Twombly Building 

Named to National Historic Register - 1993

Keosauqua's old stone post office building, known as the Twombly Building,was named to the National Register of Historic Places on July 29th, 1993. The building was constructed around 1875, and it was often said that Voltaire P. Twombly, Congressional Medal of Honor winner, had the construction done.

Historical records state that this does not appear to be correct, but Twombly probably was the first occupant. He ran a grocery store downstairs and the Keosauqua Republican newspaper was printed on the second floor.

Twombly sold the building in 1892, and a clothing store occupied the ground floor. For a time it housed a bakery and was a source of supply to Kelly's Army, a branch of Coxey's Army.

The so-called Army was comprised of unemployed men who were traveling to Washington D.C. to protest their unemployment during the Depression of the 1890's. The men were considered rowdy and were not allowed to get off the boats at Keosauqua, so local merchants supplied their food which was taken to the boats.

By 1912, it housed the post office on the first floor and a telephone company on the second floor.

The two-story rectangular building was constructed of native limestone with rusticated surface measuring 50 by 25 feet.

The largest blocks are 10 inches high by 18 inches wide by eight inches deep and were placed in corners. There is evidence the windows were added later.

Voltaire P. Twombly, was the only Van Buren County winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor during the Civil War, won at the Battle of Donelson. Twombly also served as Iowa's State Treasurer from 1885-1891.

The Museum is open on Saturdays 10 a.m.-2  p.m., and by appointment. Call (319) 293-3211.