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Salisbury House was built in the 1920s by cosmetics magnate Carl Weeks and his wife Edith. The home was modeled after the King's House in Salisbury, England. The historic home contains authentic 16th-century English oak woodwork, English flintwork, and rafters that date back to the time of Shakespeare. Called a "national treasure," Salisbury house is graced with the family's original collection of original artworks, tapestries, and antique furnishings.
Timeline
The Armand Company Launches
1915
Carl Weeks established The Armand Company and sold its signature product - Cold Cream Powder. The product was, as the name suggests, a mixture of cold cream and face powder, creating a type of tinted lotion. This product was the first mass produced form of makeup foundation and was hypo-allergenic (rare for cosmetics of the period), making it a best-seller. By the 1920s, The Armand Company was an international brand with offices in Australia, Canada, France, Mexico, and the UK.
Time for an Upgrade & Inspiration Strikes
1922
With a sudden influx of cash, Carl and his wife Edith purchase approximately 12 acres of virgin woodland with plans to build a new home for themselves and their four boys. The initial plan was a Spanish style, inspired by Carl’s frequent trips to and love for the American southwest, with a budget of $150,000. However, in the later half of 1922 Carl and Edith would take a business trip to Europe. In Salisbury, England they saw King’s House and decided they instead wanted their new home to instead look like this historic structure.
Construction Begins
1923
March
Carl signs an agreement with local architectural firm, Boyd and Moore Architects, for the design and construction of Salisbury House. By this time, Edith’s brother, Paul Van Slyke, has agreed to oversee the project on behalf of Carl.
August
Carl pays for Byron Bennet Boyd (of Boyd and Moore) to take a trip to Salisbury, England to view King’s House and other buildings in the area. While Boyd was inspired by the trip, he returned the money to Carl as he didn’t find it productive enough.
September - December
Crews break ground on Salisbury House following Boyd and Moore’s original plans, starting with the west wing, cottage, and driveway. However, an additional architect based out of New York City, William Rasmussen, has been brought on to the project. Rasmussen visits the construction site in November and he and Paul enact significant changes, going so far as to have some completed construction torn down to be redone and going to the Boyd and Moore offices to redraw plans for the basement and cottage.
Over the next few years a back and forth would continue between Boyd and Moore, Rasmussen, and Carl Weeks. The plans would be changed so often that the architects gave up on redrawing the blueprints for every single change. Because of this, there are no final and accurate blueprints of Salisbury House.
Moving in & Carl's 50th
1926
Carl, Edith, and their sons moved into Salisbury House at the end of 1926, just in time for Carl’s 50th birthday party. By this point, the majority of construction was over and most of the art and furniture collected for the home had been acquired.
Salisbury House is Complete
1928
The full project (construction and art/furniture collecting) was completed in 1928. Once done, Salisbury House was 42 rooms; 28,000 square feet; and cost $3,000,000 with cost breaking down to an even split between construction and furnishings.
$3,000,000 in 1928 is roughly the equivalent of $55,000,000 today.
$3,000,000 in 1928 is roughly the equivalent of $55,000,000 today.
Salisbury House is Gifted to Drake
1934
After growing financial concerns worsened by the Great Depression, Carl Weeks gifted Salisbury House to Drake University on October 20th, 1934. Drake University intended for Salisbury House to become their fine art campus but, until the university could put plans in place, allowed the Weekses to rent Salisbury for $100 a month. The art and furniture collection remained in the Weekses name, with plans to gift the collection to Drake once the family vacated the property.
The original lease with Drake was for five years. Due to global events, the lease was renewed for another five years in 1939. In 1944, Drake scrapped the idea of the fine arts college and Drake and the Weekses agreed to seek out a buyer - someone who would buy the property from Drake and the collection from the Weeks family, preferably with plans to use everything as a kind of educational resource for the community. In the meantime, Carl and Edith continued to rent their home.
The original lease with Drake was for five years. Due to global events, the lease was renewed for another five years in 1939. In 1944, Drake scrapped the idea of the fine arts college and Drake and the Weekses agreed to seek out a buyer - someone who would buy the property from Drake and the collection from the Weeks family, preferably with plans to use everything as a kind of educational resource for the community. In the meantime, Carl and Edith continued to rent their home.
The ISEA
1954
In 1954 the Iowa State Education Association - the state teacher’s union - was celebrating their 100th anniversary and seeking out a new executive headquarters. By this point, the Weeks family and Drake were willing to give them quite a deal. Everything - house, grounds, and collection - were sold in 1954 to the ISEA for $180,000. Carl and Edith then moved to a small ranch house on Lincoln Place Drive, staying in the South of Grand neighborhood where Salisbury House resides.
The ISEA converted much of Salisbury House into office space and added a new west wing and garage. Under the terms of their purchase, selected rooms and furnishings were retained in their historic condition and kept open for tours. Courtesy of the ISEA’s many education connections, Salisbury House became a staple field trip for many central Iowa children throughout the 1970s and 1980s. The ISEA would also file for Salisbury House to be added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.
The Salisbury House Foundation is Established
1993
Like Drake and the Weeks family before them, the ISEA eventually faced insurmountable financial difficulties in maintaining Salisbury House. The ISEA was forced to sell collection items, raise dues, and sell a small parcel of land (they considered subdividing the property further but decided against it). In 1993 a group of neighbors and community leaders who recognized the historic significance of the house and collection formed the Salisbury House Foundation. The intention of the foundation was to purchase Salisbury House and its contents to preserve it for future generations.
The Salisbury House Foundation purchased the house, grounds, and contents from the ISEA in 1998 for $4,000,000. The foundation spent the next several months updating various building systems and converting many office spaces back to their original rooms and conditions, before opening the house as a museum in 1999.
Since taking ownership of the property, the Salisbury House Foundation has invested over $12,000,000 into restoring the estate, while also installing museum quality heating, cooling, security, and fire protection systems.
The Weeks Family
Carl Weeks
Born December 2, 1876 — Died June 2, 1962
Carl was born in Linn County, IA to Charles Weeks and Laura Chamberlain Weeks. His father was a hog farmer, whereas his maternal family were pharmacists. Carl, his siblings, and his mother moved to Des Moines when Carl was young. With the assistance of his uncles, Carl attended Highland Park College of Pharmacy and became the youngest person in the state of Iowa to graduate from pharmacy school at the age of 16. He incidentally met his wife, Edith, at a pharmacy in 1904. They married February 27, 1907.
In the 1890s, Carl and his brothers - Leo and Deyet - formed the D.C. & Leo Company, a pharmaceutical business that included the production of private label products (this private label branch would become Weeks & Leo in the mid 20th century). During this time, Carl began to experiment with cosmetics formulas, before establishing Armand and launching their cold cream powder product in 1915.
Carl’s interests included reading, traveling, collecting rocks, learning history, and - most notable today - photography. Many of the historic photos held within the Salisbury House collection and archives are ones taken by Carl.
In the 1890s, Carl and his brothers - Leo and Deyet - formed the D.C. & Leo Company, a pharmaceutical business that included the production of private label products (this private label branch would become Weeks & Leo in the mid 20th century). During this time, Carl began to experiment with cosmetics formulas, before establishing Armand and launching their cold cream powder product in 1915.
Carl’s interests included reading, traveling, collecting rocks, learning history, and - most notable today - photography. Many of the historic photos held within the Salisbury House collection and archives are ones taken by Carl.
Edith (née Van Slyke) Weeks
Born August 2, 1882 — Died June 21, 1955
Edith was born to Charles Van Slyke and Eva Paull Van Slyke in Dubuque, IA. Her father worked in life insurance, and when Edith was six moved the family to Des Moines. Her parents were highly educated - her mother graduated from Iowa State in 1874 - and they encouraged Edith to be highly educated as well. She attended the University of Michigan where she graduated with a Art History degree in 1903.
Edith met Carl at a pharmacy in 1904 - they married February 27, 1907.
Her interests included art, history, travel, and gardening. She could speak and write in French and German, and throughout the 1930s and 1940s kept aware of the situation in Europe (specifically Germany). She was a member of the Des Moines Women's Club and was a member of the Des Moines Founders Garden Club.
Edith met Carl at a pharmacy in 1904 - they married February 27, 1907.
Her interests included art, history, travel, and gardening. She could speak and write in French and German, and throughout the 1930s and 1940s kept aware of the situation in Europe (specifically Germany). She was a member of the Des Moines Women's Club and was a member of the Des Moines Founders Garden Club.
Charles Weeks
Born February 23, 1908 — Died March 3, 1991
Charles did not spend much time at Salisbury House - he moved out in 1928. He attended Drake and Stanford, and moved to Palo Alto, CA to become a manufacturer in 1936. He worked with the Navy during WWII.
He married Glenys Kyner in May 1927, and she passed in February 1929 "of heart disease, following an operation for intestinal influenza" according to a Register article from the time.
She was 21. He married Dorothy Puffer in September 1932.
He married Glenys Kyner in May 1927, and she passed in February 1929 "of heart disease, following an operation for intestinal influenza" according to a Register article from the time.
She was 21. He married Dorothy Puffer in September 1932.
William "Bill" Weeks
Born September 24, 1910 — Died March 3, 1994
William graduated from Wharton in 1932, and spent his first 7 years in the work force at Armand, after which point he began work at Ray-O-Vac. He and his first wife, Margaret Barron, had two sons: Christopher and Barron.
William, it seems, bounced all over the country. Both of his sons were born in Des Moines; he lived in Madison, WI for some time; and retired in Reading, PA.
William, it seems, bounced all over the country. Both of his sons were born in Des Moines; he lived in Madison, WI for some time; and retired in Reading, PA.
Evert “Hud” Weeks
Born December 6, 1912 — Died December 16, 2002
Hud graduated from Wharton in 1932, and, minus a brief stint in the Navy during WWII, spent his entire working career at Armand and Weeks & Leo. When Hud stepped down in 1986, the company was officially no longer associated with the Weeks or Chamberlain families.
He had several hobbies - notably flying and boat racing. He met his wife - Ellen "Nellie" Cooper - at a regatta and they married in 1938. She came from a boat racing family and her father - Jack "Pop" Cooper - was a well known figure in the boat racing community (he was known as "The Grand Old Man of Racing"). They spent some time living in the cottage on the Salisbury House property before building two Lustron homes next door at 4111 Tonawanda Dr. They stayed there until the late 1980s, and moved to Kansas City in the 1990s. The Lustron homes were torn down in 2013.
Hud was the only original Weeks family member still alive when the Salisbury House Foundation purchased the property and collection. When Hud passed in 2002, a memorial bench and stone were placed on the Salisbury House grounds.
He had several hobbies - notably flying and boat racing. He met his wife - Ellen "Nellie" Cooper - at a regatta and they married in 1938. She came from a boat racing family and her father - Jack "Pop" Cooper - was a well known figure in the boat racing community (he was known as "The Grand Old Man of Racing"). They spent some time living in the cottage on the Salisbury House property before building two Lustron homes next door at 4111 Tonawanda Dr. They stayed there until the late 1980s, and moved to Kansas City in the 1990s. The Lustron homes were torn down in 2013.
Hud was the only original Weeks family member still alive when the Salisbury House Foundation purchased the property and collection. When Hud passed in 2002, a memorial bench and stone were placed on the Salisbury House grounds.
Lafayette “Lafe” Weeks
Born September 9, 1918 — Died November 3, 1985
Lafe graduated from Wharton in 1940, at which point he also moved out of Salisbury House.He spent some time working in real estate in New York, where he met his wife Suzanne Senneff. The two married in December, 1950 and had seven children. They later moved to Palo Alto, CA where Lafe ran a landscaping business.
Lafe had an extensive military career during WWII: he was a B-29 commander, received decorations for flying 35 bombing missions over Japan, was a bombardier instructor in Texas, and rose to the rank of Captain in the U.S. Army Air Corps. There are family stories saying that Lafe was the back-up pilot for the Enola Gay, but there is no documentation to prove this. His military records have been requested, but due to a fire in 1973 several military personnel records were destroyed- those of the Weeks boys were included.
Lafe had an extensive military career during WWII: he was a B-29 commander, received decorations for flying 35 bombing missions over Japan, was a bombardier instructor in Texas, and rose to the rank of Captain in the U.S. Army Air Corps. There are family stories saying that Lafe was the back-up pilot for the Enola Gay, but there is no documentation to prove this. His military records have been requested, but due to a fire in 1973 several military personnel records were destroyed- those of the Weeks boys were included.
The Armand Company
The Family Business(es)
In 1872 Carl Weeks' maternal grandfather, Lowell Chamberlain, founded the first Iowa drug company - this company would become Chamberlain Medicine Co. in 1892.
Chamberlain Medicine was one of many “patent medicine” (over-the-counter medicine) companies operating in the later half of the 19th century, where manufacturers made wildly false claims about their products’ abilities and took advantage of growing urbanization and technological advancements to advertise their products in new ways. Up until the first Food and Drug Act was signed into law in 1906, it was the wild west of medicine and pharmacy with some companies striking proverbial gold. This would include Chamberlain Medicine Co. Lowell’s brother, Davis, purchased Chamberlain Medicine in 1910.
With assistance from the maternal side of the family, Carl graduated from pharmacy college in 1893 (at the age of 16) and his brother, Deyet, started his own patent medicine company called D. Weeks Company in 1897. In 1900, Carl opened his first business - a drugstore in Centerville, Iowa - before joining his brother at D. Weeks Company in 1909. At the same time Carl joined D. Weeks Company, he, Deyet, and their other brother Leo, began a separate company: D.C. Leo and Company Private Label Medicines.
Chamberlain Medicine was one of many “patent medicine” (over-the-counter medicine) companies operating in the later half of the 19th century, where manufacturers made wildly false claims about their products’ abilities and took advantage of growing urbanization and technological advancements to advertise their products in new ways. Up until the first Food and Drug Act was signed into law in 1906, it was the wild west of medicine and pharmacy with some companies striking proverbial gold. This would include Chamberlain Medicine Co. Lowell’s brother, Davis, purchased Chamberlain Medicine in 1910.
With assistance from the maternal side of the family, Carl graduated from pharmacy college in 1893 (at the age of 16) and his brother, Deyet, started his own patent medicine company called D. Weeks Company in 1897. In 1900, Carl opened his first business - a drugstore in Centerville, Iowa - before joining his brother at D. Weeks Company in 1909. At the same time Carl joined D. Weeks Company, he, Deyet, and their other brother Leo, began a separate company: D.C. Leo and Company Private Label Medicines.
Carl's Cosmetics
Early in his pharmacy career, Carl Weeks experimented with formulas for various cosmetic products. He struck foundation-gold in 1905 while he was in Paris. Many French women at the time were putting their powder into cold cream to create a tinted lotion with easy application and a lovely smooth finish. Carl would bring this trick back to the states and use it as the basis for his “Cold Cream Powder” product.
The product was initially sold through the Weeks brothers companies, and was one of the first mass produced forms of makeup foundation. However, Carl and his brother’s had different plans and ideas for what the future held (Leo notably wanted to focus on the private label company), and so Carl launched his own cosmetics company in 1915.
The product was initially sold through the Weeks brothers companies, and was one of the first mass produced forms of makeup foundation. However, Carl and his brother’s had different plans and ideas for what the future held (Leo notably wanted to focus on the private label company), and so Carl launched his own cosmetics company in 1915.
The Armand Company
Armand saw rapid growth and success, and within a decade of launching was an international brand with offices in Australia, Canada, France, Mexico, and the UK. A notable factor for the brand was that its products were hypo-allergenic (rare for cosmetics of the period). The family story goes that this was because Carl’s wife, Edith, had sensitive skin and he wanted to ensure that anything he produced she could use and wear.
After the stock market crash of 1929, cosmetics became a luxury item and Armand found themselves having to pivot. They developed a line of theatrical makeup and "Symphonie" - a one-shade-fits-all translucent powder. Unfortunately, these items didn’t sell as well as hoped and couldn’t compete with the new pancake and liquid products developed during the 1930s. To top everything off, Armand was in a back-and-forth with the Federal Trade Commission until 1935.
Armand sold its products directly to pharmacies, who would then resell these products to their clientele. Armand required retailers to sell their products at the listed price - no more, no less - regardless of who the retailer was. Carl and Armand’s claim was that this policy would protect smaller druggists and stores from being outdone by larger department stores who could afford to lower prices. The Federal Trade Commission took issue with this as it is price fixing. Carl and Armand were taken to court, and after years of appeals Armand eventually lost the suit. During this time, Armand was able to ride the wave of its early success and keep itself afloat, boosted by war contracts acquired during WWII.
The "Pearls in Wine" line came about after WWII, and was Armand's last attempt to re-solidify itself as the make-up brand many women had once known and loved. Half of the initial budget was spent on advertising, but the product line never gained popularity with consumers.
After the stock market crash of 1929, cosmetics became a luxury item and Armand found themselves having to pivot. They developed a line of theatrical makeup and "Symphonie" - a one-shade-fits-all translucent powder. Unfortunately, these items didn’t sell as well as hoped and couldn’t compete with the new pancake and liquid products developed during the 1930s. To top everything off, Armand was in a back-and-forth with the Federal Trade Commission until 1935.
Armand sold its products directly to pharmacies, who would then resell these products to their clientele. Armand required retailers to sell their products at the listed price - no more, no less - regardless of who the retailer was. Carl and Armand’s claim was that this policy would protect smaller druggists and stores from being outdone by larger department stores who could afford to lower prices. The Federal Trade Commission took issue with this as it is price fixing. Carl and Armand were taken to court, and after years of appeals Armand eventually lost the suit. During this time, Armand was able to ride the wave of its early success and keep itself afloat, boosted by war contracts acquired during WWII.
The "Pearls in Wine" line came about after WWII, and was Armand's last attempt to re-solidify itself as the make-up brand many women had once known and loved. Half of the initial budget was spent on advertising, but the product line never gained popularity with consumers.
The Family Business Reunion
During the mid-1920s, Davis Chamberlain sold Chamberlain Medicine but retained a singular product: the Chamberlain Golden Touch Lotion. He would continue to produce this product over the next couple decades and achieve remarkably high sales rates.
D. Weeks Company struggled after the crash, as did D.C. Leo Company. Carl’s son, Evert “Hud” Weeks, took over D.C. Leo Company in 1935 and oversaw the merger of his uncles’ companies into a single entity: Weeks & Leo. Weeks & Leo did well with a mixed product line of medicines inherited from D. Weeks and toiletries purchased at cost from Armand, with a private label branch inherited from D.C. Leo. During the 1950s, Armand and Chamberlain Lotion would also merge into Weeks & Leo, bringing all of the Chamberlain and Weeks family companies back under one roof.
Hud sold the company and retired in 1986. While Weeks & Leo is still in operation, largely as a private label manufacturer with a small line of Chamberlain Lotion products, it has not been associated with the Weeks or Chamberlain families since Hud’s retirement.
D. Weeks Company struggled after the crash, as did D.C. Leo Company. Carl’s son, Evert “Hud” Weeks, took over D.C. Leo Company in 1935 and oversaw the merger of his uncles’ companies into a single entity: Weeks & Leo. Weeks & Leo did well with a mixed product line of medicines inherited from D. Weeks and toiletries purchased at cost from Armand, with a private label branch inherited from D.C. Leo. During the 1950s, Armand and Chamberlain Lotion would also merge into Weeks & Leo, bringing all of the Chamberlain and Weeks family companies back under one roof.
Hud sold the company and retired in 1986. While Weeks & Leo is still in operation, largely as a private label manufacturer with a small line of Chamberlain Lotion products, it has not been associated with the Weeks or Chamberlain families since Hud’s retirement.
Special Note: It’s All About Marketing
A significant aspect of the success of the various Chamberlain and Weeks family companies was their prowess for marketing, and this reliance on marketing in the early days is likely why Carl spent such a significant amount of the Pearls in Wine budget on advertising.
Deyet Weeks developed the concept of direct mail advertising as a cheaper alternative to cold calling and print ads. He did so to promote D.C. Leo; from his first mailing of 50 letters the company received 40 orders.
When Armand launched, Carl worked with a marketing firm based in New York to develop the packaging for Armand (wanting all products to be cohesive) as well as full page ads for magazines. They leaned upon the aesthetics of put-together, upper-class French women, and Armand products became easily recognizable for their pink and white checkered hat boxes.
Finally, the Chamberlain and Weeks companies produced various print materials for retailers and the public. The Salisbury House archives contains several copies of the Armand Broadside, a company newsletter circulated not only internally but to Armand retailers. It contained articles about ways to advertise, testimonials from customers, information about new products, and typically included an order form on the back. Most editions from the 1920s included articles from Carl about his various trips and the construction of Salisbury House; later editions would include articles about the fight with the FTC and the company’s policy for excluding allergens from their formulas.
Deyet Weeks developed the concept of direct mail advertising as a cheaper alternative to cold calling and print ads. He did so to promote D.C. Leo; from his first mailing of 50 letters the company received 40 orders.
When Armand launched, Carl worked with a marketing firm based in New York to develop the packaging for Armand (wanting all products to be cohesive) as well as full page ads for magazines. They leaned upon the aesthetics of put-together, upper-class French women, and Armand products became easily recognizable for their pink and white checkered hat boxes.
Finally, the Chamberlain and Weeks companies produced various print materials for retailers and the public. The Salisbury House archives contains several copies of the Armand Broadside, a company newsletter circulated not only internally but to Armand retailers. It contained articles about ways to advertise, testimonials from customers, information about new products, and typically included an order form on the back. Most editions from the 1920s included articles from Carl about his various trips and the construction of Salisbury House; later editions would include articles about the fight with the FTC and the company’s policy for excluding allergens from their formulas.
