Stephen Harris Taft House

Humboldt, United States

Exterior only

Visible from the street; the inside is private.

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Heritage registerNational Register of Historic Places↗

The Stephen Harris Taft House is a Victorian-era residence in Humboldt, Iowa, built in 1864 by Stephen Taft, a New York native who arrived in Iowa in 1862 and founded the settlement of Springvale, later renamed Humboldt. He also helped establish the now-defunct Humboldt College. The 2½-story rectangular structure measures approximately 38 by 40 feet and is constructed primarily of locally quarried limestone on three sides, with cedar clapboard siding on the main facade. A northern wing, originally serving as a summer kitchen, continues to function as the kitchen today. Taft occupied the house until 1897, when he and his wife relocated to California for her health. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.