Iowa State Fairgrounds
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Iowa State Fair and Exposition Grounds Historic District
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Grandstand
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| Location | East 30th Street and Grand Avenue Des Moines, Iowa, United States |
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| Coordinates | 41°35′43″N 93°32′58″W / 41.59528°N 93.54944°WCoordinates: 41°35′43″N 93°32′58″W / 41.59528°N 93.54944°W |
| Area | 435 acres (176 ha) |
| Architect | Various |
| NRHP Reference # | 87000014 |
| Added to NRHP | September 14, 1987 |
The Iowa State Fairgrounds is located on the east side of Des Moines, Iowa. It annually hosts the Iowa State Fair in late summer. The state fair was begun in Iowa in 1854 and the current fairgrounds were established in 1886. The fairgrounds were listed as an historic district on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987 as the Iowa State Fair and Exposition Grounds.
The Iowa State Fair was held in a different community every two years after it was first established. The first fair was held in Fairfield in 1854. The other towns that hosted the fair included Muscatine, Oskaloosa, Iowa City, Dubuque, Burlington, Clinton, Keokuk and Cedar Rapids. The state fair moved to Des Moines permanently in 1878. The fairgrounds were initially located on the west side of the city between 38th Street on the east, 42nd Street on the west, Center Street on the north and Grand Avenue on the south. In 1886 the fairgrounds were moved to the east side of town on University Avenue. The property had previously been the Charles Thornton Farmstead. The original house and barn are still on the fairground’s property. Other structures from the farm survived into the late 1940s when they were torn down.
In 1886 the Iowa Legislature and the city of Des Moines appropriated funds and the first buildings were built. They were frame buildings that used boards and battens as exterior wall covering. They were mostly single-story structures that were built quickly and under a tight budget. Because they were poorly built they were constantly in need of repair. However, the buildings lasted into the early 20th century when they began to be replaced or expanded. Pioneer Hall remains from this period. The streets within the fairgrounds followed the same basic pattern as they do today, although they were unpaved and without curbing or gutters in the early years. A street lighting system was put in about 1890 when oil lamps were added. The following year 500 electric lights were installed on the grounds.
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