Seven buildings, including a former one-room school house and the former home of a local businessman, have been named among the most endangered buildings in the metro, according to a list released today by the Des Moines Heritage Trust.

The list is designed to create awareness and a call to action to preserve “these historic and culturally significant buildings,” a release stated. This is the second straight year it has been released in May to coincide with National Historic Preservation Month.

According to the release, the buildings on the list and others in the region risk demolition and are falling into a serious state of disrepair.

“These seven buildings are part of the cultural fabric of our region and have touched the lives of several generations that came before us and all of that will be lost if these buildings aren’t preserved,” Tim Waddell, president of the Des Moines Heritage Trust, said in the prepared statement.

Waddell acknowledged that not all the buildings can be saved.

The Highland Apartments at the corner of Euclid Avenue and Sixth Avenue was on last year’s list and was demolished in September to make room for a new mixed-use development that will be called the Commons at Highland Park.

Waddell said while not every building can be saved, “we can make a difference.”

“As neighbors and community leaders, we can encourage reinvestment of those buildings that have played an important part in the development and growth of our neighborhoods, communities and the families who shopped, worked, lived and even learned in these buildings,” he said in the prepared statement.

Several of the buildings on this year’s list also appeared on last year’s list. Those include:

• George the Chili King, 5722 Hickman Road, Des Moines, built in 1952.
• Salvation Army Building (former Nabisco building): 219 E. Court Ave. Des Moines, built in 1920.
• Butler Apartments (former Gas Lamp): 1501 Grand Ave./510 15th St., Des Moines, built in 1906.
• The Jefferson Apartments: 1519 Grand Ave., Des Moines, built in 1915.

Here’s a look at buildings that were added to this year’s list.

I.O.O.F. Hall/Drug Store, 200 Euclid Ave., Des Moines
Built in 1907, the building is in the College Corner Commercial District at the southwest corner of Second and Euclid avenues. The college referred to in the College Corner District was first called Highland Park College. The college averaged about 2,000 students and opened in 1890 on the northeast corner of the intersection. It was later known as Des Moines University, which closed in 1929. It later reopened for a few years in the 1940s and 1950s as the School of Lawsonomy, founded by utopian philosopher Alfred Lawson.

George Peak Home, 1080 22nd St., Des Moines
​The home of the Rev. George B. Peak at 1080 22nd St., was built in 1900 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It was donated to Drake University in 1944 by the family and used as student housing. Peak came to Des Moines from Kentucky in 1888 while working for Equitable Life Assurance and in 1896 he founded the Central Life Assurance Society, now known as Athene. He was the president until his death in 1923. Many elements of the home are of the Georgian Revival and classical architectural styles. Recently, the matching three-story carriage house was razed. Peak was instrumental in building the Insurance Exchange Building at Fifth Street and Grand Avenue in Des Moines. He also played a large role in building Keosauqua Way.

Nagle School, 2715 S.W. Oralabor Road, Ankeny
​The former Nagle School is in jeopardy of being demolished. The property is identified as future neighborhood commercial development in Ankeny’s land use plan. The building is named after Franklin “Squire” Nagle, who moved to Polk County in June 1846. He had land in Crocker and Saylor townships and still has descendants in the area. One of the projects he championed was establishing nine school districts and building school houses. The building on Oralabor Road served as a one-room school house from 1900 to 1952. The Nagle school district merged with the Ankeny school district in 1952. By 1957, the old school had been converted to a two-bedroom home for the family of Howard Pearson, who ran a local cafe. The trucking company Warren Transport used the property for offices and storage from about 1990 to 2019, when it was sold to Fairmount Education, a nonprofit which has no plans for the property and put it up for sale. It’s in poor condition and has been vandalized. It is believed to be one of three remaining one-room school houses in Des Moines.

Images provided by Des Moines Heritage Trust

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect that the I.O.O.F Hall and Drug Store was located in the district surrounding a college previously based in the area, not on the college campus.