The Story Behind This House In Nebraska Is Incredibly Unique
By Delana Lefevers|Published August 23, 2016
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Delana Lefevers
Author
As a lifelong Nebraskan, Delana loves discovering the many hidden treasures of her state. She has worked as a writer and editor since 2007. Delana's work has been featured on more than a dozen websites and in Nebraska Life Magazine.
When Nebraska pioneers began putting down roots in the area, they found a dearth of materials with which to work. The largely treeless prairie didn’t provide the wood needed to build traditional frame buildings, so the settlers had to get creative with their building materials. For many, that meant using plows to cut up long strips of sod and slicing them into brick-shaped pieces, then using those earthen bricks to build their homes. Most of the original soddies in Nebraska have since been reclaimed by the earth, but this one is still standing strong.
Contrary to popular belief, sod houses weren't simply shacks made of mud. The Dowse Sod House in Custer County - about 10 miles outside of Comstock - is an excellent example of how long-lasting and complex sod houses could be. It was built in 1900 and continuously occupied until 1959. During that time, many improvements and additions were made.
The Dowse house is an amazingly well-preserved example of sod house living in Nebraska. As one of few surviving original structures, it allows us to look back in time at how early Nebraskans made use of the materials available to them on the prairie.
To build a soddy, bricks were laid in a staggered pattern up to the desired height. The complex prairie grass root system in the dirt helped to hold the bricks together. The choice of roofing depended on the time, resources, and preferences of the builder. Many simply used more sod. The Dowse house used a pitched wood shingle roof.
The house underwent many changes and improvements in its decades of occupation. When it became available, electrical service was wired in, but an indoor plumbing system was never added. A wood floor was installed over the existing interior dirt floor at some point. In 1935, the exterior walls were fortified with concrete to stop erosion of the sod. Here you can see the upper portion of the wall that was protected by the roof eaves and therefore did not need to be covered with concrete.
Materials such as windows and doors were typically purchased from towns. Comstock is nearby and would have had such objects available to purchase. The Dowse house has plastered interior walls, a feature that helped to make the house more durable and protect against insects and vermin.
After the last of the Dowse family left the home in 1959, it stood empty for many years and was left at the mercy of the elements. In 1981, descendants of the original occupants decided to restore the house to its former state. They repaired the home and furnished it with pioneer-era objects like furniture, decor, and a cast iron stove.
In 1982, the house opened as a museum. The original grasshopper plow used to cut the sod bricks was put on display. Today, the Dowse Sod House is the best surviving example of an original pioneer sod home in Nebraska.
The Dowse House is now a popular tourist destination, particularly for history buffs who want to see what life was like before modern conveniences took over our lives. You can find it at 80560 Oak Grove Rd, Comstock, NE. There is no admission fee to tour the house; call ahead for guided tours or information: 308-628 4370 or 308-628-4231.
Want to see some more historic houses in Nebraska? We’ve got 15 of them right here.
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