Vintage 1906 One-and-a-Half Story Residence in Iowa with a Large Front Porch, Original Hardwood Floors and Spacious Living Room

Written By

Mathew Abraham

Updated on

Mathew Abraham

Mathew Abraham, editor of Century Homes America, brings his passion for architectural history to explore the stories behind America’s most iconic homes.

York Taenzer of Iowa Realty Mills Crossing

This charming 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom century home showcases classic architectural features such as a large front porch and original hardwood floors in the bedrooms. Built in the early 1900s, the home retains its period character while offering modern amenities including a cement driveway and a fenced backyard. The first floor includes a half bath, spacious living and dining rooms, and a kitchen. Priced at $159,000, this well-preserved residence blends history with contemporary living on a comfortable plot with plenty of outdoor space, making it an attractive option for buyers seeking character and charm.

Exterior Front Porch

York Taenzer of Iowa Realty Mills Crossing

A charming two-story home with beige horizontal siding and contrasting crisp white trim. The front porch is spacious, framed by white railings and lattice skirting beneath, with steps painted in a rich red tone that complements the brick foundation and chimney. The gabled roofline adds architectural interest, while the house number is prominently displayed on one of the porch posts. A concrete driveway leads alongside the home to a backyard with a small storage shed and a basketball hoop, surrounded by mature trees with bare branches, suggesting early spring or late autumn.

Backyard Lawn

York Taenzer of Iowa Realty Mills Crossing

A spacious backyard with a well-maintained green lawn extends toward a chain-link fence enclosing the area. Two large, leafless trees stand prominently, their branches reaching upward under a partly cloudy sky. A small light pink and white storage shed with double doors is positioned near the corner of the fence, accompanied by another larger, plain gray shed. Residential homes with varied designs and muted tones form the backdrop, along with parked vehicles and utility poles lining the street. The scene offers a calm, suburban outdoor space suited for play or gardening.

Side Yard Exterior

York Taenzer of Iowa Realty Mills Crossing

The side view of the house reveals beige horizontal siding complemented by a dark red brick foundation. Multiple windows of varying sizes break the expansive wall, adding visual interest and natural light access. The roofline shows classic gabled architecture with a visible chimney, indicating a likely traditional heating source. A spacious green lawn stretches alongside the house to a chain-link fence, enclosing the yard neatly. Bare tree branches frame the upper scene, hinting at early spring or late autumn. The background displays a quaint neighborhood setting with similar modest homes and a clear, partly cloudy sky overhead.

Covered Front Porch

York Taenzer of Iowa Realty Mills Crossing

A spacious front porch with red wooden flooring contrasts with white railings and supports, creating a crisp, inviting look. The porch ceiling is stained a dark brown or black, adding depth to the overhead structure. Light beige siding with a green-trimmed door and window frame adds warmth and subtle color to the exterior wall. The porch overlooks a quiet street with older neighborhood homes, mature trees, and greenery, contributing to a historic small-town ambiance. Simple, clean lines and classic materials keep the porch design timeless and welcoming.

Entryway and Window View

York Taenzer of Iowa Realty Mills Crossing

The space reveals an entrance area marked by a sturdy cream-colored door with classic paneling, flanked by neutral beige walls that extend into an adjoining room. The flooring consists of wide, gray-toned laminate planks that suggest a modern update while maintaining a warm wood-like texture. A prominent window with clean, white trim opens to an outside porch with white railings, allowing natural light to flood the area. The ceiling is composed of simple, square tiles in a muted shade, contributing to an understated ceiling design. The baseboards are wide and painted white, emphasizing the historic character subtly.

Living Room Space

York Taenzer of Iowa Realty Mills Crossing

Spacious open living area with soft beige walls and a modern drop ceiling with grid tiles. The floor is covered in smooth, wide plank gray wood laminate, adding a contemporary touch. Natural light floods through a bank of three small upper windows and a large bay window with white trim, enhancing the airy atmosphere. Minimalistic baseboards and simple molding maintain a clean look. The room’s layout allows flexible furniture arrangements, while the subtle ventilation vent on the floor hints at modern heating and cooling integration. The overall aesthetic is a blend of vintage structure and modern updates.

Spacious Living Area

York Taenzer of Iowa Realty Mills Crossing

Expansive room characterized by a wide layout with soft yellow-beige walls that bring warmth to the space. Three large windows along one side, including a prominent bay window, allow ample natural light to flood the area, brightening the wood-effect laminate flooring in muted gray tones. The ceiling is composed of square tiles with three flush-mounted dome light fixtures providing subtle artificial illumination. White window trims and baseboards offer a crisp contrast against the walls. The room is devoid of furniture, highlighting its generous open area suitable for various configurations. Vents in the floor suggest central heating.

Bathroom Interior

York Taenzer of Iowa Realty Mills Crossing

A modest bathroom with a neutral color palette dominated by beige walls and a combination of light and dark earth tones on the floor tiles. The room includes a bathtub with showerhead, a white toilet, and a wooden vanity topped with a white sink. Above the sink, a large oval mirror with a decorative silver frame adds subtle elegance. Chrome fixtures and towel bars enhance functionality without overpowering the simplicity. The layout maximizes space in a narrow room, with practical design choices reflecting a clean, understated aesthetic.

Empty Room Corner

York Taenzer of Iowa Realty Mills Crossing

Walls painted in a soft off-white color reflect natural light through a pair of double-hung windows framed with classic white molding. The dark hardwood floors carry a high gloss finish that contrasts starkly with the lighter walls. Wide baseboards and detailed door trim hint at historic architectural influences. The room appears unoccupied and offers a blank canvas, while the ceiling sports a subtle textured finish. Minimal architectural detailing and muted color palette evoke a simple, clean aesthetic typical of older homes updated for modern use. The open door reveals a glimpse of a connected space with matching flooring.

Bedroom with Closet

York Taenzer of Iowa Realty Mills Crossing

Long and narrow bedroom painted in a soft cream color with a dark, polished hardwood floor creating strong contrast. Two large windows on one wall flood the room with natural light and offer views outside. The trim around the windows, baseboards, and doorways is traditional and painted white, complementing the light walls. A small ceiling light fixture with a brass finish adds subtle vintage charm. A door is open to a built-in closet at the far end, revealing white shelving and drawers, providing practical, integrated storage within this simple yet classic space.

Empty Small Room

York Taenzer of Iowa Realty Mills Crossing

A compact rectangular room with dark, glossy hardwood floors reflecting light from a dual-pane window set in a simple, white-trimmed wall. Cream-colored walls with a subtle textured finish exhibit signs of age and slight imperfections like minor cracks. White baseboards and door trim accentuate the historic character, while a basic ceiling light fixture provides modest illumination. A white, six-panel door with brass-colored hardware stands partially open on the left wall, suggesting access to adjoining spaces. The room’s minimal decoration and neutral palette offer a blank canvas within a historic home’s understated elegance.

Empty Room with Dark Floors

York Taenzer of Iowa Realty Mills Crossing

A spacious room with dark hardwood flooring that adds a rich, polished look contrasting the light beige walls. A single large window centered on one wall lets in natural light, highlighting the tree-lined exterior view. The white trim around the window and baseboards is simple yet classic, complementing the white five-panel doors on either side of the room. One door is open, revealing an adjoining space with similar dark flooring. The ceiling is plain with a modest brass and glass flush-mount light fixture centrally placed, reinforcing a minimalist and utilitarian aesthetic.

Bathroom Vanity Corner

York Taenzer of Iowa Realty Mills Crossing

Compact bathroom section with a light cream wall paint creating a soft, neutral ambiance. A wooden vanity with two paneled doors stands under a marbled countertop, featuring shades of grey and white flowing in gentle swirls. Above the sink is a simple square mirror framed in matching wood. The sink has a chrome faucet with dual handles. Adjacent to the vanity, a classic white toilet rests on gray-toned wood-look tile flooring, which adds a modern touch to the space. A ventilation vent is set high on the wall near the ceiling, emphasizing functionality in the modest layout.

Kitchen Countertop and Cabinets

York Taenzer of Iowa Realty Mills Crossing

The kitchen area exhibits a clean, straightforward layout with an L-shaped arrangement of wooden cabinets in a warm oak finish. The upper and lower cabinets provide ample storage against walls painted in a soft beige, which complements the natural wood tones. Two large, white-framed windows allow generous natural light to brighten the space and offer views outside. The countertops are simple, light-colored, and extend uninterrupted around the corner. Flooring mimics a light wood or laminate, harmonizing with the cabinetry. Appliances include a black oven and a stainless steel refrigerator, adding modern contrast to the classic wooden details.

Living Area and Kitchen

York Taenzer of Iowa Realty Mills Crossing

Open-plan layout connects a small kitchen with a larger living area. The kitchen includes natural wood cabinets with dark knobs, a countertop corner sink under two bright windows, and a black stove to the left. Cool gray plank flooring extends throughout, contrasting gently with the cream-colored walls. Square white-trimmed windows near the ceiling bring extra light into the living space. The ceiling is composed of practical white acoustic tiles, illuminated by a simple dome light fixture. Minimal architectural details create a clean, functional environment with a slightly vintage yet updated feel.

Sunroom Corner

York Taenzer of Iowa Realty Mills Crossing

Natural light fills a softly curved sunroom corner with expansive, vertically divided windows framed in crisp white trim. The pale yellow walls and matching baseboards add a warm, vintage feel, contrasting with the modern grey wood-look flooring that stretches across the space. A series of four smaller trim windows align at the top of one wall, allowing additional light while maintaining privacy. The ceiling is composed of square white acoustic tiles, giving a slightly utilitarian touch to otherwise classic architectural details. Overall, the space combines historic charm with updated flooring elements.

Listing Agent: York Taenzer of Iowa Realty Mills Crossing via Zillow 

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