| Coal Palace | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Motto: Coal is light, heat, and power. | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Byzantine, Gothic |
| Location | W. Main St. and S. Washington St., Ottumwa, Iowa, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 41°1′8.51″N 92°24′53.52″W / 41.0190306°N 92.4148667°W |
| Elevation | ~650 ft (198 m) |
| Inaugurated | September 16, 1890 |
| Demolished | 1892 |
| Cost | $25,000–$30,000 |
| Owner | Ottumwa Coal Palace Company |
| Height | Central tower: 200 ft (61 m) |
| Dimensions | |
| Diameter | 230 ft × 130 ft (70 m × 40 m) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Charles P. Brown |
| References | |
| [1] | |
The Coal Palace was a temporary exhibition center that stood in Ottumwa, Iowa, from 1890 until 1892. It was used most prominently to showcase the local coal mining industry.
During its brief history President Benjamin Harrison and Congressman William McKinley visited the building, but a decline in attendance and nature's toll on the building's exterior ultimately resulted in the building's demolition in 1892.
- ^ The architectural style is described by Kreiner, p. 338. The location ("immediately north and west of the Union Depot"), ownership, inauguration date, and demolition date are in Waterman, p. 94. The dimensions come from the WPA guide to Iowa, p. 296; the architect is given in Gebhard and Mansheim, p. 335. Finally, the higher cost is described in Appleton, p. 140, while the lowest cost figure is quoted in the September 13, 1890, issue of Harper's Weekly (p. 717–8). A figure of $28,000 is reported in the 1891 Annual Report of the Iowa State Agriculture Society, p. 25, in which may also be found the motto.