Manning is a little German town plopped right in the middle of Iowa.
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| Manning's authentic hausbarn from 1660. |
Residents have embraced their German heritage since Schleswig-Holstein immigrants founded the community in 1881. The best reason to go to Manning is to visit the German hausbarn and homestead.
Located just south of Hwy. 141 in Manning, the Manning Heritage Park features the authentic German hausbarn built in 1660. A hausbarn in a unique structure that consists of living quarters (bedrooms, living, dining, and cooking areas) and also areas for housing livestock, farm equipment, and feed.
The Manning hausbarn came from northern Germany. It arrived in Manning in September 1996 to be reassembled/reconstructed with the assistance of German carpenters. (Check out the website for interesting construction details.) The building includes brick masonry outer walls, heavy timber support structures, brick interior walls, and a thatched roof. The roof is the most interesting part, given that it contains 20 tons of reeds. Three professional thatchers actually came from Germany to assemble the roof. (Who even knew there was such a thing as a professional thatcher?) All this work took several years to complete, and the hausbarn was dedicated in August 2000.
The result is a truly magnificent barn worthy of a trip to Manning (and a $6 admission fee) to see. In addition to the hausbarn, there’s also a 1910-ish historic farm site – the Leet/Hassler Farmstead – consisting of a Craftsman-style house, carriage house, barn, boar house, chicken house, and corncrib. All are in wonderful condition, and the park setting is shady and well maintained.
Last stop is the Trinity Church, a 100-year-old Lutheran church on a hill above the hausbarn and farmstead. Built in 1913, the Manning Heritage Foundation moved the church in 2006 to the park from its original site nine miles south of Manning. It’s available for weddings and other special events.
After touring the historic sites, head into Downtown Manning. Main Street is wide and tidy, with plenty of free parking, shops, and nice German architecture.
Before leaving Manning, you have one more stop to make. Take the time to see the John Deere mosaic created by Iowa State University alumnus Clint Hansen. As a traveler hurrying down Hwy. 141, it would be easy to drive right on by the John Deere dealership and think that the artwork is nothing more than a vinyl banner or painting – but don’t. Stop your car, get out, and look closely. The artwork is called “Transitions,” and its four panels tell the story of the evolution of John Deere tractors. This glass mosaic is a tremendous work of art and just one more reason to visit Manning, Iowa.
Before leaving Manning, you have one more stop to make. Take the time to see the John Deere mosaic created by Iowa State University alumnus Clint Hansen. As a traveler hurrying down Hwy. 141, it would be easy to drive right on by the John Deere dealership and think that the artwork is nothing more than a vinyl banner or painting – but don’t. Stop your car, get out, and look closely. The artwork is called “Transitions,” and its four panels tell the story of the evolution of John Deere tractors. This glass mosaic is a tremendous work of art and just one more reason to visit Manning, Iowa.
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