Porter Hall

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

From the record

“Porter Hall is a historic residence located in Centerville, Iowa, United States. The 2½-story frame house exhibits aspects of the Picturesque Tudor Revival style, especially in the half-timbering and stucco.”
Wikipedia article Porter Hall (Centerville, Iowa), CC BY-SA 4.0.

One of 13 National Register listings published here for Appanoose County · listed in 1980 · category: Building.

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

The listing

What is counted as historic. The nomination lists 1 building as contributing to the listing.
Address. 706 Drake Ave., Centerville, 52544
When was it listed? January 1980
Category. building
City. Centerville city
Architectural style. Tudor Revival architecture
National Register reference number. 80001429 - 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

10 since 2011

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 10 fires within 5 miles of Porter Hall between 2011 and 2019, burning about 74 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
Debris and open burning	7
Missing data/not specified/undetermined	2
Recreation and ceremony	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
5 July 2015	Debris and open burning	under an acre	Iowa Department of Natural Resources	not named
4 April 2015	Debris and open burning	1.0 acres	Iowa Department of Natural Resources	not named
1 April 2015	Debris and open burning	5.0 acres	Iowa Department of Natural Resources	not named
1 April 2015	Debris and open burning	under an acre	Iowa Department of Natural Resources	not named
31 March 2011	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	30 acres	Iowa Department of Natural Resources	20492 495TH ST., IA
14 March 2015	Debris and open burning	20 acres	Iowa Department of Natural Resources	not named
6 February 2017	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	15 acres	Iowa Department of Natural Resources	not named
25 December 2019	Recreation and ceremony	under an acre	Iowa Department of Natural Resources	not named

Every fire recorded in Appanoose County

Mines and quarries near this property

10 of 16 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 16 workings within 5 miles of Porter Hall: 12 past producers, 4 producers. 4 still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, Clay, Zinc, Gypsum-Anhydrite. 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	Recorded
Centerville Gypsum Co. Mine	Gypsum-Anhydrite	Past Producer
Drill Hole	Zinc	Past Producer	Sphalerite
Carter-Waters Corp. Plant	Clay	Producer
Centerville Clay Products Co.	Clay	Past Producer
Centerville Quarry	Clay	Producer
Unknown	Clay	Past Producer
Unknown	Clay	Past Producer
Centerville No. 2 Quarry	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Past Producer
Centerville Quarry	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Past Producer
Clarkdale Quarry	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Past Producer

Every working recorded in Appanoose County

Storms near this property

60 of 83 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Centerville, the town this property stands in, in 83 storm reports between 1996 and 2025: 27 heavy rain, 24 hail, 23 thunderstorm wind, 3 flash flood. The reports record 2 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
September 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Centerville	1 hurt, $100,000	no account filed
August 2007	Lightning	Centerville	1 hurt, $5,000	no account filed
April 2007	Flood	Centerville	$250,000	no account filed
May 2003	Hail	Centerville	$100,000	no account filed
December 2021	Thunderstorm Wind	Centerville	$50,000	Public reported a large tree partially uprooted and on a home. Metal building flipped. Time estimated from radar.
July 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Centerville	$50,000	Appanoose County Sheriff reported power lines and trees down in the town of Centerville. Time was estimated via radar.
June 2011	Hail	Centerville	$50,000	Quarter to golf ball size hail.
June 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Centerville	$25,000	Multiple trees of 3 to 4 feet in diameter were down.
July 2009	Flash Flood	Centerville	$25,000	Highway 2 was closed.
July 2008	Flash Flood	Centerville	$25,000	Water was reported over Highway 2.
July 2008	Flash Flood	Centerville	$25,000	Water was flowing over Highway 2 east of Centerville.
July 1997	Flood	Centerville	$25,000	no account filed
July 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Centerville	$20,000	A 10 inch diameter tree was snapped off at the top.
November 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Centerville	$15,000	Trained spotter reported numerous branches upwards of 6 inches in diameter down as well as a tree approximately 3 feet in diameter down. Time radar estimated.
May 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Centerville	$15,000	Reports of outbuildings blown down.
June 2019	Hail	Centerville	$10,000	Law enforcement reported golf ball sized hail fell for several minutes before becoming smaller in size. A severe weather spotter reported small branches snapped at the same time as the hail.
June 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Centerville	$10,000	Trees damaged and power lines were down.
June 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Centerville	$10,000	Several large branches were downed and a few trees as well.
June 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	Centerville	$10,000	no account filed
May 1996	Hail	Centerville	$10,000	no account filed
July 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	Centerville	$5,000	Law Enforcement reported 12 inch diameter trees downed in Centerville. Time and location estimated from radar, delayed report.
July 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Centerville	$5,000	Trained spotter reported estimated wind gust of 65 mph.
June 2011	Hail	Centerville	$5,000	Nickel to quarter size hail covering the parking lot.
June 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Centerville	$5,000	Power lines were downed.
July 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Centerville	$5,000	no account filed
September 2005	Hail	Centerville	$5,000	no account filed
May 2004	Thunderstorm Wind	Centerville	$5,000	no account filed
August 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Centerville	$5,000	no account filed
September 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Centerville	$5,000	no account filed
August 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Centerville	$3,000	Winds was 40 MPH sustained, with gusts to 60 MPH.
June 2011	Hail	Centerville	$3,000	no account filed
March 2006	Hail	Centerville	$3,000	no account filed
June 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Centerville	$3,000	no account filed
June 2017	Hail	Centerville	$2,000	Trained spotter reported 2 inch hail.
May 2004	Tornado (F0)	Centerville	$2,000	The tornado was a brief touchdown in open areas. The tornado itself was actually embedded within a large area of straight line winds.
May 2004	Hail	Centerville	$2,000	no account filed
June 2001	Hail	Centerville	$2,000	no account filed
May 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Centerville	$2,000	no account filed
May 1996	Lightning	Centerville	$2,000	no account filed
May 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	Centerville	$1,000	no account filed
March 2006	Hail	Centerville	$1,000	no account filed
May 1997	Hail	Centerville	$1,000	no account filed
August 2025	Heavy Rain	Centerville	-	A 24 hour rain total of 4.8 inches.
June 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Centerville	-	Trained spotter reported tree limbs down.
June 2021	Heavy Rain	Centerville	-	Coop observer reported 2.97 inches of rain in 24 hours.
June 2021	Heavy Rain	Centerville	-	Coop observer reported 2.64 inches of rain in 24 hours.
August 2021	Heavy Rain	Centerville	-	A 24 hour rain total of 2.91 inches.
August 2021	Heavy Rain	Centerville	-	A 24 hour rain total of 3.05 inches.
July 2021	Heavy Rain	Centerville	-	A 24 hour rainfall report of 2.07 inches.
December 2021	Thunderstorm Wind	Centerville	-	Wind gusts of 60-70 mph near Centerville reported via social media. Time estimated via radar.
June 2020	Heavy Rain	Centerville	-	Trained spotter measured 1.99 inches of rain. Beginning time estimated by radar.
May 2019	Heavy Rain	Centerville	-	CoCoRaHS observer recorded heavy rainfall of 2.28 inches over the last 24 hours.
May 2019	Heavy Rain	Centerville	-	Coop observer recorded heavy rainfall of 2.10 inches over the last 24 hours.
May 2019	Heavy Rain	Centerville	-	CoCoRaHS observer recorded heavy rainfall of 2.14 inches over the last 24 hours.
September 2019	Heavy Rain	Centerville	-	Coop observer recorded heavy rainfall of 3.60 inches over the last 24 hours.
September 2019	Heavy Rain	Centerville	-	CoCoRaHS observer recorded heavy rainfall of 3.75 inches over the last 24 hours.
June 2017	Hail	Centerville	-	Trained spotter reported jagged very large hail that was potentially 3-4 inches in diameter. Numerous leaves stripped off trees and small branches down due to the hail.
June 2017	Hail	Centerville	-	Trained spotter reported half dollar sized hail.
June 2016	Heavy Rain	Centerville	-	Trained spotter reported heavy rainfall of 1.10 inches. Heavies rain fell between 2129 and 2140 CDT.
June 2016	Hail	Centerville	-	Penny to nickel hail was reported.

Every storm recorded in Appanoose 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
Sturdivant-Sawyer House	under 500 feet	1984
U.S. Post Office	0.2 miles	1978
C B & Q Passenger Depot	0.2 miles	2003
Second Baptist Church	0.3 miles	1999
Appanoose County Courthouse	0.5 miles	1981
Courthouse Square Historic District	0.5 miles	1997

Sources for this property

National Archives record	The nomination case file for reference 80001429 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia article	Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
Appanoose County	All 13 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.