Dibble House | |
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 Interactive map showing the American Gothic House’s location | |
| Location | 300 American Gothic Street Eldon, Iowa |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°55′17″N 92°12′49″W / 40.92139°N 92.21361°W |
| Area | 504 sq ft (46.8 m2) (house) .92 acres (0.37 ha) (lot)[2] |
| Built | 1881–1882 |
| Architect | Bussy and Herald (local carpenters)[1] |
| Architectural style | Carpenter Gothic |
| NRHP reference No. | 74002291 |
| Added to NRHP | October 1, 1974 |
The American Gothic House, also known as the Dibble House, is a house in Eldon, Iowa, designed in the Carpenter Gothic style with a distinctive upper window.[3] It was the backdrop of the 1930 painting American Gothic by Grant Wood, generally considered Wood's most famous work and among the most recognized paintings in twentieth century American art. Wood, who observed the house only twice in his lifetime, made only an initial sketch of the house—he completed American Gothic at his studio in Cedar Rapids.
First owned by Eldon resident Charles Dibble after its construction in 1881 and 1882, the home was (with one 1897 exception) a private residence until the late twentieth century. After a thirty-year preservation effort culminated with the donation of the house in 1991 to the State Historical Society of Iowa, the site now includes the original house in its 1930 form and a visitors center. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Since 1991, various caretaker-occupants have continued to rent the home privately.[4]
- ^ Loth and Sadler, p. 104
- ^ "Parcel Info". Wapello County Assessor. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
- ^ "Grant Wood" Archived 2011-10-31 at the Wayback Machine, Art Institute of Chicago. Retrieved December 14, 2008.
- ^ A timeline of residents is maintained on a placard at the American Gothic House Center.