The Carlson-Richey Log Home was build by Gasper T. Richey on the west bank of the Des Moines River near Stratford, Iowa in 1855. The structure measures 20x24 feet and was originally a full two stories tall, making it huge by frontier standards. Showing no evidence of fireplaces or outside chimneys, it was probably heated by wood stoves from the beginning, a fact which also points to the prosperity of it's owner.
The building was constructed of white oak logs, some a full 24 feet long and boasted solid walnut flooring all cut from native Iowa timber. Like many other log homes on the prairie, its owner eventually added rooms and covered it with clapboard siding, changing its appearance to that of any other Iowa farmhouse.
When the owners decided in the 1960's to raze the old house and build a new one, the home was rescued by Laurel Carlson who moved the building to her property in Harcourt, Iowa. Mrs. Carlson opened the doors to countless schoolchildren and visitors through the years until 1989, when she presented the building to the Fort Museum. With the help of the Fort Dodge Dragoons, a local service organization, the home was moved to its present site on the museum grounds.
Fort Features
