Farm No. 1, Iowa Men's Reformatory

Farm No. 1, also known as the West Farm, is a historic site located west of Anamosa, Iowa, recognized for its significance in the development of prison farming in the early 20th century. Established in 1872, the site originally encompassed 61 acres and evolved into a substantial agricultural operation by the 1910s, with prisoners cultivating a variety of crops and raising livestock. The historic district, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992, features stone buildings constructed between 1912 and 1939 in a simplified Romanesque Revival style. Visitors can explore the remnants of this unique agricultural history, which reflects the changing practices of prison labor and self-sufficiency over the decades.