# National Biscuit Company Building

Des Moines, IA · industrial · tier: draft · Retrofit Atlas record `n-c7799c3d90` · release 2026-10-21

Canonical: https://retrofitatlas.org/industrial/ia/des-moines-national-biscuit-company-building/  
JSON: https://retrofitatlas.org/data/records/n-c7799c3d90.json · Provenance: https://retrofitatlas.org/data/records/n-c7799c3d90.provenance.json · API: https://retrofitatlas.org/api/v1/sites/n-c7799c3d90

## Facts

| Field | Value | Provenance |
|---|---|---|
| Status | built | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Strategy | redevelop, reinhabit | none |
| New use | housing | none |
| What is there now | 54-unit apartment building | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Opened | 1906 | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Retrofit year | 1995 | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Original developer | National Biscuit Company | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |

## Anchors

National Biscuit Company, Boyt Harness Company, Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, Look magazine, Carpenter's Local #106

## Timeline

- 1906: Building built
- 1906: Opened
- 1940: Original tenant ceased use
- 1981: Acquired by Carpenter's Local #106
- 1995: Converted into apartment building
- 1995: Retrofit: redevelop, reinhabit
- 2004: Listed on National Register of Historic Places

## Background (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened)

The National Biscuit Company Building, also known as National Biscuit Company Flats, is a historic building located in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, United States.  The heavy timber and masonry building was built in 1906.  Only half of the planned building was completed, and the north half of the property was later sold.  It initially served as a production and distribution facility for the National Biscuit Company.  Architect William F. Wilmouth, who designed the company's buildings, is presumed to be the architect of this four-story Neoclassical building.  Benson & Marxer served as the contractors.  Des Moines was the third largest sales territory for the company.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Biscuit_Company_Building_(Des_Moines,_Iowa)

## Sources

- National Biscuit Company Building (Des Moines, Iowa) — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Biscuit_Company_Building_(Des_Moines,_Iowa)

## Cite

Retrofit Atlas (2026). "National Biscuit Company Building, Des Moines, IA." Record n-c7799c3d90, release 2026-10-21, tier draft. https://retrofitatlas.org/industrial/ia/des-moines-national-biscuit-company-building/ (accessed 2026-10-21).

```bibtex
@misc{retrofitatlas_desmoinesnationalbiscuitcompanybuilding,
  title = {National Biscuit Company Building, Des Moines, IA},
  author = {{Retrofit Atlas}},
  howpublished = {\url{https://retrofitatlas.org/industrial/ia/des-moines-national-biscuit-company-building/}},
  year = {2026},
  note = {Record n-c7799c3d90, release 2026-10-21, tier: draft. Built on the Retrofitting Suburbia map (Dunham-Jones and Williamson) and the sources listed on the record. Accessed 2026-10-21}
}
```

Licence: research use only; terms undecided with the authors (https://retrofitatlas.org/licence/). Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0. Tiers: curated = from the authors' public map, not reviewed by them; draft = imported or model-extracted, unreviewed.