The Underground

This extra-large one bedroom unit is in the restored basement of an 1898 Richardson-Romanesque bank building on State Center's Main Street. Incorporating a modern aesthetic with original stone masonry walls, it is an unexpected treat in the quaint town's "Remarkable Row" of turn-of-the-century storefront buildings. The space I doubt there is another unit nearby to compare this to, with its combination of modern aesthetic and beautiful original stone masonry. As a former resident who visits frequently, I created this unit because I wanted to stay close to friends and family IN the town of State Center as opposed to the nearest hotels in towns many miles away. Once the unit was complete, I received numerous requests to rent the unit from others with connections to State Center who also preferred to stay IN the town, and the B&B was born. Most guests have a tie to the town, though we've had numerous others brought to the area for business in Marshalltown to the east, Ames/Iowa State University to the west, and Des Moines 45 miles southwest. And now that we've joined AirBnB, we've had a huge variety of people come through, some to hike or fish in local parks, some traveling cross-country and many just curious to explore what a small midwest farming community is like. The location allows one to be immersed in the charm and rhythm of rural small-town life in this friendly, busy village. Guest access Guests have access to the entire apartment unit as well as an area with a washer and dryer which are shared with the three other units in the building. While we are only set up to sleep four, an additional child could be put on the small sofa, and there is ample floor space if guests wanted to bring an inflatable mattress of their own. This unit is in the heart of our small downtown historic district. Within a few blocks are the following; 1. Two restaurants, one pizza and broasted chicken, another with sandwiches/burgers/salads/general fare. 2. A coffee shop. 3. A grocery store. 4. Retail shops, including women's apparel and antiques. 5. A local butcher with retail meats. 6. A bar. 7. A fitness center. 8. A Post Office. 9. A bank with ATM. 10. A historic one-room school. 11. A preserved grocery store museum. 12. A restored historic train station and train viewing platform. 13. Beauty shops. 14. Barber shop. 15. Laundromat. Within six blocks are; 1. Another antique store. 2. A historic house library with free internet/computer access and small playground. 3. The public Rose Garden. 4. Several churches and many historic houses. Take your time and enjoy looking the town over. Other things to note This building is part of State Center's "Remarkable Row", said to be the longest contiguous row of turn-of-the-century storefronts left standing in the state. The past 10 years has seen the majority of these old buildings receive extensive restoration to their original appearance. In the late 1800's, the entire city block of then-wooden structures burned, with the exception of one wooden structure still standing at the far west end of the "Remarkable Row". As a result, the city mandated brick for rebuilding, resulting in the "Remarkable Row" seen today. One of the most interesting aspects of the unit is the exposed stone masonry, and if one looks closely at the western living area wall, it is possible to see a change in the type of masonry where the bottom of the stone foundation from the original burned building on this site was re-used for this newer building, with newer masonry completing the top 2/3 of the wall. The other masonry exposed in the kitchen/bedroom/bath areas was the foundation for a large iron vault which used to sit on the main floor of the bank. The harsh Midwest climate precludes exposing any of the exterior masonry to the north or east. This bank eventually merged with the local bank across the street, whose original building is still standing, and that local bank still operates across the street today from their expanded facilities. Subsequent to housing a bank, the building housed for many years the local doctor's office, and at times has housed various retail ventures, the newspaper office, a real estate office and a dental office.