Teachout Building

The Teachout Building is a six-story structure at the corner of East 5th and Locust Street with a brick facade and large windows in the Chicago School style. The lower levels hold retail and office spaces, while the top floor contains a private residence.

Built in 1912 by developer Horace E. Teachout, the structure was designed by the architectural firm Proudfoot and Bird. It was created to help shape the eastern Des Moines skyline and support the growing business activity in this area.

The neighborhood around this structure served as a gathering place for European immigrants, particularly Scandinavian and Eastern European Jewish merchants who built businesses here. You can still sense that heritage through the architecture and the mix of uses that remain in the area.

The building offers rental spaces for events that can accommodate about 250 standing guests with tables, chairs, and elevator access. Keep in mind that access to upper floors may be restricted since offices and private spaces occupy much of the building.

The top floor serves as a private residence, an unusual feature for a commercial building of that era. This residential space is one of the few surviving living quarters in an early Chicago School office building downtown.