125 Third Street – Frank F. Everest
The three Folsom houses on Third Street (Nos. 135, 136, and 137) represent three different styles, built in three different time periods, for three generations of the Folsom family.
Jeremiah Folsom, whom we met in this column two weeks ago, came to Council Bluffs in 1854, established a newspaper with S.S. Maynard, The Chronotype, and owned a significant amount of real estate. His home (No. 137) was built farther back on the hill in 1856 and moved forward in 1906 by Ward Folsom, his son.
The Colonial Revival/Queen Anne house at No. 135 was built for the family to live in while the original family home was being moved and remodeled by Ward Folsom. Agnes Folsom, his mother, continued to make this house her home.
Florence Folsom, daughter of Jeremiah Folsom, and Frank Everest were married in 1894 in Council Bluffs, and built their home in 1908 at 125 Third St.
Frank Fort Everest was born in Illinois in1869 and came to Iowa when he was eight years old. He graduated from Grinnell College in 1893. That same year, the Folsom Addition was subdivided and the 125 Third Street property was transferred to Florence Folsom, daughter of Jeremiah.
Florence Folsom and Frank Everest were married in 1894 in Council Bluffs, and built their home in 1908. (Prior to their house being built, the couple lived at 166 Glen Avenue.) Their children included George, Frank, Charles, and Jack. Frank Everest was a real estate dealer and was vice president and secretary-treasurer for the Greenshield-Everest Company, a real estate firm, at the time he built his house. He later became president of the company and also of First National Bank, as well as vice-president of the Abstract Guaranty Company.
The nomination of the Third/Bluff/Willow District to the National Register of Historic Places states that “The house is significant as the boyhood home of two distinguished generals, Everest’s sons George and Frank. Frank Folsom Everest was one of the youngest soldiers to attain the rank of lieutenant general in the U.S. Air Force. His commands included Europe, Japan and Korea. His brother, George Folsom Everest, served in both world wars and was brigadier general of the Iowa National Guard. During World War II, he was appointed to the commanding generals in the European Theatre.”
The Tudor Revival home was designed by J. Chris Jensen, noted local architect whose works include City Hall and other downtown buildings as well as Thomas Jefferson High School and his own home at 520 Oakland Avenue.
Notable features include a two-story side gable with a cross-gabled ell, stucco on the second floor and brown brick on the first floor. The porch has square brick posts and round posts, false beam and knee brace brackets under wide eaves. It also has unusual guttering systems on either side of the front of the house. A second story sun porch on the south side, added later, has been removed by the current owners.
Source Material
Preserve Council Bluffs acknowledges the following sources of information for this series: National Register of Historic Places nominations, the reference department of the Council Bluffs Public Library, the auditor’s office of the Pottawattamie County courthouse, Council Bluffs Community Development Department, homeowners, family members and individual research.