The City of Des Moines plans to demolish two deteriorating, historic buildings – the Founder’s Lodge and Caretaker’s Residence – at Des Moines Beach Park, where the city says their condition poses a safety risk.
The Founder’s Lodge was built in 1967, and the Caretaker’s Residence dates to the 1980s. Both have deteriorated significantly and continue to draw vandalism and unauthorized entry, according to City Manager Katherine Caffrey’s Nov. 13, 2026 report.
The buildings stand among the park’s historic structures, though neither has a historic designation, the report said. Once the buildings are removed, the city plans to return the sites to natural park space, eliminating the need to keep maintaining the two buildings.
The records show that Founder’s Lodge was built for gatherings and overnight stays at Covenant Beach Bible Camp, while the Caretaker’s Residence was built after the city bought the property for a public park.
“While these buildings are located among the park’s treasured historic structures, neither is a designated historic building,” Caffrey said in her report. “The removal project will improve safety, eliminate ongoing maintenance concerns, and make way for the areas to be returned to natural park space.”
The park will stay open during the work, though visitors may find some areas temporarily restricted.
Founder’s Lodge
The city’s landmark inventory describes a two-story Founder’s Lodge beside the Dining Hall’s former coffeehouse. It has a large gathering room, along with smaller meeting rooms and offices. It was the first camp building with a heating system designed for use throughout the year, allowing the camp to offer lodging and meeting space beyond the summer season.
After the city bought the camp property in 1986, the lodge and Dining Hall housed the Des Moines Senior Center. Keith Noess, the first president of the Des Moines Legacy Foundation, recalled that flooding from Des Moines Creek badly damaged the buildings and forced senior services to move temporarily to the Masonic Lodge on South 223rd Street (which will also likely be demolished soon).
The city manager’s report dates the lodge to 1967, the landmark inventory says 1969, and the city’s 2014 capital improvement plan lists 1970. The city’s Oct. 30 demolition filing says the vacant lodge sits on pilings over Des Moines Creek. The city plans to leave the pilings in place during demolition and pursue further permitting and environmental review in 2027 for their removal and creek restoration.
Caretaker’s Residence
The landmark inventory dates the Caretaker’s Residence to the 1980s and says the city built it as a caretaker’s home after acquiring the property in 1986. It describes a single-story wood building with an L-shaped floor plan and a recessed porch. The inventory treats it as a separate building from the nearby Carlson Cottage, which dates to about 1935.
The inventory classifies both buildings as noncontributing structures within the historic district because they were built after 1957, the end of the district’s period of historic significance.
Photos courtesy City of Des Moines.
