Built in 1856. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.
“Vawter House is a historic residence located in Winterset, Iowa, United States. Vawter settled in Winterset in 1854 and was a local merchant.”
Wikipedia article J.G. and Elizabeth S. Vawter House, CC BY-SA 4.0.
One of 55 National Register listings published here for Madison County · listed in 1987 · category: Building · built in 1856.
Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 2 fires within 5 miles of J. G. and Elizabeth S. Vawter House in 2009, burning about 2 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 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 April 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.5 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 1 April 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 14 workings within 5 miles of J. G. and Elizabeth S. Vawter House: 9 past producers, 5 producers. 5 still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, Clay. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clark Brickyard | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Backbone Quarries | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Brown Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Clark Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Gardner Quarry and Mill | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Grulke Quarry and Mill | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Ninety-Two Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Pammel Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Penn Dixie Limestone Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Winterset, the town this property stands in, in 116 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 46 hail, 44 thunderstorm wind, 13 heavy rain, 5 flash flood. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winterset | $500,000 | no account filed |
| June 2024 | Lightning | Winterset | $250,000 | Lightning strike resulted in a house fire. Home a total loss. Time estimated. |
| July 2025 | Flash Flood | Winterset | $200,000 | Low lying areas full of water, some streets in town impassable due to flooded intersections. Multiple reports of flood water entering homes and vehicles throughout town. Iowa highway 92 blocked in both directions due to flood waters west of town. |
| February 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winterset | $200,000 | no account filed |
| April 2001 | Tornado (F1) | Winterset | $75,000 | Tornado moved from Clarke County into Madison County before lifting. |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winterset | $75,000 | no account filed |
| May 1997 | Flood | Winterset | $75,000 | no account filed |
| May 1996 | Flood | Winterset | $75,000 | no account filed |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winterset | $60,000 | Law enforcement reported a roof blown off a house and a large tree down in town. |
| September 2014 | Flash Flood | Winterset | $50,000 | Water was over the road in the 2400 block of Carver Road. |
| May 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winterset | $50,000 | Wind gusts of 85 MPH were reported in Winterset. |
| June 1998 | Flood | Winterset | $50,000 | no account filed |
| June 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winterset | $50,000 | no account filed |
| April 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winterset | $50,000 | no account filed |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winterset | $30,000 | no account filed |
| August 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winterset | $25,000 | Law Enforcement reported a few 4 to 6 inch tree limbs and a few trees downed in Winterset. Additional trees were reported snapped south and west of town. Delay report and time estimated from radar. |
| September 2014 | Flood | Winterset | $25,000 | The 2400 block of Pammel Park Road remained flooded. |
| September 2014 | Flash Flood | Winterset | $25,000 | The 2400 block of Pammel Park Road was flooded. |
| July 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winterset | $25,000 | A roof was blown off of a camper. Tree limbs 12 to 24 inches in diameter were broken. Power lines were also downed. |
| May 2004 | Hail | Winterset | $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Hail | Winterset | $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Hail | Winterset | $25,000 | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winterset | $25,000 | no account filed |
| October 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winterset | $25,000 | no account filed |
| June 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winterset | $25,000 | no account filed |
| June 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winterset | $25,000 | no account filed |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winterset | $20,000 | Law enforcement estimated winds of 70 to 80 MPH. |
| July 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winterset | $20,000 | Large trees and power lines were downed, blocking traffic. |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winterset | $20,000 | no account filed |
| July 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winterset | $20,000 | no account filed |
| July 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winterset | $15,000 | Trees down with multiple power outages and downed transformers. |
| July 2008 | Flash Flood | Winterset | $15,000 | Street flooding on many streets in the city of Winterset. |
| March 2011 | Hail | Winterset | $15,000 | no account filed |
| May 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winterset | $15,000 | no account filed |
| April 2012 | Flash Flood | Winterset | $10,000 | Widespread flash flooding in Madison County. Some roads under water, especially west, south, and north of Winterset. |
| April 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winterset | $10,000 | Wind blew over road signs. |
| March 2006 | Hail | Winterset | $10,000 | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Hail | Winterset | $10,000 | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Hail | Winterset | $10,000 | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Hail | Winterset | $10,000 | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winterset | $10,000 | no account filed |
| October 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winterset | $10,000 | no account filed |
| September 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winterset | $10,000 | no account filed |
| July 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winterset | $10,000 | no account filed |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winterset | $10,000 | no account filed |
| April 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winterset | $5,000 | Off-duty NWS Employee reports damage to a business sign on the north side of town. |
| November 2015 | Tornado (EF0) | Winterset | $5,000 | Small metal building and scoreboard destroyed at high school athletic field. Path was mostly in rural areas south of Winterset. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winterset | $5,000 | Large tree snapped off. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winterset | $5,000 | A 3.5 foot diameter tree was snapped. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winterset | $5,000 | Large trees and powerlines were reported down. |
| March 1993 | Hail | Winterset | $5,000 | A strong southerly flow of moist and unstable air moved over Iowa during the afternoon of the 29th. Thunderstorms erupted during the late afternoon and early evening hours. There were numerous reports of gusty winds and pea- to marble-size hail with the storms as the overspread the west half of Iowa. A few of the storms became severe over south central into central Iowa. Three-quarter-inch diameter hail fell from the storms as the approached the Des Moines metropolitan area in Madison County. Three-quarter-inch diameter hail also fell in Guthrie County. Lightning from the storms resulted in numerous brief power outages. Some power outages were reported due tree limbs being downed by gusty winds. |
| July 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winterset | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 2008 | Hail | Winterset | $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winterset | $5,000 | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Hail | Winterset | $5,000 | no account filed |
| May 2001 | Hail | Winterset | $5,000 | no account filed |
| May 2001 | Hail | Winterset | $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winterset | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 1996 | Hail | Winterset | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 1996 | Hail | Winterset | $5,000 | 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.
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.
| Photograph | Property | Distance | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winterset High School | 0.1 miles | 2020 | |
 | White, Munger and Company, Store | 0.1 miles | 1987 |
 | Winterset Courthouse Square Commercial Historic District | 0.2 miles | 2015 |
 | Madison County Courthouse | 0.2 miles | 1976 |
 | Cutler-Donahue Covered Bridge | 0.2 miles | 1976 |
 | Miller Richard and Mary Fisher Tidrick House | 0.3 miles | 1993 |
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 87001692 in Record Group 79. |
| Wikipedia article | Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA. |
| Madison County | All 55 listed properties in this county. |
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