Place

C.E. Smith House

A painting depicts a white and blue house with a big porch and a round pointed roof.
The Queen Anne style C.E. Smith house features an octagonal porch.

"The C.E. Smith House," painting by Heather Heckel

Quick Facts
Location:
West Branch, Iowa
Significance:
Part of Herbert Hoover National Historic Site
OPEN TO PUBLIC:
No

Audio Description

Charles E. Smith was a carpenter and a Civil War veteran. In 1903, he completed his dream home for himself and his wife, Deborah, atop Cooks Hill where each spring, he would tap his maple trees to make maple syrup. The National Park Service relocated it here in 1969.

Methodist Church

When Herbert Hoover was growing up, a Methodist Church, built in 1870, occupied the lot where C.E. Smith's house now stands. A towering three-story steeple impressively pointed to the heavens, and it's likely the Hoover household heard its ringing bell on Sunday mornings.

Herbert Hoover National Historic Site

Last updated: November 7, 2021