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Herbert Hoover National Historic Site A small white cottage as seen through tall green corn stalks.
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Herbert Hoover

Born in a two-room cottage, Herbert Hoover could have been any small town boy. Orphaned at age nine, he left West Branch, never to live here again. The landscape and buildings of the early years remain, however, to tell how family, faith, education, and hard work opened a world of opportunity-even the presidency of the United States-to a child of simple beginnings.
 

Birthplace of Herbert Hoover

Herbert Hoover called the cottage where he was born in 1874 "physical proof of the unbounded opportunity of American life." Today the Birthplace Cottage, along with other historic buildings associated with his early childhood in West Branch, is the centerpiece of Herbert Hoover National Historic Site.


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Presidential Library and Museum

The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum is one of twelve presidential libraries operated by the National Archives. The papers of President Hoover and Lou Henry Hoover are among those housed in the library archives. Museum exhibits tell the story of President Hoover's life and career.


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Gravesite of President and Mrs. Hoover

Herbert and Lou Henry Hoover are buried on a hillside overlooking the president's birthplace. The landscape of the National Historic Site celebrates and commemorates Herbert Hoover's accomplishments and ideals.


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Tallgrass Prairie

Walking trails loop through this 81-acre sea of tall grasses and spectacular flowers. The reconstructed prairie is a memorial to President Hoover's love of the outdoors where visitors can connect with Iowa's lost landscapes.


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Write to

Herbert Hoover NHS
P. O. Box 607
West Branch, IA 52358-0607

E-mail Us

Phone

Visitor Information
(319) 643-2541

Teletypewriter for the Deaf (TTY)
(319) 643-2594

Fax

(319) 643-7863

Climate

Summers are hot and humid, spring and fall are mild with moderate temperatures, winters can be cold and snowy. Dress for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes. Walkways may be slippery in wet or freezing weather.
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Rows of wooden pupils' desks.

Did You Know?
The West Branch Schoolhouse was built in 1853 making it the oldest building at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site. The town's Quakers also used the one-room building as their first meetinghouse.
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Last Updated: December 14, 2011 at 13:54 MST

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