Jan 21, 2025 - News
Rollins Mansion in Des Moines celebrates 100-year anniversary
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The south side of Rollins Mansion in 1925. Construction wasn’t completed until 1927. Photo: Courtesy of Rollins Mansion
Rollins Mansion, a historic site and popular wedding venue, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
How it started: The Tudor Revival mansion was constructed from 1925 to 1927 by the Rollins family, who got their start in Iowa by establishing a brickyard in Fort Dodge.
- The family eventually expanded into Des Moines with another brickyard and also delved into hosiery and producing paper for the Iowa State Register — the early iterations of the Des Moines Register.
The intrigue: Staff says the mansion includes ceiling panels from an inn where Shakespeare performed and stained-glass windows by Frank Lloyd Wright.
- It was designed by Des Moines architects Byron Boyd and Herbert Moore, who also worked on the Salisbury House.
Today, private investors own the home and rent it out for events.
- It typically hosts 20–30 weddings a year. In 2024, the average rental cost was $4,000 to $6,000.
