Hidden over in west central Iowa is a house unlike any other. What makes this house remarkable is that it was built in 1660, almost 200 years before Iowa even became a state.

The 350-year-old German Hausbarn, located in Manning, is a historic artifact that is now the pride and joy of the town.

Trip Advisor The hausbarn was originally built in Germany in 1660, then taken apart and reassembled in Manning in 1996. Due to border disputes, the house can boast that it stood in Austria, Prussia, Denmark and Germany before it came to call Iowa home.

In 17th century Germany, hausbarns were a common type of abode. One part of the house would be the living quarters for the family, and the other part of the house would act as a barn, where livestock and farm equipment would be kept.

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The hausbarn in Manning boasts bedrooms…

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… plus sitting, dining and cooking areas, as well as a barn area for housing livestock, farm equipment and feed.

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Of course, the historic hausbarn is no longer used as a residence by anyone, but it is open to the public for tours, and can be rented out for weddings.

Trip Advisor Visitors of the hausbarn often say that their relatives of German descent used to live in hausbarns just like this, and that it’s a remarkable thing to be able to see what life was like for them way back then.

For more information on the hausbarn, check out this video by Travel Iowa:

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The hausbarn was originally built in Germany in 1660, then taken apart and reassembled in Manning in 1996. Due to border disputes, the house can boast that it stood in Austria, Prussia, Denmark and Germany before it came to call Iowa home.

Visitors of the hausbarn often say that their relatives of German descent used to live in hausbarns just like this, and that it’s a remarkable thing to be able to see what life was like for them way back then.

So now you know, if you want to get a glimpse at what life was like during 17th century Germany, you don’t need a time machine or a magic portal, you just need a car to get you over to Manning, Iowa.

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