rollins mansion

It's hard to know what the fate will be of a grand old home like this. The Rollins Mansion in Des Moines, Iowa is an 82-year-old English Tudor built in 1925-27 by Ralph Rollins, owner of Rollins Hosiery Mills. Rollins and cosmetics maker Carl Weeks, who built another Des Moines home, the Salisbury House, were fascinated by English architecture. Both homes were designed by local architects Byron Boyd and Herbert Moore, and both are on the National Register of Historic Places.

In December the Des Moines Register reported that Hubbell Realty became the fifth owner of the mansion. The company bought the home for $1.75 million as part of a 2007 in which Hubbell agreed to buy properties owned by developer Lloyd Clarke's holding company.

The nearly 12,000 square foot home is on 1.86 acres and can be used as either a commercial property or a home. The property reportedly includes 16th century ship beams and ceiling beams from the inn where William Shakespeare performed as well as stained glass designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Rollins sold the home in 1931 to the estate of Meredith Corp. founder, E.T. Meredith. Meredith's daughter, Mildred, and her husband owned the home until the 1970s when it was sold to a local lawyer who used it as office space. He sold it in 1995 to the Clarke Companies which added 5,300 square feet of contemporary office space but also rented it out for weddings and other events.

It's a well-crafted home but it's hard to say what will happen to it next. Whoever acquires it has the onus of preserving as much of its historic structure as possible while still making it livable. One thing is for certain, Hubbell Realty isn't making any money on the deal, this estate is listed at $1.7 million.