Area Less than one acre Built by Jens Uriah Hansen Opened 1873 | Built 1873 NRHP Reference # 91001461 Added to NRHP 3 October 1991 | |
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Location 219 N. Kilworth
Exira, Iowa MPS Ethnic Historic Settlement of Shelby and Audubon Counties MPS | ||
The John D. Bush House is a historic building located in Exira, Iowa, United States. Its significance is derived from its association with the skilled Danish immigrant craftsman Jens Uriah Hansen. He was a native of Lourup, Denmark, and was the first Dane to settle in Audubon County. Hansen was responsible for constructing numerous houses and other buildings in the Exira area. This is the only one with a high degree of structural integrity, and reflects Hansen's carpentry skills. Built in 1873, the two-story frame structure rests on a brick foundation. It features an L-shaped plan, and intersecting gabled roofs. John Bush, for whom the house was built, operated an early general store in town and served as the postmaster. The Bush family retained the property until 1935. It was used as a boarding house for five families in the 1930s. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.