Built in 1916 (Prairie School architecture). Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
One of 3 National Register listings published here for Grundy County · listed in 1984 · category: Building · built in 1916, Prairie School architecture.
Sources: the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service · the Wikipedia article
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 4 fires within 5 miles of Chris Neessen House between 2006 and 2019, burning about 51 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 | 2 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 May 2013 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 15 April 2019 | Debris and open burning | 20 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 13 April 2006 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 28 March 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 30 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | F AVE & 150TH ST., NW CORNER, IA |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 4 workings within 5 miles of Chris Neessen House: 4 past producers. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Harms | 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 |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Wellsburg, the town this property stands in, in 58 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 23 thunderstorm wind, 10 hail, 8 flash flood, 6 tornado. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 1999 | Flash Flood | Wellsburg | $500,000 | no account filed |
| August 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wellsburg | $250,000 | Grain bins and metal outbuildings were destroyed by high wind. |
| August 2009 | Hail | Wellsburg | $250,000 | no account filed |
| June 2013 | Flash Flood | Wellsburg | $200,000 | Numerous paved and gravel roads covered, including D17 and T19. Barricades placed across roads. |
| June 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wellsburg | $200,000 | Multiple barns destroyed and some tree damage. Crops flattened as well. |
| April 2008 | Flood | Wellsburg | $150,000 | no account filed |
| March 2019 | Flood | Wellsburg | $100,000 | Public reported water coming onto westbound lane of County Highway D17 from South Beaver Creek. Report came via social media. The Iowa DOT also reported flooding along Iowa Highway 175 with the highway being reduced to one lane near Reinbeck. |
| August 2015 | Flash Flood | Wellsburg | $100,000 | Law Enforcement reported water over the eastbound on ramp to Highway 20 from T-19 north of Wellsburg. There are also reports of several county roads closed due to flooding. |
| August 2015 | Flood | Wellsburg | $100,000 | Local Law Enforcement reported many county roads were closed due to water over the road or the road having been washed out. A bridge was washed out at the 2900 block of East 110th between U and T Avenues. |
| December 2015 | Flood | Wellsburg | $100,000 | Many county roads were closed across portions of the county from flooding with rises on local streams and creeks. |
| March 2023 | Tornado (EF1) | Wellsburg | $50,000 | Two tornadoes developed in parallel to the north of Wellsburg. This northern track tornado damaged several trees and outbuildings along its path. |
| March 2023 | Tornado (EF1) | Wellsburg | $50,000 | Two tornadoes developed in parallel to the north of Wellsburg. This southern track tornado damaged a grain bin along with surrounding trees and outbuilding, then later damaged powerline poles. |
| May 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wellsburg | $50,000 | no account filed |
| June 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wellsburg | $40,000 | Large tree branches from the top half of trees snapped off and a barn was destroyed. |
| March 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wellsburg | $25,000 | Law enforcement reported a barn moved off of its foundation and heavily damaged. This is a delayed report and time estimated by radar. |
| May 2013 | Flash Flood | Wellsburg | $25,000 | Exit ramps closed at the 187 mile marker on Highway 20 due to water over the road at County Road T19. |
| March 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wellsburg | $20,000 | Emergency manager reported power poles down and a cattle building damaged near D35 and T19. |
| September 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wellsburg | $15,000 | Public reported damage to several large trees. Time estimated. |
| March 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wellsburg | $10,000 | Law enforcement reported outbuildings damaged. This is a delayed report. |
| March 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wellsburg | $10,000 | Law enforcement reported two utility poles downed about a quarter miles east and south of E Ave. This is a delayed reported and time estimated by radar. |
| August 2015 | Flash Flood | Wellsburg | $10,000 | Highway Department reported eastbound entrance ramp to US 20 at exit 187, County Road T19, closed due to flooding. |
| June 2009 | Tornado (EF1) | Wellsburg | $10,000 | A tornado was skipping up and down through the crops. The tornado destroyed a corrugated steel building. |
| April 2008 | Flash Flood | Wellsburg | $10,000 | The South Beaver Creek was flooding, affecting several gravel roads. |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wellsburg | $10,000 | no account filed |
| August 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wellsburg | $5,000 | One to two foot diameter tree down. Six to 10 inch diameter tree limbs downed and one tree limb landed on power lines taking them down too. |
| August 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wellsburg | $5,000 | Minor tree damage reported. |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wellsburg | $5,000 | Fire department estimated winds of 60 MPH. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wellsburg | $5,000 | Tree damage with 4 to 6 inch diameter branches snapped. |
| June 1994 | Hail | Wellsburg | $5,000 | Scattered thunderstorms developed during the late evening and early morning hours over northeast Iowa. One of the cells became severe and dropped three-quarter inch diameter hail on the town of Wellsburg. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wellsburg | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wellsburg | $5,000 | no account filed |
| August 2004 | Hail | Wellsburg | $5,000 | no account filed |
| August 2004 | Hail | Wellsburg | $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wellsburg | $3,000 | Local law enforcement reports 70 MPH wind 3 miles south of the Butler County line 6 miles east of the Hardin County line. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wellsburg | $3,000 | Several trees were split. |
| April 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wellsburg | $3,000 | no account filed |
| August 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wellsburg | $2,000 | A number of tree branches were down in the yard. The largest ones were 3 inches in diameter. |
| August 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wellsburg | $2,000 | no account filed |
| April 2007 | Hail | Wellsburg | $1,000 | no account filed |
| April 1999 | Hail | Wellsburg | $1,000 | no account filed |
| August 2025 | Tornado (EFU) | Wellsburg | - | Drone imagery provided by the emergency manager and satellite imagery revealed a track in agricultural fields. No DIs were impacted, resulting in an EF-U rating. |
| May 2024 | Flash Flood | Wellsburg | - | Flooding on the roadway with field debris piling up. |
| May 2024 | Flash Flood | Wellsburg | - | An increasing number of county roads across the county are becoming impassable due to flash flooding. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wellsburg | - | Tree and utility damage near Wellsburg. Time of occurrence estimated from radar. |
| June 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wellsburg | - | Tree damage and minor building damage with a small portion of a barn roof removed. |
| August 2018 | Heavy Rain | Wellsburg | - | KWWL TV shared public heavy rainfall report of 2.90 inches. |
| July 2018 | Heavy Rain | Wellsburg | - | Public reported heavy rainfall of 3.10 inches. Due to database entry limitation, beginning time coded as midnight CST. Actual estimated start time of 445pm CDT on June 30th. |
| August 2016 | Funnel Cloud | Wellsburg | - | Small funnel cloud, long and rope-like. It never touched down to the ground. Reported near 155th St. and Echo Ave. |
| August 2015 | Heavy Rain | Wellsburg | - | Trained spotter reported heavy rainfall of 5.10 inches event total so far. |
| August 2014 | Tornado (EF0) | Wellsburg | - | Produced only crop damage along its path. Tornado was found and rated using high resolution satellite imagery. |
| April 2013 | Hail | Wellsburg | - | Dime to nickel size hail covering a two mile stretch of T-19 north of Wellsburg. Hail was 2 inches deep. |
| June 2009 | Tornado (EF0) | Wellsburg | - | A tornado touched down briefly southeast of Cleves. |
| June 2008 | Funnel Cloud | Wellsburg | - | A trained spotter reported strong rotation and a developing funnel cloud on Highway T19 about 5 miles north of Wellsburg. |
| May 2015 | Hail | Wellsburg | - | no account filed |
| June 2010 | Flood | Wellsburg | - | no account filed |
| June 2009 | Funnel Cloud | Wellsburg | - | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Wellsburg | - | no account filed |
| June 2006 | Hail | Wellsburg | - | no account filed |
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.
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 84001253 in Record Group 79. |
| Wikipedia article | Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA. |
| Grundy County | All 3 listed properties in this county. |
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