Carl E. Smith donates the house to the State Historical Society of Iowa.
1997: State Historical Society of Iowa takes Iowa Heritage License Plates on the road featuring the American Gothic House.
1997-2003: Bruce Thiher, Postmaster of Eldon, rents the house. He enjoys helping people take pictures and giving tours of the house.
1998: Issuance of the American Gothic Postage Stamp & Dedication of the American Gothic Parkway
2003: House added to the Iowa DOT map.
2003-2005: Larry Brown, Postmaster, rents the house.
2005-2006: Mark Ballard rents the house
2006-2008: A school teacher rents the house.
The American Gothic House Center Opens
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2007: The American Gothic House Center opened its doors to visitors.