This stately country villa stands today as a living reflection of its wealthy builder, Mathias Ham.
This stately country villa stands today as a living reflection of its wealthy builder, Mathias Ham. One of Dubuque’s earliest entrepreneurs, Ham build his estate in 1856 with money from his successful lead mining endeavors.
Inside the home, elegant American and European furnishings exemplify the opulent Victorian lifestyle of a booming river town during the Antebellum period. John F. Rague designed this distinctive example of the Italian Villa style of architecture. As architect for the Old State Capitols of Illinois and Iowa, Rague’s buildings were known for their monumental scale and elegance.
Walk the grounds and discover Iowa’s oldest building, an 1833 settler’s log cabin, and visit an authentic one-room schoolhouse. Get a glimpse into life “At the Lead Mines”, stepping back to a time when Dubuque was at the center of a nationally significant lead mining phenomenon. People came from all over the country to mine lead. Living history demonstrators tell that dramatic story at the lead mine and “badger hole” (a lead miner’s dwelling) on the grounds of the Ham House.
