Franz Thiede, who owned and operated a brick plant here for many years, built this large brick residence in 1890. The 14-room house at 520 N. 2nd St. has changed little since it was built and today is owned by a son, Frank Thiede and the estate of the late Elma Thiede.

The house occupies the back portion of a lot that has a frontage of 160 feet on Second Street and extends back 230 feet. The first floor of the large, sturdy residence has a hall, parlor, living room, dining room, sunroom, kitchen, bedroom and bath. On the second floor are six bedrooms.

Rooms on the first floor have 10½ foot ceilings and woodwork throughout the house was cut from native lumber. The hall and parlor have walnut woodwork as does the stairway to the second floor. Other rooms have oak woodwork and oak floors. Doors and woodwork in the house shine with the original varnish applied in 1890.

Thiede was born in Germany and studied masonry and architectural work there. He came to the U.S. in 1858 and at the age of 21 arrived in Fort Dodge and began masonry work. In 1883 he and Charles Heileman organized a brick manufacturing company and built a plant near the east end of the Hawkeye Avenue bridge over the Des Moines River.

The plant operated under the name of Thiede & Heileman until Heileman’s death in 1895. In the spring of 1896 the company was reorganized under the name of Thiede & Company. Later the name was changed to the Fort Dodge Brick & Tile Company and continued under this name until the plant was sold in 1922.

The company manufactured a high grade paving, building and sidewalk brick and blocks as well as drain tile. One of the firm’s specialties was a fine quality white pressed brick used in many homes and business buildings here. Much of the brick used in paving streets in the city in the early days came from the Thiede plant.

Thiede erected several downtown buildings, also houses, and had a part in the building of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. After a long and successful business career in the city, he died in 1925 at age 88.