• Pink flowers blossom in the garden of a white two-room cottage.

    Herbert Hoover

    National Historic Site Iowa

P.T. Smith House

A green two story house with white trim and a porch.

P.T. Smith's family lived next door to the Hoover family's second home.

NPS Photo

The P.T. Smith House is the only house that Herbert Hoover remembered when he visited West Branch many years later. While living in the House of Maples, the Hoover children and Smith children were playmates. Their homes stood at the base of Cook's Hill, a favorite winter sledding spot. Hoover recalled:

"That was a great long hill where on winters’ nights, to satisfy our human craving for speed, we slid down at terrific pace with our tummies tight to home-made sleds."

 

Take a Virtual Tour

This is a stop on the virtual tour of Herbert Hoover National Historic Site.

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Did You Know?

Black and white photo of Herbert Hoover in retirement.

In Herbert Hoover’s 31-year retirement from the presidency he never had any Secret Service protection. Not until 1965, one year after Hoover died, was lifetime Secret Service protection awarded to ex-presidents. More...