Born in 1827, Hoyt Sherman was the youngest son of eleven children. His family included older brothers, John Sherman, the writer of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, and Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman.
Hoyt Sherman arrived in Des Moines in 1848, and shortly thereafter, he was appointed Postmaster. He built the first post office and bank, served on the town council, and was very involved in local and state politics. In 1850, Hoyt purchased five acres of land for $105. At the start of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln appointed him the Army Paymaster, with the rank of Major.
Upon his return, Hoyt teamed up with others and created Equitable of Iowa Insurance Company. During this time, he also gave his counsel, his time, and his money to ensure Des Moines had schools, including a college, a waterworks system, and many more facilities.
In 1877, the Sherman family home was completed with the help of architect William Foster. Almost immediately, it was noted in writings to be, “a society showplace of the grandest scale.” Among its distinguished guests in history were General William T. Sherman, General Grant, General Sheridan, and Major McKinley.
Sherman and his wife, Sara, raised five children, Frank, Addie, Charles, Arthur, and Helen, in the home. Major Hoyt Sherman passed away in January 1904, and his estate transferred to his heirs. They later gifted the entire estate to the city of Des Moines, with the caveat that it forever be called Hoyt Sherman Place.
In 1893, Hoyt Sherman rented his home to The Sisters of Mercy from Davenport, Iowa. Within the walls of the home, the Sisters created the first Mercy Hospital. It held 52 beds and operated for nearly two years.
Hoyt Sherman Place stood empty after Hoyt Sherman’s death until 1907, when members of the Des Moines Women’s Club leased the home from the city for $1 per year.
Des Moines Women’s Club, founded in 1885, built a gallery adjacent to the mansion. The space became the first public art museum in Des Moines.
Hoyt Sherman Place is still home to the Des Moines Women’s Club, which meets every Wednesday from October through May. For more information, visit their website.
Des Moines Women’s Club, always active in the community, invited many guest speakers to Hoyt Sherman Place to entertain and educate. They began raising funds for the construction of a 1,400-seat theater in 1917. When the United States entered WWI that same year, all plans were put on hold. Construction of the theater began in 1922. Des Moines Women’s Club also began construction of a second gallery called the Byers Room to house the art collection presented to them by Major S.H.M. and Margaret Byers in 1912. Major Byers served under and became a close friend of Hoyt Sherman’s brother, General William T. Sherman.
The 1,400-seat theater was completed. Many luminaries came to Hoyt Sherman Place to entertain. In its first two decades, honored speakers and performers included Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan (1925), Will Rogers (1925), John Philip Sousa (1925), Amelia Earhart (1933), Edna St. Vincent Millay (1938), Grant Wood (1939), and Agnes de Mille (1940).
Hoyt Sherman Place was listed on The National Register of Historic Places, a designation given to significant buildings in American history deemed worthy of preservation.
Hoyt Sherman Place Foundation was formed to preserve and enhance the 1877 landmark. The Foundation’s mission is to create outstanding experiences for the cultural, historical, and educational benefit of Iowa’s residents and communities.
A $4.7 million-dollar restoration project was completed to restore the spaces to their original grandeur. Additional enhancements include air conditioning, state-of-the-art lighting, 1,252 refurbished historical seats in the theater, and interior upgrades in the art gallery.
Restoration efforts continued as all floors on the main level of the mansion and stairway were restored to their original luster, and the faded and damaged stenciling on the stairway walls was recreated.
Hoyt Sherman Place was inducted into the Iowa Rock ’n’ Roll Music Association Hall of Fame for its continued excellence in providing a beautiful venue in which musicians can perform and for its rich history of presenting music to the masses.
The Hoyt Sherman Place: The Next 100 Years Capital Campaign successfully raised $5 million to build the Center for Artists and Education, which includes rehearsal and classroom spaces, accessible dressing rooms, a wardrobe room, a green room, private meeting spaces, and an administrative office suite. The project also added a VIP donor lounge to the theater mezzanine level, and the new east wing created lobby space for lawn events and included additional public restrooms.
The mansion’s second floor was restored, including Hoyt and Sara’s bedroom and a room dedicated to the memory of their daughter, Helen Sherman Griffith. The rooms include period-appropriate lighting fixtures, original paint colors, flooring, and décor. In addition to the second-floor restoration, a mobility-impaired lift has been added to allow all visitors access to the second floor. A Research and Archive Library was also created to view special documents.
Hoyt Sherman Place Theater celebrates its 100th anniversary season.
Des Moines Women’s Club and Hoyt Sherman Place Foundation work together to keep this historic landmark alive with concerts, art exhibits, tours, weddings, and other events. For more than 100 years, Hoyt Sherman Place has been part of the community and will be for the next 100.
The Des Moines Women’s Club (DMWC), founded in 1885, created the first art collection in the city of Des Moines, one of the earliest and most distinctive in Iowa. It focuses mainly on the art and patronage patterns of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including works by Iowa artists. DMWC founders decided to establish and fund a collection that could be viewed by the public.
Its first purchase was a bronze statue of Joan of Arc exhibited at the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893, a sculpture still on display at Hoyt Sherman Place. The collection continued to grow and found its permanent home at Hoyt Sherman Place in 1907, becoming the first public art gallery in Des Moines.
In 1850, Hoyt Sherman purchased five acres of land for $105. The mansion was built in 1877 and is widely considered to be a “society showplace on the grandest scale.” It served as a home for Hoyt, his wife Sara Moulton, and their five children. Among its distinguished guests in history were General Sherman, General Grant, General Sheridan, and Major McKinley. When he died in 1904, Sherman’s estate was transferred to his heirs. They later gifted the entire estate to the city of Des Moines with the caveat that it would forever be called Hoyt Sherman Place.
The mansion is such a central part of the neighborhood that the surrounding district of Victorian homes is called Sherman Hill. Today, Hoyt Sherman Place is listed on The National Register of Historic Places, a designation given to significant buildings in American history deemed worthy of preservation.
In 2021, the mansion’s second floor was restored, including Hoyt and Sara’s bedroom and a room dedicated to the memory of their daughter, Helen Sherman Griffith. The rooms include period-appropriate lighting fixtures, original paint colors, flooring, and décor. Many of the pieces were donated by generous supporters who are interested in the history and preservation of Hoyt Sherman Place.
The Des Moines Women’s Club completed the theater in 1923 as a response to their growing membership. The first two decades after its completion, Hoyt Sherman Place hosted many honored speakers and performers, including Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan, Will Rogers, John Philip Sousa, Amelia Earhart, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Grant Wood.
Today, as soon as you step foot inside Hoyt Sherman Place Theater, you can feel that something special happens here. This extraordinary space offers unparalleled acoustics for both performers and audiences, and the opulent interior packs a dramatic visual punch. In the deep stillness of this acoustically rich space, listen closely and you will hear echoes of internationally renowned performers, legendary lecturers, top comedians, Grammy Award-winning musicians, and so much more.
The theater is large enough to create community but intimate enough to nurture personal connection. When the venue is not in use for a rehearsal or a performance, guests are invited to step inside and experience the full beauty of this vibrant space.
In 2020, the Center for Artists and Education was constructed on the north side of the theater, while preserving all historic integrity. The three-floor expansion includes backstage amenities, meeting spaces, administrative offices, and spectacular views.
