BlockFrom the record
One of 29 National Register listings published here for Marion County · listed in 2020 · category: Building.
Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service
Pella High School
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020.
The listing
- What is counted as historic. The nomination lists 1 building as contributing to the listing.
- Address. 712 Union St., Pella, 50219
- When was it listed? October 2020
- Category. building
- Township. Lake Prairie township
- National Register reference number. 100005684 - assigned by the National Park Service when the property was listed.
Fires near this property
1 since 2009Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 1 fire within 5 miles of Pella High School in 2009, burning about 120 acres in total. None started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 March 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 120 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
Mines and quarries near this property
8 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 8 workings within 5 miles of Pella High School: 6 past producers, 2 producers. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone, Crushed/Broken. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durham Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Vanderkraats Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Witzenberg Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Battistello | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Dingeman Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Harvey Pit #151 | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Pella Pit and Plant | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer |
Storms near this property
60 of 92 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Pella, the town this property stands in, in 92 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 39 thunderstorm wind, 27 hail, 15 heavy rain, 4 flash flood. The reports record 13 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 2018 | Tornado (EF3) | Pella | 13 hurt, $120,000,000 | Tornado developed about 3 miles north of Pella and moved southeast for its entire length. The tornado initially remained in rural areas just north and northeast of the town producing crop, tree and minor structural damage to houses. The tornado began to intensify just northeast of town and shifted a house off of its foundation. The tornado then encountered the Vermeer facility on the east side of town producing EF3 damage to one of the large buildings along with tossing numerous cars about the facility. 13 injuries occurred at the Vermeer facility with 6 requiring transport to the hospital. The tornado then turned slightly eastward before passing into Mahaska county. |
| October 2018 | Flood | Pella | $100,000 | Emergency manager reported multiple gravel roads remain closed due to water over them or washed out throughout the county. |
| September 2007 | Tornado (EF1) | Pella | $75,000 | Tornado touched down in Marion County, then tracked northeast into Mahaska County. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pella | $50,000 | Large limbs blown down and at least one home damaged. |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pella | $50,000 | Roof blown off of a building. |
| June 2011 | Flash Flood | Pella | $50,000 | Thunder Creek over 240th Pl with the road closed due to the water. Deputy reported it looked like white water rapids. |
| August 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pella | $50,000 | no account filed |
| July 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pella | $30,000 | A large tree was down on a power line. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pella | $30,000 | no account filed |
| August 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pella | $25,000 | KNIA/KRLS Radio reported, via social media, several large trees snapped on the Pella Golf and Country Club. Power lines were also reported down throughout Pella. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pella | $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pella | $25,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pella | $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 1996 | Hail | Pella | $25,000 | no account filed |
| December 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pella | $15,000 | Public reported large limbs down and metal roof blown off. Time estimated from radar. |
| April 2024 | Lightning | Pella | $10,000 | A small fire was started at a hotel in Pella after sustaining a lightning strike in the very early morning hours of April 16th. |
| June 2015 | Hail | Pella | $10,000 | Tennis ball size was estimated via the photos on social media. |
| May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pella | $10,000 | Numerous trees and branches down in town. Construction signs blown down. |
| June 2008 | Flash Flood | Pella | $10,000 | Two feet of water was flowing over Highway T14. |
| June 2015 | Hail | Pella | $10,000 | no account filed |
| August 2004 | Lightning | Pella | $10,000 | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Hail | Pella | $10,000 | no account filed |
| September 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pella | $10,000 | no account filed |
| September 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pella | $10,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pella | $10,000 | no account filed |
| June 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pella | $5,000 | Public reported 2 to 3 foot diameter tree snapped in the city square, via the mPING app. |
| July 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pella | $5,000 | Public relayed pictures of several large tree limbs down. This is a delayed report. |
| May 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pella | $5,000 | Pella AWOS measured a wind gust of 51 kts at 1034 PM. |
| May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pella | $5,000 | no account filed |
| April 2010 | Hail | Pella | $5,000 | no account filed |
| April 2010 | Hail | Pella | $5,000 | no account filed |
| September 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pella | $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pella | $5,000 | no account filed |
| May 1996 | Hail | Pella | $3,000 | no account filed |
| August 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pella | $2,000 | Large 1 to 2 foot diameter tree branch blown between two homes. Report relayed from KNIA/KRLS radio. |
| June 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pella | $2,000 | Measured gust at the Pella Schoolnet site. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pella | $2,000 | Report received from an RWIS site. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pella | $2,000 | no account filed |
| July 2006 | Hail | Pella | $2,000 | no account filed |
| April 2010 | Hail | Pella | $1,000 | no account filed |
| April 2010 | Hail | Pella | $1,000 | no account filed |
| April 2010 | Hail | Pella | $1,000 | no account filed |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pella | $1,000 | no account filed |
| July 2006 | Hail | Pella | $1,000 | no account filed |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pella | $1,000 | no account filed |
| June 2001 | Hail | Pella | $1,000 | no account filed |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pella | $1,000 | no account filed |
| April 1999 | Hail | Pella | $1,000 | no account filed |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pella | - | Delayed report, relayed by media of large branches downed in Pella. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pella | - | Tree fell on garage in Pella. Time of occurrence estimated with radar. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pella | - | Picture of large branches that came down in Pella. |
| May 2024 | Hail | Pella | - | Public mping report of quarter sized hail. |
| July 2024 | Heavy Rain | Pella | - | Report of 4.37 inches of rain. |
| July 2024 | Flash Flood | Pella | - | Car stranded in water on the road, with water over halfway up vehicles wheels. Estimated height of around 12 inches of water. |
| July 2024 | Flash Flood | Pella | - | Multiple intersections flooded throughout town, some of which that do not typically flood. Cars with water up to the midpoint of the wheels in some areas. |
| July 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pella | - | Delayed report. Large tree limb down in image submitted via social media. Time estimated from radar. |
| October 2024 | Hail | Pella | - | Mostly pea to nickel sized hail but a few larger stones up to golf ball sized. A few dings to ag equipment and crop damage. |
| March 2023 | Hail | Pella | - | Report via social media, time estimated by radar. |
| March 2023 | Hail | Pella | - | Report via radio station knia. |
| November 2022 | Heavy Rain | Pella | - | A 24 hour rain total of 2.99 inches. |
Map coverage status
No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.
Listed places nearby
6 within 8 milesOther National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.
| Photograph | Property | Distance | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Porter-Rhynsburger House | under 500 feet | 2003 |
| Pella City Hall, Fire Station, and Jail | under 500 feet | 2025 | |
 | Henry and Johanna Van Maren House-Diamond Filling Station | under 500 feet | 2008 |
 | Peoples Nationals Bank | 0.1 miles | 2010 |
 | First Christian Church | 0.2 miles | 2007 |
 | Pella Opera House | 0.2 miles | 1992 |
Sources for this property
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 100005684 in Record Group 79. |
| Marion County | All 29 listed properties in this county. |
Provenance
- Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
- Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
- How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
- Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
- Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
- Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.