Iowa Hospital for the Insane, State Route 248, Independence, Buchanan County, IA

Significance: The building was the second state mental hospital built in Iowa, and it followed functional design criteria essentially the same as those used at the first one, the construction of which had been started in 1855. In its process of construction, a general contract was awarded for the first work, but the contractor was unable to complete it. Subsequently, construction was carried out under a superintendent of construction hired by the state. In the first years he bought materials on contract and hired day labor and supervised it. In later years he contracted for work of the various trades (contracts for labor and materials both) and supervising and coordinated the work of these separate contractors.
Survey number: HABS IA-54