Heritage Village

One‑Room School

The one‑room school stands at the heart of the village, a simple wooden structure with tall windows and a bell tower perched above the entrance. Inside, rows of wooden desks face a slate chalkboard. A potbelly stove sits in the corner, once the only source of heat during Iowa winters. Students of all ages would have gathered here, learning reading, arithmetic, penmanship, and moral lessons under the guidance of a single teacher.

General Store

The general store is stocked floor to ceiling with dry goods, tools, bolts of fabric, penny candy, and farming essentials. A long wooden counter displays scales, tins, and a hand‑cranked cash register. This was the social hub of the community — a place to trade news, pick up mail, and purchase everything from lamp oil to licorice.

Log Cabin

The log cabin represents the earliest settler homes: hand‑hewn logs, chinking between the seams, and a stone hearth that served as both kitchen and heater. Inside, visitors find rope beds, a simple table, cast‑iron cookware, and handmade tools — a testament to the resourcefulness of pioneer families.

Small wooden chapel with a steeple and cross, with large bells on stands outside

Pioneer Church

The pioneer church nestled withing Heritage Village reflects the simple architecture and steadfast values of early rural Warren County congregations. Inside, hymnals, Bibles, communion pieces, and other artifacts offer a quiet glimpse into the spiritual life of the county’s earliest settlers.

Interior of a rustic chapel with wooden pews, wide plank floors, a wood stove, and an open Bible on a pulpit

Interior of a simple chapel with wooden pews, a lectern with an open Bible, and stained glass windows

Meeting House

The Quaker meeting house reveals the plain design and enduring principles of the Society of Friends who settled early in the region. Within its unadorned walls, simple benches and an open gathering space recall a tradition of worship rooted in silence, reflection, and the shared search for spiritual truth.

Interior of a historic room with wooden pews and a central cast-iron wood-burning stove

Interior of a simple room with wooden pews and a wood-burning stove in the center

South River Meeting House, a small white building with a wooden ramp and a sign in front

Machine Shed

The machine shed houses an impressive collection of early farm equipment: horse‑drawn plows, threshers, seeders. Each machine transformed farm labor, increasing productivity and shaping the agricultural landscape of the Midwest.

Vintage green and yellow John Deere Model B tractor with steel wheels in a barn full of antique farm equipment

Ornate black horse-drawn hearse with glass side panels and large wooden-spoked wheels

George Washington Carver Museum

George Washington Carver attended Simpson College from 1890-1891. Our museum is built around the dwelling where he lived. Surrounding exhibits highlight the life of this scientist and innovator who integrated faith, education, and intellect towards improving the lives of others.

Wooden sculpture of a peanut plant with GW CARVER carved into it, outside the Carver Museum