Share Our World: Historic Weis Mansion Bed and Breakfast
In April I went to Iowa to do research for my historical fiction/ family history book about my grandparents and their honeymoon in 1939.
While in Waterloo, I stayed in a Historic Bed and Breakfast. This beautiful mansion was built in Waterloo, Iowa in 1900-1902 for Henry Weis.
It is a beautiful Victorian house. I really like when houses have so much architectural detail and highlight it with different colors.
| https://photos.smugmug.com/Personal/2021-Photo-Book/2026-Book/n-j8srDw/April/i-CNbhjcN/0/KHQXw2R2hdGxgnfTDQWJKdBMP6Jx6srV2VKpcRH4n/XL/PXL_20260420_214727776~2-XL.jpg | https://photos.smugmug.com/Personal/2021-Photo-Book/2026-Book/n-j8srDw/April/i-qqcqBZR/0/KPgJs49ZRctN6WqcLFWPWXF23FfbchbPhGpGPjqtL/XL/PXL_20260420_214755857-XL.jpg |
|---|
This was the first time I can remember staying in a bed and breakfast. And the Breakfast was really good.
My room as great too. I had a very nice room and on off suite bathroom to myself and a screened in porch. I wrote in the cool mornings out on the porch.
| https://photos.smugmug.com/Personal/2021-Photo-Book/2026-Book/n-j8srDw/April/i-zmMHsNB/0/MjQ868p668FtDrL3hZXPHKLBV3Dz5kfMrSmXRZKN8/XL/PXL_20260421_121439980~2-XL.jpg | https://photos.smugmug.com/Personal/2021-Photo-Book/2026-Book/n-j8srDw/April/i-FpTvtgD/0/NSCkJr6LzXwHVVQ7q4z8MffN467nphXhzmm5NvWPM/XL/PXL_20260422_122728208-XL.jpg | https://photos.smugmug.com/Personal/2021-Photo-Book/2026-Book/n-j8srDw/April/i-msxm56P/0/LXQPFHw3HSqWBTFHqvxx2H5QwngSXm5bdBhv95CPX/XL/PXL_20260422_122657700~2-XL.jpg |
|---|
One of the best things about it was the location. It was a couple of blocks from the Rensselaer Russell House which is where generations of my family lived in Waterloo, including my mother. It is now a museum. I will do a post about the house too!
I wrote in the morning, ate a delicious breakfast and walked to the church, park or house or all three.
| https://photos.smugmug.com/Personal/2021-Photo-Book/2026-Book/n-j8srDw/April/i-zThwKhc/0/KQwxfWWTSrs2ftnPW2RwwmXVr6VqDgN2WDr6xzB2R/XL/PXL_20260422_141005319~2-XL.jpg | https://photos.smugmug.com/Personal/2021-Photo-Book/2026-Book/n-j8srDw/April/i-MjDwSD4/0/MLJw6Ht7tw9gLBBzZTQrgGQ3hnn79HJVXp7XxhPGF/XL/PXL_20260421_144347654~2-XL.jpg | https://photos.smugmug.com/Personal/2021-Photo-Book/2026-Book/n-j8srDw/April/i-7fGMFVv/0/NBNhCzxQzP5vVwQ8QRHvbdXbPJXpSm9N9nBSS72cT/XL/PXL_20260421_002744466~2-XL.jpg |
|---|---|---|
| First Congregational Church | Washington Park | Rensselaer Russell House |
A very cool fact that I learned is that my grandmother lived close to the church- where the parking lot for the church is now- and my grandfather grew up in the Rensselaer Russell house and they are across Washington Park.
They didn't meet until she was 25 and he was 37 years old. They were so close and yet didn't meet until Betty Waterbury's wedding. Fascinating. I think the age had something to do with it. He was 12 years old than her and so even if they lived a block away they were not doing the same things at the same time.
Anther fun part of this historic part of Waterloo is Church Row. The picture below is taken from the First Congregational Church looking across the street.
Trinity American Lutheran Church
Sacred Heat Catholic Church
Waterloo First United Methodist Church
In this map you can see where the Bed and Breakfast and and Washington Park are too.
The Weis Mansion was the ideal location for my research stay in Waterloo. It was the ideal location, great room with a writing porch, yummy breakfast and a beautiful restored historic house!
Source:
You can check out this post and your own profile on the map. Be part of the Worldmappin Community and join our Discord Channel to get in touch with other travelers, ask questions or just be updated on our latest features.
Thanks!
The place looks so amazing, a very pleasant house to stay 🥰
BuenÃsimo @sjarvie5! De lo mejor que crucé hoy. Te dejo mi apoyo, espero que sigas creando!
Thanks @delirius that is very kind of you. I created consistently for 8 years and took a bit a break. I have so much awesome content that I still have to share!
I love architecture like that! Looks like a lovely bnb, did it get you in the correct frame of mind for the era? :D
Hi @ryivhnn That is a great question. Yes, I learned so much about where my grandparents lived and their parents and grandparents. It was a great trip.
Hiya, @ybanezkim26 here, just swinging by to let you know that this post made it into our Honorable Mentions in Travel Digest #2940.
Your post has been manually curated by the @worldmappin team. If you like what we're doing, please drop by to check out all the rest of today's great posts and consider supporting other authors like yourself and us so we can keep the project going!
Become part of our travel community:
Thanks so much @ybanezkim26
That was a very wonderful mansion. A perfect spot to sip coffee and do your writings. You are very unique to be interested about the story of your grandparents.
It may be unique. I have a lot of stories about my family that are swimming around in my head. I need to have to courage to write them out.