Sturdevant Historical House

The Sturdevant House is a working museum and with artifacts we have found already in the 1855-56 house. The Sturdevants were one of several founding families of Waverly and the house is located on historical First Street S.W., formerly Water Street, in which many historical sites have been identified already including the RI RR Depot, Farmers Exchange Building and Co-op.

In 1852 William and Lafayette Sturdevant and his younger brother LaFayette, came to Iowa from their home in Illinois to scout out a place to use Ira’s War of 1812 Bounty and Claim for land. The men worked for a time near Quasqueton-Buchanan County, working on the prairie land. Nearby Indians had talked about the beautiful valley on the Cedar River, several miles above Independence, Iowa; so the Sturdevant Brothers set out to find this mecca. -They traveled through the Big Woods section of Bremer County coming out on a knoll on the Eastern side of Waverly, overlooking the Cedar River with a beautiful sight of waving grass and prairie flowers, wooded areas and the beautiful river before them, today known as Lover’s Lane or Cedar Lane Road; where there is currently a tucked away park. It made an impression on them. So they returned home to tell their families with the hopes of settling in Waverly soon after. And the next year they did just that. Building cabins in the now rural area of Waverly.-In the Spring of 1854 William Sturdevant and his brother LaFayette, brought their family to Waverly and that Fall, their father Ira, his wife Asenath, and their family, joined them. -In December of that year LaFayette and Sarah Ogden became the 12th couple to be married in Bremer County. The Ogden Family were also early settlers of Waverly.-As the “village” of Waverly was just starting, Ira entered a homestead of 40 acres in the city limits, calling in his claim for his war service. Here he had a small working farm, a carriage house barn, and one can only imagine, a garden, fruit trees, outhouse, cistern, and more. His elder son William bought 80 acres, Both men “allowed” the city to later make streets and alleys within the acres platting out what are still to this day, the SW neighborhoods of Waverly. This is still known as the Ira Sturdevant addition, in SW Waverly, from the river to the East side of 4th St. or old highway 218 and the William Sturdevant addition, the land is now SW Waverly on the Western side of 4th St. or old highway 218. William also built the first bridge over the Cedar River for crossing from West to the East side of Waverly, but it was lost in a flood the following year.

-Ira built the old brick house at 502 First St. SW (then known as Water Street) in 1855-56. Rough measurements of the layout and family history back up this construction date, with an addition put on several years after that. Family and Waverly History states that the Indians knew they had a friend in the Sturdevant Family, and would often, when traveling North, stop at the Ira and Asenath Sturdevant House for a place to sleep at night in front of the hearth and a warm breakfast the next morning, before crossing the river or the ford, that was not far from Ira’s house, to proceed North. That fireplace still exists in the house -The Sturdevant Historical House is proud to present educational and hands-on learning activities for the community. Tour the house, watch for the make and take events planned at the house, and see what Pioneer life was like in 1850's Waverly. 

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