Hotel Ottumwa

Built in 1916 (Renaissance Revival architecture). Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.

From the record

“Hotel Ottumwa is an historic hotel located in downtown Ottumwa, Iowa, United States. Built from 1916 to 1917, it played a significant part in the city's social history and commercial development.”
Wikipedia article Hotel Ottumwa, CC BY-SA 4.0.

One of 32 National Register listings published here for Wapello County · listed in 2012 · category: Building · built in 1916, Renaissance Revival architecture, by Proudfoot & Bird.

Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service

The listing

What is counted as historic. The nomination lists 1 building as contributing to the listing.
Address. 107 E. 2nd St., Ottumwa, 52501
When was it listed? September 2012
Category. building
Township. Center township
When was it built? 1916
Architectural style. Renaissance Revival architecture
Architect. Proudfoot & Bird
National Register reference number. 12000815 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

Fires near this property

25 since 2002

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 25 fires within 5 miles of Hotel Ottumwa between 2002 and 2018, burning about 115 acres in total. None started naturally. 1 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	15
Debris and open burning	7
Smoking	1
Arson/incendiarism	1
Railroad operations and maintenance	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
13 September 2002	Debris and open burning	under an acre	Iowa State Fire Marshal's Office	not named
4 August 2018	Debris and open burning	1.0 acres	Iowa Department of Natural Resources	not named
18 August 2002	Debris and open burning	under an acre	Iowa State Fire Marshal's Office	not named
11 August 2002	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	under an acre	Iowa State Fire Marshal's Office	not named
4 July 2002	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	under an acre	Iowa State Fire Marshal's Office	not named
31 July 2002	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	under an acre	Iowa State Fire Marshal's Office	not named
2 July 2002	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	under an acre	Iowa State Fire Marshal's Office	not named
11 July 2018	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	1.0 acres	Iowa Department of Natural Resources	not named

Every fire recorded in Wapello County

Mines and quarries near this property

10 of 12 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 12 workings within 5 miles of Hotel Ottumwa: 10 past producers, 2 producers. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone, Crushed/Broken, Clay, Limestone, Dimension. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Site	Commodity	Status
Bear Creek Quarries	Limestone, Dimension	Past Producer
Can-Tex Industries Ottumwa Pit	Clay	Producer
Harrows Branch Quarries	Limestone, Dimension	Past Producer
Old City Quarry	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Past Producer
Ottumwa Brick and Tile Co.	Clay	Past Producer
Wagner Quarry	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Past Producer
Materials Service Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Ottumwa Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Rowell Farm Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Ulmer Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer

Every working recorded in Wapello County

Storms near this property

60 of 165 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Ottumwa, the town this property stands in, in 165 storm reports between 1995 and 2023: 81 thunderstorm wind, 44 hail, 16 flash flood, 16 heavy rain. The reports record 10 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
April 2014	Thunderstorm Wind	Ottumwa	10 hurt, $100,000	Thunderstorm wind damage was reported in the 1000 block of west Mary St. in Ottumwa. Two foot diameter trees blown over, flag poles were bent in half and a grain bin roof was removed and blown 200 yards.
March 2019	Flash Flood	Ottumwa	$300,000	Flash flooding occurred on the north side of Ottumwa due to an ice jam on the Des Moines River. Water rapidly rose several feet flooding a campground and a few local residences. Some cars and campers were flooded.
June 2011	Flash Flood	Ottumwa	$300,000	Harrows Creek was out of its bank and flowing across West Second Street. Cars were stranded on North Jefferson Street. A portion of the 1600 block of East Main Street was washed out by flood waters. Law enforcement closed the roads.
June 2000	Flash Flood	Ottumwa	$300,000	no account filed
May 2013	Flash Flood	Ottumwa	$250,000	Trained spotter reported flash flooding along 140th Ave on the north side of Ottumwa. Water moving down the road 1 to 2 feet deep.
April 2013	Flash Flood	Ottumwa	$200,000	Ottumwa Police reported several roads and intersections in the city as impassible to cars.
May 2013	Flash Flood	Ottumwa	$200,000	Spotter reports that flash flooding with water 2 to 5 feet deep swept down the street carrying logs and debris with it. At the bottom of the street there was a car in the water with a depth of 5 feet.
June 2010	Flash Flood	Ottumwa	$100,000	Eight to 10 inches of water on several roadways.
August 2010	Flash Flood	Ottumwa	$100,000	A trained spotter in Ottumwa reported water flowing through the streets deep enough to stall multiple vehicles. He also estimated 2 inches of rain in the last hour.
June 2008	Flash Flood	Ottumwa	$100,000	Water from 6 inches to 3 feet deep was flooding about half of the south side of Ottumwa.
June 2008	Flash Flood	Ottumwa	$100,000	Flash flooding was reported by the Ottumwa police and city management. Numerous cars stalled.
July 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Ottumwa	$50,000	Trained spotter reported numerous tree limbs down on houses and powerlines. Time estimated from radar. An estimated 14 inch diameter tree was snapped near the base. Power was out in portions of town.
May 2013	Flash Flood	Ottumwa	$50,000	Culvert washed out on Rock Bluff Road near 155th Ave.
September 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	Ottumwa	$50,000	Trees and power lines down in town.
October 2002	Thunderstorm Wind	Ottumwa	$50,000	no account filed
May 1998	Flood	Ottumwa	$50,000	no account filed
June 1998	Flood	Ottumwa	$50,000	no account filed
June 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Ottumwa	$35,000	no account filed
March 2017	Thunderstorm Wind	Ottumwa	$30,000	Law enforcement reported several trees down throughout town along with a roof off of a house on S. Madison Ave and a metal shed destroyed on 50th Street. This is a delayed report and time estimated from radar.
September 2007	Heavy Rain	Ottumwa	$30,000	Heavy rainfall was reported overnight from KBIZ radio.
May 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Ottumwa	$30,000	no account filed
June 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Ottumwa	$25,000	Chaser reported large trees down across roads just north of Ottumwa.
June 2012	Thunderstorm Wind	Ottumwa	$25,000	Larger than one foot diameter trees down. A light pole was also blown down. One large tree was snapped off on the trunk near the school.
June 2010	Flash Flood	Ottumwa	$25,000	Highway 149 and Highland Park Road had water partially covering the roadway.
August 2010	Flash Flood	Ottumwa	$25,000	Trained spotter reports water flowing over the road and blocking traffic near the intersection of Pennsylvania Ave and Jefferson Street.
August 2010	Flash Flood	Ottumwa	$25,000	Six inches of flowing water across Eddyville Road. Cars stalled.
April 2007	Flood	Ottumwa	$25,000	no account filed
May 2007	Flood	Ottumwa	$25,000	no account filed
June 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Ottumwa	$25,000	no account filed
July 1998	Flood	Ottumwa	$25,000	no account filed
June 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Ottumwa	$20,000	Public/Chaser report of trees down and debris 2 miles E of Ottumwa.
June 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Ottumwa	$20,000	Spotter estimated wind gusts of 80 mph with reports of large tree limbs down in town.
April 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Ottumwa	$20,000	no account filed
April 1996	Hail	Ottumwa	$20,000	no account filed
September 2018	Thunderstorm Wind	Ottumwa	$15,000	Public reported a tree down on a camper, with the roof buckled. This is a delayed report and time estimated from radar.
July 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	Ottumwa	$15,000	Law Enforcement reported power lines down in town.
July 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Ottumwa	$15,000	Trained spotter reported telephone pole knocked over at intersection of Clay and Gateway. Wind gusts estimated at 60-65 mph.
November 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Ottumwa	$15,000	Public reported multiple areas with power lines down. Photo posted on facebook.
June 2008	Heavy Rain	Ottumwa	$15,000	Street flooding was reported in Ottumwa. A number of intersections and low lying areas were under water, including the intersection of Jefferson and Main.
June 2009	Thunderstorm Wind	Ottumwa	$15,000	no account filed
May 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Ottumwa	$15,000	no account filed
June 2000	Thunderstorm Wind	Ottumwa	$15,000	no account filed
June 2018	Thunderstorm Wind	Ottumwa	$10,000	Public reported a large tree down over power lines.
August 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Ottumwa	$10,000	Large trees down.
June 2010	Flash Flood	Ottumwa	$10,000	West snd St in Ottumwa was closed from the 1100 to 1500 block. Up to 2 feet of water was reported on Harrows Branch Road.
June 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Ottumwa	$10,000	House debris on Rutledge Rd and 120th.
May 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Ottumwa	$10,000	Some damage was reported in downtown Ottumwa, along with half inch diameter hail.
June 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Ottumwa	$10,000	Winds were estimated at 60 to 65 MPH in Ottumwa.
June 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Ottumwa	$10,000	Power outages reported in Ottumwa.
April 2010	Lightning	Ottumwa	$10,000	no account filed
April 2010	Hail	Ottumwa	$10,000	no account filed
July 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Ottumwa	$10,000	no account filed
August 2006	Flash Flood	Ottumwa	$10,000	no account filed
June 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	Ottumwa	$10,000	no account filed
June 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	Ottumwa	$10,000	no account filed
August 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Ottumwa	$10,000	no account filed
May 2002	Hail	Ottumwa	$10,000	no account filed
May 2001	Hail	Ottumwa	$10,000	no account filed
June 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Ottumwa	$10,000	no account filed
October 2001	Hail	Ottumwa	$10,000	no account filed

Every storm recorded in Wapello County

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 miles

Other 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.

Property	Distance	Listed
Hofmann Building	under 500 feet	2010
Wapello County Courthouse	under 500 feet	1981
Ottumwa Young Women's Christian Association	under 500 feet	2005
Jay Funeral Home	0.1 miles	1995
J.W. Garner Building	0.1 miles	2010
U.S. Post Office	0.1 miles	1976

Sources for this property

National Archives record	The nomination case file for reference 12000815 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia article	Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
Wapello County	All 32 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.