Letovsky-Rohret House
The house is associated with two immigrant families. Bonhumil Barta Letovsky, who had the house built, was born in present-day Czech Republic. His father helped found the first Czech language newspaper in the United States, Slovan Amerikansky, in Wisconsin. After they settled in Iowa City they established Iowa's first Czech newspaper, Slovan Americky. After the family relocated to Cedar Rapids, Iowa with its larger Czech community, the house was bought by Mary H. Rohret in 1891. Her husband Peter was a native of Bavaria and was known for his ax skills. While he worked most of his life as a farmer, Rohret is thought to have helped build the Old Capitol in Iowa City in his youth. He was also involved in local politics. The Rohrets lived here until their respective deaths in 1914 (Peter) and 1918 (Mary). The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ Ralph J. Christian. "Letovsky-Rohret House". National Park Service. Retrieved 2017-05-24. with photo(s)