Historical Fairfield

Glimpses of Fairfield's past...
above- Bonnifield Cabin/Log House is a 1838 log dwelling of one of the first settlers in Jefferson County. It was relocated to Waterworks Park in 1908. It is the very house in which Fairfield was given its name!	Recently, a grant was provided to the Jefferson County Historical Preservation Society to help restore and repair Bonnifield Cabin. This $20,000 project was needed to protect the 150 year old landmark from deterioration. The Bonnifield Cabin was renovated with new roofing. This picture shows the changes. Thanks to everyone who helped.	McElhinny House, built before 1850. Now serves as home to the Fairfield Women's Club.

	bits n' pieces of Fairfield's past!

Some historical homes... The James A. Beck House, 401 E. Burlington, was built in 1896 by James A. Beck, a Fairfield native who became wealthy as the owner of "The Inn," a popular spot on Lake Okoboji, and hotels in Fairfield and Creston. This house is an excellent examble of American Queen Ann residential architecture. The James F. Clark House, 500 S. Main, was built in 1915-16 and designed in the prairie style by Francis Barry Byrne, a contemorary of Frank Lloyd Wright. The Wells-Stubbs House at 508 E. Burlington was built by banker George A. Wells in 1874. This house is unusual for its Italianate square tower and Palladia window. The Burnett House at 605 N. 3rd was built in 1888 of Italianate brich and has an iron wraparound porch and cast stone window headers. The W.C. Ball House began in 1879 at 304 S. Main and combines brick veneer and frame with vernaculaized Greek revival style. Senator James F. Wilson lived in this Greek Revival house at 805 S. Main, built in 1857.
Fairfield Historian Mark Shafer presented a program in the Carnegie Museum Series about the Roman collection within the museum. These items are assumed to be authentic, but as Mark says "they were excavated 100 years ago, so even if they are fakes, they are at least 100 year old fakes!" Such is life of a small Iowa museum!