J.V. Banta House, Queen Anne style house in Osceola, United States.
The J.V. Banta House is a residential dwelling in Queen Anne style with a limestone foundation and irregular floor plan. The structure features a hipped roof adorned with decorative trim and details typical of late 1800s residential design.
The house was built in 1902 by local builders Dan Webster and Jap Smith following a design by mail-order architect George Franklin Barber. It was constructed as a residence for attorney and banker J.V. Banta.
The Bantas moved from Vinton to Osceola in 1868, and J.V. Banta practiced law, ran a bank and founded the J. V. Banta Abstract and Loan Company. The couple were known locally for their philanthropy. Their 1902 house, assembled from a Tennessee mail-order plan by two local builders, showed how such a family spent its money on a home.
The house stands at 222 McLane Street and can be viewed from the street. Since it remains a private residence, visitors should respect the property and observe from the public right of way.
This is the only known example in Iowa of Design No. 10 from George F. Barber's 1899 catalog. It stands as a rare testament to how mail-order architectural designs were actually built in this region.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,016 contributors worldwide.
