American Gothic House at Sunset

Plan Your Visit

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• Hours of Operation: Open seven days a week; closed most holidays.
• Maps and Directions: In Eldon, IA; follow the brown signs at 2nd St.
• Preparing for the Photo: Costumes and hayfork provided!
• Nearby Attractions: Make a day of your trip to the area.
• Group Tour Information: How to schedule your group tour.
• Calendar: Check out our event schedule.

 

 

A Stop at the American Gothic House
By Hannah Ruth Fleming

Hannah and David Fleming Grand Rapids, MI

Outside the car, cornstalks lie lifeless on an open field.
The sun struggles under a heavy cloud.
A brown sign, "American Gothic House"
grows from the distance.
Dad hesitates, then darts us up the lonely road.
The house hangs on a grassy lawn
just as it hangs in the painting.
A farmer stands with his daughter,
worn and tired under the sun.
Yet the pitchfork holds them together.
He grips it firmly,
holding on to the work that must be done.
Now we put the costumes on:
An old floral dress,
half a pair of overalls,
and a rusty pitchfork;
Dad takes it,
grasping onto his own worries,
that soon fade into laughter,
as a fluffy white cat perches in a tree,
watching as a bluebird’s wings reflect the emerging sun.