Notice the six buildings ahead — five collegiate buildings and one church complex — anchoring the southeast corner of Drake University's campus. This is not a single building but a compact ensemble: six buildings in all, five collegiate buildings tied to the university and one church complex. The district’s story is framed by a clear period of significance, from the university’s founding in 1881 to the end of Hill M. Bell’s presidency in 1918, a stretch that reflects the school’s early development.
These academic buildings and the church speak to the role the Disciples of Christ played in establishing and shaping the university and to how the school and church together helped develop this part of Des Moines. They also relate to General Francis Marion Drake, who founded the school and was its major benefactor in its early years, and to the progressive period under Hill M. Bell. Recognized for that concentrated history, the district has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1988 and is part of the Drake University and Related Properties in Des Moines, Iowa, 1881—1918 MPS.
Picture those six buildings—five collegiate halls and one church—still anchoring this corner of Drake's campus.