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Benson Block
Photo: Boscophotos, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons · tap to enlarge
National Register of Historic Places

Benson Block

Also known as Potter Block

On the National Register since 198541 years
Neo-ClassicalListed 1985Ottumwa
DirectionsAdd an old photo

Many listed buildings are private homes. Please enjoy them from the street.

About

About Benson Block

Benson Block, at 109--112 N. Market, was added to the National Register of Historic Places on Jan 3, 1985. It was among the first 5 of Ottumwa’s 24 listings. The Register lists it for its architecture, at the local level. It describes its style as Neo-Classical, as it does for 17 other Iowa listings. 11 more Register listings are within a quarter mile.

What it isBuilding in Ottumwa, Iowa (built as a theatre, but never used as such). From Wikidata (CC0). Read about it on Wikipedia ↗

PDFRead the original nominationThe form that put it on the Register, with its history, photos and a map · 59 MB · National Archives↗
Through the years

1924 to today

  1. 1924Built
  2. 1985Added to the National Register of Historic Places
  3. 2026On the Register for 41 years
Visit

Make it a walk: 5 landmarks in about 10 minutes

109--112 N. Market, Ottumwa · about 0.3 miles on foot, as the crow flies

DirectionsWalk the tour in Google Maps
  1. 1Benson BlockStart here
  2. 2Greater Second Street Historic DistrictDistrict · next door
  3. 3First National BankNeo-Classical Revival · 0.1 mi on
  4. 4U.S. Post OfficeRenaissance Revival · 0.1 mi on
  5. 5J.W. Garner BuildingNeo-Classical Revival · next door
Around it

11 more Register listings within half a mile

★ National Historic Landmark · D district · B building · S site. Each opens its own page.

BB'nai Jacob SynagogueRenaissance Revival0.2 miDFifth Street Bluff Historic DistrictItalianate0.2 miBFoster/Bell HouseTudor Revival0.2 miBHofmann BuildingModern Movement · Built 19410.2 miBWapello County CourthouseRomanesque · Built 18940.2 miBJay Funeral HomeMediterranean Revival0.2 miBHotel OttumwaClassical Revival · Built 19160.2 miBBurlington DepotModern Movement0.3 miDHistoric Railroad DistrictTudor Revival0.3 miBOttumwa Young Women's Christian AssociationItalian Renaissance0.3 miStJefferson Street ViaductRiveted Warren Deck Truss · Built 19350.5 mi
More like it

Neo-Classical style, nearby

Other National Register listings within 25 miles described as Neo-Classical.

Noble-Kendall HouseBuilt 1907 · 20.6 mi away
Paradise Block Historic District22.6 mi away
Public Square Historic District24.3 mi away

Memories of Benson Block

The record says what it is. Neighbors know what it means.

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Have an old photo of it?Add it · +10

Questions about Benson Block

Is Benson Block on the National Register of Historic Places?

Yes. It was added on Jan 3, 1985 (Register number 85000009).

Is Benson Block a National Historic Landmark?

No. It is on the National Register; Iowa has 22 National Historic Landmarks. The nearest is James B. Weaver House, 18.1 miles away.

Can you visit Benson Block?

Our record doesn’t say whether it is open to visitors. Many listed buildings are private, so it may only be seen from the street.

Where can I read the history of Benson Block?

In its National Register nomination, the form that put it on the Register: a 59 MB PDF at the National Archives, linked on this page.

Sources: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places (05/22/2026) · National Archives catalog record 75340212 · Wikidata. Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors.