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Old Settlers' Association Park and Rhodham Bonnifield House

Coordinates: 41°01′08″N 91°57′24″W / 41.01889°N 91.95667°W / 41.01889; -91.95667
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Old Settlers' Association Park and Rhodham Bonnifield House
Rhodham Bonnifield House
Old Settlers' Association Park and Rhodham Bonnifield House is located in Iowa
Old Settlers' Association Park and Rhodham Bonnifield House
Old Settlers' Association Park and Rhodham Bonnifield House is located in the United States
Old Settlers' Association Park and Rhodham Bonnifield House
LocationB St.
Fairfield, Iowa
Coordinates41°01′08″N 91°57′24″W / 41.01889°N 91.95667°W / 41.01889; -91.95667
Area1.5 acres (0.61 ha)
NRHP reference No.86001601[1]
Added to NRHPAugust 14, 1986

Old Settlers' Association Park and Rhodham Bonnifield House, also known as Old Settlers' Park and Bonnifield Cabin, is a nationally recognized historic district located in Fairfield, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.[1] The park was established in 1907 as a preserve for the grasses, flowers and animals native to this area. It was also meant to memorialize the pioneers to Jefferson County and the sentiments of "freedom and equality, hospitality, sympathy and love of fair play" that motivated them.[2] The focal point of the park is the Rhodham Bonnifield House, a log cabin built in 1838 in Round Prairie Township. It was used as a residence until 1902, and moved here when the park was established. This is the first park of its kind established in eastern Iowa.[2] The house's historic designation is attributed to its 1907 reconstruction, and not its original construction. There are few pioneer log structures in Iowa that remain in their original setting. Those that remain have been reconstructed at another site to preserve them.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. ^ a b William C. Page, James E. Jacobsen. "Old Settlers' Association Park and Rhodham Bonnifield House". National Park Service. Retrieved May 25, 2016. with four photos from 1984