Sioux City's stunning Peirce Mansion on 29th and Jackson is an iconic local landmark, easily recognizable by its distinct style. But do you know the story behind this quartzite behemoth, and how to visit it? Here's my full guide to Sioux City's beautiful and historical Peirce Mansion:
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Where is the Peirce Mansion?
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| Photo used with permission from the Sioux City Public Museum and Historical Society |
The Peirce Mansion is located at 2901 Jackson Street in Sioux City, Iowa. There is a small driveway, so if you're there for a small, private event you *may* be able to use that, but for most purposes, assume you will need to park on the street. Street parking on both Jackson Street and 29th Street is FREE and not metered.
John Peirce and the construction of the Peirce Mansion
So who built the Peirce mansion? John Peirce was one of the most notable members of Gilded Age Sioux City society, and today's he commemorated as one of the featured characters in the "ghost mirror" at the Sioux City Public Musuem, which my kids love. Peirce was a real estate developer, northside promoter, and city booster. And in 1891, he decided to build a beautiful home for himself and his family at 29th and Jackson, which at the time was near the northern end of the Sioux City elevated railroad that Peirce also had a hand in.
The 21+-room home (I have also seen the number of rooms listed as 23 online, but the official flyer I received at a Peirce Mansion open house says 21, so I will go with that. I did not personally count last time I was there in person, but I'll try to ask a local history expert about this discrepancy next time I'm there!) was built in a Richardsonian Romanesque style, with the exterior predominantly made of Sioux Quartzite.
It was designed by architect Charles P. Brown and built by local construction company the Hansen Bros., who are also known as the builders of the Floyd Monument. The Peirce Mansion includes beautiful woodwork, stained glass, and other bespoke touches. The home was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 in recognition of its significant architecture.
The Raffle
Peirce fell on hard times and lost his fortune in the recession of 1893. As a result, he announced that he was going to raffle off his home. He sold 40,000 tickets for one dollar each, and the winner was first announced as a jeweler from Vernon, Iowa named Bert M. Bills. But to the dismay of Mr. Bills, it was then announced that actually, the winner was William Barbour, a millionaire from New York. It was later revealed that the raffle was a fraud and Barbour and Peirce had fixed it ahead of time--a warranty deed had actually been signed on December 17th, 1900, transferring the title of the mansion from Peirce to Barbour. But the raffle drawing did not take place until Christmas Eve in 1900, more than a week later.
The Peirce Mansion as a private residence
After the infamous raffle, the house was owned by several local families. Some of the owners included:
- Thomas S. Martin, founder of the Martin Department store (1908 to 1920)
- J. Earle Martin, Thomas's son (1928 to 194six)
- C.A. Escher, stocker dealer (1921 to 1922)
- C.E. Hutton, a car dealer (1924)
- Martha Zanfes, an antique collector who placed lamps in all the windows and earned the home the nickname of "the house of lights" (1946 to 1950)
In 1951, the Peirce Mansion became student housing for nursing students at Lutheran Hospital. After that, it never again served as a single-family home.
The Peirce Mansion as the Sioux City Public Museum
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| photo used with permission from the Sioux City Public Museum and Historical Society |
In 1958, the Junior League of Sioux City bought the house and then donated it in 1959 to the City of Sioux City.
In 1961, the Sioux City Public Museum opened in the Peirce Mansion. It served as home to the Sioux City Public Museum for the rest of that century. Visitors remember it fondly, including the "rock room."
In 2011, the Sioux City Public Museum moved to a much larger facility on Historic 4th Street in downtown Sioux City. This allowed them to showcase much more of their collection and tell the story of Sioux City history in exciting new ways. But it left open the question of what would become of the Peirce Mansion?
The Peirce Mansion today
After the Sioux City Public Museum moved downtown, much of the Peirce Mansion was restored to its original condition. It now serves as partially museum, partially event space, with some rooms decorated in period decor and filled with historic artifacts appropriate to the period of the home's construction and early existence, and others available for holding special events like weddings, wedding showers, rehearsal dinners, baby showers, graduation parties, and much more.
For more information about the Peirce Mansion
To learn more about the Peirce Mansion, please visit the Sioux City Public Museum online or in-person.
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