The B.J. and Mabel Palmer Residence is located on the campus of Palmer College of Chiropractic and has a special place in Davenport history. The house, actually a mansion, was built in 1874 in the Second Empire style for Louis C. Dessaint, a local lumber mill owner. B.J. Palmer, who is considered a father of the chiropractic practice, bought it in 1912 for the School of Chiropractic. The mansion also held the radio station that became WOC. The house has an unusual wrap-around porch and contains a strange collection of unrelated objects such as an Aeolian pipe organ, the trunk and branches of four oak trees, wicker furniture from a Philippine prison, a humidor made out of elephants’ feet, a kangaroo from Australia, and much more – these are only a part of the original collection the Palmer family gathered during their travels. The house has been registered on the National Register of Historic Places. The first floor of the house is open to tours.

808 Brady St, Davenport, IA 52803, Phone: 563-884-5714

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