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An excerpt from: An American Parody
(American Gothic House [Site of "American Gothic" by Grant Wood], Eldon, Iowa)

During a trip to Eldon, Iowa, in 1930, Grant Wood was being driven around town by local artist, John Sharp when he spotted the house with the church window that would someday be part of “American Gothic.” He got out of the car, pulled out an envelope and began sketching the house. Wood said he wanted to paint the people he imagined lived in a house with such a window.

Wood used the sketch from the house as the background for the painting and later painted his sister Nan and his dentist, Dr. B. H. McKeeby, as the stand-ins for the home’s owners.

It is unknown why the gothic window, a fixture most appropriate for a church, was put in the house. Some speculate that the family saw the window as a small luxury to add to their decor.

As a longtime Eldon resident, Donna Jeffrey grew up near the American Gothic House, which had no formal marking until the Center was built. She assisted with fundraising projects and grant writing. Jeffrey volunteers at the Center on a regular basis.

“When I was a kid, my grandmother lived down the lane behind the house, and we would walk from our home to my grandma’s, and my mom and dad would always say, ‘that house is in the background of a famous painting’,” Jeffrey said. “People here in Eldon just grew up knowing that."

To read more, visit http://detoursmagazine.com/summer-2010/49-destinations/128-american-parody