Muscatine Avenue Moffitt Cottage Historic District

The Muscatine Avenue Moffitt Cottage Historic District is a collection of stone houses with pitched roofs, dormers, and prominent chimneys located in Iowa City. Built between the 1920s and 1940s, these homes blend English Cottage, Storybook, and American Craftsman design approaches and feature varied exterior surfaces of stone, shingles, and wood.

Builder Howard F. Moffitt constructed these cottages during the 1920s through 1940s to address the housing shortage as Iowa City grew into a thriving university community. His construction work reflects how the community developed during this transformative period.

The district reflects how one builder brought together different design styles to create homes for a growing community around the university. Walking through the streets, you can see how these houses shaped the neighborhood's character and still influence how residents connect to the area.

The district is best explored on foot, allowing you to walk the residential streets and view the exterior details of the homes at your own pace. The houses remain private residences, so exterior viewing is the main way to experience the district's architectural character.

Moffitt cleverly incorporated salvaged materials including trolley rails and reclaimed timber into the construction of each home. This resourceful reuse of industrial scraps and local materials gives each cottage its own subtle character while revealing the creative craftsmanship of the time.