Information
Landmark: Salisbury HouseCity: Des Moines
Country: USA Iowa
Continent: North America
Salisbury House, Des Moines, USA Iowa, North America
Overview
Salisbury House stands as one of Des Moines’ most striking cultural and architectural treasures, a sprawling historic estate built in the style of England’s grand old manors, with stone walls that seem to hold centuries of stories.Tucked into nearly 10 acres of quiet woodland in the city’s south, the mansion shows off the lavish style of America’s early 20th-century industrial boom and the private passions of the people who built it.Between 1923 and 1928, Carl Weeks, a prosperous cosmetics entrepreneur, and his wife, Edith, built Salisbury House, its limestone walls rising slowly year after year.Weeks built his fortune with the Armand Company, a business that sold perfumes and face powders so popular you could catch their scent in shop windows from Paris to New York.His travels through Europe-especially a stop in Salisbury, England-sparked a desire to build a home that echoed the charm of a 16th‑century English manor, with stone walls cool to the touch.When it was finished, the estate had cost more than $3 million-worth tens of millions today-and rose above Des Moines as a proud symbol of culture and refinement, its marble steps gleaming in the sun.The Weeks family stayed in the house until the 1950s, then other owners came and went, leaving their marks on its creaking floors.In the late 20th century, determined preservation work kept the property from falling into ruin, and today the Salisbury House Foundation runs it as a historic house museum where visitors can still hear the creak of its old wooden floors.Salisbury House, with its 42 rooms spread across more than 22,000 square feet, weaves together Tudor, Gothic, and Carolean styles, from carved oak beams to pointed stone arches.Built with authentic materials brought in from Europe-wood paneling warm to the touch, cool stonework, and stained glass that catches the light-it feels like a centuries-old English estate.One standout feature is the Great Hall, a sweeping central space with carved wood ceilings, a massive stone fireplace that radiates warmth, and rich tapestries lining the walls.The library holds thousands of volumes, from rare books with worn leather covers to first editions and fragile historic manuscripts.Dining Room and Kitchen: They blend the grace of formal gatherings with the sleek, practical touches of the 1920s, like polished chrome fixtures that catch the light.Music Room: Designed with warm, clear acoustics that let a violin’s note linger, perfect for chamber music and lively conversations.Art and Furnishings: The Weeks family filled their home with fine art, antique treasures, and decorative pieces gathered from travels-like a carved wooden mask from West Africa.Formal gardens ring the house, with terraces stepping down to shaded woodland paths, giving the place the quiet elegance of a country estate.Today, Salisbury House welcomes visitors as a historic house museum, where they can wander through sunlit rooms and take in both its striking architecture and rich cultural past.The tours showcase the home’s striking design and share how the Weeks family helped shape Des Moines’ civic life, from hosting town meetings to funding local arts.The mansion’s library stands out, its shelves lined with treasures-early Shakespeare editions worn at the edges, ancient leather-bound texts, and manuscripts penned by celebrated writers.The Weeks family’s collection brimmed with evidence of their sharp curiosity and deep love for the arts, from worn sketchbooks to a piano polished smooth at the keys.The house hosts concerts that spill music into its grand hall, lectures that echo under carved ceilings, art and history exhibitions, community gatherings, and even private rentals.Preserving Salisbury House is no small task, with its vast rooms and fragile, centuries-old materials.The Salisbury House Foundation has led major restoration work to protect its architecture, collections, and gardens, so visitors can still wander its halls and stroll through rose-scented paths as a museum and cultural hub.Today, Salisbury House stands as a treasured part of Des Moines’ heritage, giving visitors a rare look at old-world grandeur-like carved oak doors and stone archways-brought to life in the heart of the Midwest.It captures the spirit of America’s industrial boom, when wealthy entrepreneurs raised grand estates echoing European elegance, and today it still stands as a living museum filled with art, books, and finely crafted design.The estate is both a historic gem and a lively meeting place, where the scent of old wood mingles with voices from every corner of the city, reflecting Des Moines’ ties to the wider world and its long tradition of innovation and ambition.
