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Colonial White House Bed and Breakfast was listed on the national
Register of Historic Places in 1994. It is listed as W.T.S.
White House and Carriage House.
The home is an exceptional example in the area of architecture, as
one of the best residential examples of Colonial Revival
design in the city of Clarinda.
Built in 1906, this
property, well preserved and carefully
maintained, continues to be a prominent home in Clarinda. The
exterior and the interior of this property physically reflects its
period of significance.
The W.T.S. White House and
Carriage House is an excellent example of virtually unaltered
transitional Colonial Revival design. These large, well-built
homes were a style unto themselves. It was a Post-Victorian
architecture. 1895-1910 was a transition period. This
home reflects the transition in taste. Contextually it relates
to the influence of architects of the wealthy searching for an
architecture that was America. Quality materials and
accessories were used to complement the style. Experience of
W.W. Welch to build commercial buildings on a much larger scale
proved to help the home withstand time in the same manner.
The W.T.S. White House is a
documented work of William W. Welch, a major architect and builder
in southwestern Iowa. The activities of W.W. Welch have been
important to the development of Clarinda and other cities. He
designed a number of large projects in Iowa and western Illinois.
In Creston, he built the Masonic Temple, a large Catholic church and
also a Methodist Episcopal church. He was awarded contracts
for nearly all of the large and substantial buildings in Clarinda,
including both residences and businesses. Nearly all of the
business blocks on the public square are monuments to his skill and
handiwork. He designed and erected the public library, which
is without a doubt one of the prettiest in the state. He was
also executed contracts in Creston, Mount Pleasant, and Glenwood.
He was very active in public measures for the benefit of Clarinda
and vicinity in promoting the attractive appearance and substantial
character of the city.
The first owner, W.T.S.
White, purchased the property in 1905 for $1900.00. The house
and carriage house were built and completed in March of 1906.
A wealthy man, White was president of the Clarinda Poultry Butter
and Egg Company. Produce was marketed in the United Sates,
England and Scotland with annual sales of $3,000,000. He was
active in Clarinda in business and community development.
W.T.S. White was on the Board of Directors of the Clarinda National
Bank and chief promoter of the Clarinda Improvement Club. In
1907 he moved to Chicago and later to Brookline, Massachusetts,
where he died in 1943.
A.V. and Agnes Hunt
purchased the property from W.T.S. White for $8,000.00. After
passing through two short-term owners, the property was purchased in
1920 by Allen and Minnie Rose Davison for $12,000.00. In 1938
their daughter, Essie Pearl Davison, inherited the property and
lived there until 1991. In 1992, the Essie Davison Estate sold
the property to its present owners, Byron and Gail Barr.
For more information please
contact us!
Byron and Gail Barr
400 North 16th / Glenn Miller Avenue
Clarinda, Iowa 51632
(712) 542-5006
Email:
colwhitehousebb@mchsi.com
You're in for a
special time at
Colonial White House
Bed and Breakfast!
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