| Rensselaer
Russell came to Waterloo from New York in 1857 at the age
of 19. He had been in the dry goods business before heading
west, but in Iowa he prospered in banking and real estate.
Russell purchased
the block bounded by West Third, West Second, South, and
Washington in 1857. Here in 1865, he built this house, which
is now maintained as a museum of the period. Along with
the Barnum-Bryant-Dempster House, built in Cedar Falls in
1862, the Rensselaar Russell House vividly represents the
Italianate style of architecture that flourished in the
United States during the mid-19th century.
Russell was first associated with Martin Moore for two
years in banking and land. In 1860 he took over the banking
business of Hosford and Miller, which had been in Waterloo
since 1854. Russell's was one of five banks in the town
at that time.
Russell operated a wholesale grocery business in Waterloo
until 1886. He was also responsible for erecting several
large buildings along Commercial Street. The largest of
these was the Paul Davis Dry Goods Store, destroyed by fire
in 1914.
Descendants
of Mr. Russell lived in the home well into the 20th Century,
including his daughter Lillian Russell Lampson. It presently
serves as a museum for the Grout complex.
The
Rensselaer Russell House Museum |
