The Allee Mansion

The Allee Mansion, built in 1891, is a three story Victorian Mansion painted in a true Victorian color scheme. The exterior details include a turret with fish scale patterns, three porches, flower gardens and a gazebo. Interior decor furniture is of the late 1800ss with each room restored with Victorian patterns, chandeliers, and displays of fine china. There is an open staircase, pocket oak doors and butlers closet. Guided tours include hands on demonstrations of a pump organ, Victrola, pedal sewing machine and hand crank corn sheller. Student tours are entitled "Life without electricity" as students and teachers are show how early Victorians worked and played. The Newell Historical Society manages the mansion and the web site is newellhistorical.org for more information. The Allee Mansion if located on the Iowa State University Demonstration Farm one mile south of Newell, IA. George Allee was an early developer of inbred corn into hybrid varieties and first president of the Iowa Small Grain Association which is now the Iowa Corn Board. He is noted to prefect the "yield test"; now used throughout the world.