B.J. Ricker House

Grinnell, United States

Exterior only

Visible from the street; the inside is private.

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The B.J. Ricker House in Grinnell, Iowa, is a two-story brick dwelling completed in 1912 and an early example of architect Walter Burley Griffin's Prairie School work. Construction began in 1911 but was delayed by millwork and labor problems. The house features a rectangular plan anchored by four broad brick piers at the corners, a high cement basement, and a distinctive gable roof that appears to hover over the main structure—a hallmark of Griffin's geometric precision. A south-facing veranda follows a Greek cross plan, adding to the home's carefully composed Prairie School aesthetic. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.