Braska House

Built in 1855 (Greek Revival architecture). Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

From the record

“The Braska House is a historic building located in Marion, Iowa, United States. This is a vernacular house form that utilizes elements from the Greek Revival and Italianate styles.”
Wikipedia article Braska House, CC BY-SA 4.0.

One of 121 National Register listings published here for Linn County · listed in 1979 · category: Building · built in 1855, Greek Revival architecture.

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. 889 2nd Ave., Marion, 52302
When was it listed? March 1979
Category. building
Township. Marion township
When was it built? 1855
Architectural style. Greek Revival architecture, Italianate architecture
National Register reference number. 79000911 - 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

3 since 2006

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 3 fires within 5 miles of Braska House between 2006 and 2010, burning about 50 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	3

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 April 2006	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	40 acres	Iowa Department of Natural Resources	not named
12 April 2009	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	10 acres	Iowa Department of Natural Resources	not named
5 November 2010	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	under an acre	Iowa Department of Natural Resources	617 7TH AVE, IOWA

Every fire recorded in Linn County

Mines and quarries near this property

7 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 7 workings within 5 miles of Braska House: 6 past producers, 1 producer. 1 still produces. 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.

Site	Commodity	Status
Robins Quarry	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Producer
Shaefer Quarry	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Past Producer
Unknown	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Past Producer
Unknown	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Unknown	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Unknown	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Unknown	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer

Every working recorded in Linn County

Storms near this property

60 of 130 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Marion, the town this property stands in, in 130 storm reports between 1995 and 2026: 65 hail, 52 thunderstorm wind, 5 flash flood, 4 heavy rain. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. 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
September 2010	Hail	Marion	$500,000	Golf ball-sized hail fell in Marion, IA at 125 pm CDT September 21. This report was relayed by KCRG.
June 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	$150,000	Wind gust estimated to be 70 mph blew a tree onto a building at 790 22nd Street in Marion, IA around 830 pm CDT June 13.
July 1995	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	$125,000	no account filed
April 2006	Tornado (F0)	Marion	$70,000	Rated high F0
May 2004	Hail	Marion	$20,000	Also reported by Amateur radio. Hail of 1.25 to 1.5 inches in diameter also occurred on the north side of the city of Marion.
June 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	$15,000	Wind gusts estimated to be 65 mph blew down some trees and power lines along Highway 100 and 1st Avenue in Marion, IA at 6:30 pm June 8.
May 2004	Flash Flood	Marion	$10,000	Indian creek rising rapidly again and overflowing banks. Roads being closed again due to high water.
August 2004	Tornado (F1)	Marion	$10,000	Rated high F1
May 2004	Flash Flood	Marion	$10,000	Indian creek rapidly spilling out of its banks with numerous roads blocked by water in Marion and Cedar Rapids. Four boys trapped in the football stands at the High School in Marion at 1804 CST with a swift water rescue underway. Radar estimates of close to 9 inches of rain had fallen by 1800 CST before it was taken out by lightning. By 2224 CST, Linn County Emergency Manager reports that Hiawatha Creek is rising rapidly with a major sandbagging effort underway along Indian Creek in Cedar Rapids.
October 2004	Hail	Marion	$8,000	1.50 to 1.75 inch hail reported by Co-op
May 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	$5,000	Winds estimated to be 70 mph blew down several large trees on the northwest side of Marion, IA resulting in scattered power outages around 11:10 pm.
July 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	$3,000	large branches down and some trees down
October 2004	Lightning	Marion	$2,000	Newspaper reported minor damage
April 2026	Hail	Marion	-	Report received from Mping.
April 2026	Hail	Marion	-	The time was estimated from radar data.
May 2025	Flood	Marion	-	A public report of standing water via MPING. Rainfall reports show that 1 to 3 inches of rain fell across the area.
August 2025	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	-	Several large branches blown down. Dime size hail too.
May 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	-	Trees down in town. The time was estimated by radar data.
July 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	-	A trained spotter estimated thunderstorm wind speeds of 60 to 70 MPH.
July 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	-	A trainspotter reported that 2 outdoor sheds were destroyed.
April 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	-	A public report of an estimated 58 MPH thunderstorm wind gust.
April 2023	Hail	Marion	-	A public report of hail that was mostly pea sized but a few stones were quarters.
April 2023	Hail	Marion	-	A trained spotter reported quarter to golf ball size hail.
April 2023	Hail	Marion	-	A trained spotter reported quarter size hail at Linn-Mar High School.
April 2023	Hail	Marion	-	Trained spotter reported quarter size hail near Boyson Road and Bowman Elementary.
April 2023	Hail	Marion	-	Broadcast media relayed a report of quarter to ping pong ball size hail. Most of the hailstones were quarter size.
July 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	-	Trained spotter reported a 90 mph wind gust.
July 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	-	Tree limbs blown down, with shingles blown off. Report from mping.
July 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	-	Trained spotter reported a 65 mph wind gust with the thunderstorm.
July 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	-	Wind gust of 66 mph reported from personal weather station.
July 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	-	A public report of a 3 inch tree limb down.
August 2021	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	-	Trees reported blown down on northeast side of Marion.
June 2021	Heavy Rain	Marion	-	Rainfall total of 6.76 inches for the day.
June 2021	Flash Flood	Marion	-	Deep flowing water at 35th Street and Mcgowan Boulevard.
April 2020	Hail	Marion	-	Quarter sized hail covered the ground.
July 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	-	A young healthy tree was split in half on Byson Road.
July 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	-	Part of a large tree split off and fell on a trampoline. The branch was about 12 inches in diameter.
July 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	-	A tree was blown over.
July 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	-	A metal shed was blown across 29th Ave in Marion.
September 2019	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	-	Several tree limbs were reported down on the road.
March 2017	Hail	Marion	-	Report was received via Social Media.
June 2017	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	-	A large tree was blown down.
July 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	-	Received from a local Iowa Mesonet RWIS site of a measured maximum wind gust.
February 2014	Hail	Marion	-	Quarter sized hail fell at the intersections of Highway 13 and Highway 151.
June 2014	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	-	A trained spotter reported numerous 3 to 15 foot long branches down and 2 maple trees about 20 feet tall snapped off at the base.
June 2014	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	-	A trained spotter reported outbuildings damaged and a roof blown off a house.
June 2014	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	-	A trained spotter estimated 60 mph winds.
June 2014	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	-	A trained spotter reported large tree branches down near Alburnett.
June 2014	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	-	A trained spotter estimated 60 mph wind gusts at Christ Community United Methodist Church.
June 2014	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	-	A trained spotter reported 60 mph winds near Lindale Mall in Cedar Rapids.
June 2014	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	-	Large tree branches down heading toward Alburnett.
May 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	-	A trained spotter measured 65 mph winds.
August 2013	Hail	Marion	-	Nickel size hail in Marion reported by KCRG-TV.
June 2012	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	-	Wind gusts estimated to be 60 to 70 mph were observed 1 mile northeast of Marion, IA at 535 pm CDT June 29.
June 2012	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	-	Wind gusts estimated to be 65 mph blew down some 7 inch diameter tree limbs in Marion, IA at 536 pm CDT June 29.
June 2012	Thunderstorm Wind	Marion	-	Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph blew down a large tree on 10th Avenue between 17th Street and 18th Street in Marion, IA around 541 pm CDT June 29. Several smaller branches were also blown down.
March 2012	Hail	Marion	-	Dime sized hail fell 4 miles northeast of Cedar Rapids at 931 pm CDT March 31.
March 2012	Hail	Marion	-	Pea to dime sized hail fell in Marion for about five minutes beginning around 932 pm CDT March 31.
March 2012	Hail	Marion	-	Dime sized hail fell at Lindale Mall in Cedar Rapids at 937 pm CDT March 31.
June 2011	Hail	Marion	-	Quarter sized hail fell 1 mile northeast of Marion, IA at 855 pm CDT June 8. The hail shredded leaves from the trees.

Every storm recorded in Linn 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
William and Phebe C. Dunn House	0.2 miles	2013
Marion Carnegie Public Library	0.4 miles	1994
First Presbyterian Church of Marion, Iowa	0.4 miles	1992
Marion Commercial Historic District	0.5 miles	2009
James W. and Ida G. Bowman House	0.5 miles	2002
Granger House	0.5 miles	1976

Sources for this property

National Archives record	The nomination case file for reference 79000911 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia article	Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
Linn County	All 121 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.