Red Ball Garage, Historic automotive building in Swedesburg, Iowa, US
The Red Ball Garage is a brick structure at the intersection of former Military Road and U.S. Route 218 in Swedesburg, Iowa, a two-story building from 1929 with classic design features. The structure shows typical features of automotive service stations from the interwar period with solid masonry walls and large openings for vehicle access.
The site began as a blacksmith shop in 1870, before the current brick building was erected in 1929. It served as a Studebaker dealership from 1944 to 1966 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.
The name refers to the Red Ball Route, a highway system from the early 1900s that connected Minneapolis-St. Paul to St. Louis and was marked by red signs. The building sits at a historically important traffic intersection and recalls the role this route played in regional movement.
The building is maintained by a local museum and can be viewed from the outside, with the location on a main street making it easy to find. The best time to visit is during warmer months when the area is more accessible.
Before paved roads, the building helped rescue wagons and buggies trapped in the swampy terrain surrounding the former Military Road. This practical function shows how essential such workshops were before modern roads connected the region.
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