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2000 Swan Lake Blvd., Independence, IA 50644 (view map) • 319-334-9055
Hours: Monday 11am-8pm, Tuesday-Saturday 11am-9pm, Sunday 9am-8pm
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We would like to welcome you to The Homestead. We
hope you enjoy your time here as much as we have enjoyed
creating it for you. In the beginning stages of this project we
both brainstormed what we remember as a child growing up
in rural Iowa. It is through these memories that we created the
building you see today.
What is a farm house without a front porch? Well, in our
eyes, it wasn’t a farmhouse. The front porch is where you
relaxed with a glass of lemonade, welcomed relatives as they
arrived for a visit, or stood during an Iowa thunderstorm to
watch the lightening. With The Homestead we thought if
we had a front porch, we needed a back porch. So please
make sure you go to the back porch for a view of Swan Lake
complete with swans.
In childhood, there are sounds that spark great memories.
One of those sounds we remember is the slam of a screen
door. We were able to find a screen door company that builds
replicas of screen doors of days gone by. Who needs a doorbell
when you have a wooden screen door?
As you entered the restaurant you walked onto a wide
plank wood floor. The wide planks were grown and milled in
New England by the Carlisle family. Our floors are made from
old growth English Pine, the very same trees that the earliest
colonists used to build their homes as they settled in a new
country. In those early years each plank was used the way it
came off the timber, thus the varied widths of boards. As this
floor was installed, we all saw the history evolve out of the
wood with every coat of finish.
Like those early colonists, the farmers of Iowa used every
natural resource that was available. Iowa had trees and lots
of stone. We incorporated the stone that farmers fondly refer
to as “field stone” into the fireplace in the “Keeping Room”
and the walls in “The Cider House” lounge. The mortar of
old barns and farmhouses was made from limestone, and, in
keeping with the tradition of those times, we kept the mortar
flush with the stone.
While there was mortar for the stone, in the early homes
there was yet to be plaster for walls and ceilings. Wood shiplap
and paneling was used with exposed beams. The wood was
then whitewashed to lighten dark rooms. The ceiling of “the
Keeping Room” reflects this tradition. It wasn’t till the 19th
century that the lath and plaster became common. The early
plaster was made of lime, sand, and animal hair as the binder,
making for a rough textured plaster.
Throughout our building you will see small details that
we incorporated to preserve a little piece of history. When
designing this building, our goal was to create a part of the
past that we feel is disappearing from Iowa’s countryside. With
the help of family, friends, and our general contractor, Steve
Bitterman, we were able to fulfill our vision. For those who
were lucky enough to grow up in a farmhouse and to those
who never had the opportunity to walk through that screen
door ... “Welcome Home!”
- Tom & Kay King
