Cedar Rock perches on a green hill near Quasqueton, between Waterloo and Cedar Rapids. (Photos courtesy of Cedar Rock State Park)
By Jessica O’Riley
Sometimes something catches my attention and I find myself taking a deep dive into the subject matter. For example, I went on a Bonnie-and-Clyde kick and read several books about them after I visited the Dexter Museum and learned about their infamous shootout just down the road. Similarly, when the Historic Park Inn Hotel reopened in 2011 in Mason City, it sparked my fascination with Frank Lloyd Wright … which led me to one of Iowa’s hidden gems: the Walter House in Quasqueton.
Lowell and Agnes Walter owned the Iowa Road Building Company in Des Moines. After selling the company to their employees in late 1944, the couple began planning their retirement. They contacted Wright about designing a home for them just outside of Quasqueton (quah-SQUEE-tun), the eastern Iowa town where Lowell grew up. They wrote a lengthy letter and received a blunt acceptance. The couple budgeted $50,000 for the project but soon learned Wright was not one to stick to a budget. When the house was finished, in 1950, the Walters had spent more than $150,000 — nearly $2 million in today’s dollars — on the property that became known as Cedar Rock.
The Usonian-style home is said to be one of Wright’s most comprehensive designs since nearly everything bears his mark, from the interior decor to the building itself. Wright is said to have chosen the furniture, drapes, carpets, accessories and even the cookware.
Frank Lloyd Wright designed nearly every inch of Cedar Rock and its furnishings, including the light-filled living room (above) and cozy kitchen (below).
The property along the banks of the Wapsipinicon River is home to the only original Wright-designed boat pavilion that still exists. The home is the only Wright-designed building in Iowa to bear one of his red signature tiles, and one of fewer than 50 worldwide.
The Walters lived at Cedar Rock for more than 30 years. Their estate plan called for the property to be donated to the state after the surviving spouse had no further use for it. Lowell died in 1981, and Agnes donated the property to the Iowa Conservation Commission (which eventually became part of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources).
Today, the 426-acre site is known as Cedar Rock State Park and is open to visitors from late-May through mid-October. The visitor center is ADA-friendly, but the home has some challenges. Reserve a tour by calling 319-934-3572 or emailing cedar_rock@dnr.iowa.gov. The suggested tour donation is $5 per person.
Contributing writer Jessica O’Riley of Pleasant Hill worked for nearly 20 years with Travel Iowa, the state tourism office, after a previous stint with the Iowa State Fair.
