Bradley Hall

My sister sent me a real estate listing for Bradley Hall (the house above) and I immediately plunged into a nostalgia fueled internet search for any information I could glean about its historic past. This amazing house is in Centerville, Iowa and functioned as an antique shop for the last twenty years or so under the guidance of Morgan Cline's philanthropic vision for his hometown in Southern Iowa. I begged to go there every chance I had when we would visit my grandparents' farm. In more recent years, I made several treks to see it with my husband (forcing him to marvel in the beauty of the stained glass and original woodwork, somewhat at odds with the increasingly modern items for sale). 

There is a website devoted to the house's history and legacy as well as information about the "Shoppes at Bradley Hall" and its operating hours. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic and a lengthy closure for safety reasons, the Shoppes officially closed last fall (I don't remember the exact date). Since I'm unsure of how long the website will remain active, I've posted photos and information below along with links if you are curious to learn more!

The house was completed in 1909 for David Campbell Bradley, a businessman in Centerville who seemed to have a piece of every thriving industry at the time. The house cost $100,000 (which, according to the website, is equivalent to $2.6 million today). While it served as a permanent residence for the Bradley family initially, the house changed hands multiple times after Bradley's death and the economic depression of the 1930s. It housed classes for the future community college in Centerville and then served as a nursing home-- and yet, amazingly, most of the original pieces of the house remained. According to the Shoppes' website, it took a mere 6 months to restore the house to its former glory after Morgan Cline purchased it!

Photos found here.

While the pictures listed for Zillow (I'm assuming via the original realtor's website) make the house feel barren compared to its overwhelming array of knickknacks, antiques, purses, and decorative scarves that used to fill every corner in its shopping heyday, the photos do showcase the amazing craftsmanship. I've linked the zillow page so you can look at all 100 photos in your own time! The house has five bedrooms, five bathrooms, a ballroom on the third floor, built ins galore, and what seems like the original tile in the kitchen (although there are no appliances). The greenhouse is long gone but it wouldn't take much work to restore the garage to its former glory! I remember as a child my great uncle told me that there was a swimming pool in the basement-- which has never been confirmed or seen. I have a feeling he was trying to add to the mystery of the house...

These four photos and the house photo found here.

There is always concern for old house lovers when something this magnificent goes onto the market--particularly in a small town where there's not an excess of jobs. The idea of outside management or some kind of mega Airbnb taking residence at Bradley Hall is daunting. Hopefully it will be purchased by an owner who sees beauty in its original tile floors, stunning stained glass, and sleek woodwork.