American Gothic House

Eldon, United States

Exterior only

Visible from the street; the inside is private.

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The American Gothic House in Eldon, Iowa, is a Carpenter Gothic residence built in 1881–82, best known as the inspiration for Grant Wood's 1930 painting of the same name—one of the most iconic works in twentieth-century American art. Originally owned by local resident Charles Dibble, the house features the style's characteristic elements, notably a distinctive upper window that became central to Wood's composition. Though Wood saw the house only twice and completed the painting in his Cedar Rapids studio from an initial sketch, the modest dwelling gained international recognition through the artwork. After remaining a private residence for decades, the house was donated to the State Historical Society of Iowa in 1991 following a thirty-year preservation campaign and now operates as a historic house museum, preserved to reflect its appearance in 1930 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1974.