Black’s Gaslight Village is Iowa City’s authentic (and original) bohemian enclave littered with artist, writers, actors and free thinkers of all persuasions. Only the most liberal of the U of Iowa’s students wind up living there at one time or another, about 75 tenants in total. (Not counting unregistered residents who floated in and out and were let alone by the owner) I first visited in the 1960’s and was amazed at the collection of eccentric students living in this most unusual sprawling complex made up of large old homes and 1940’s and 50’s random evolutionary architecture. The place is about 2 acres and rustic looking but the real treat is seeing the inside of the most unusual apartments. One has a waterfall in it and a full size tree! Henry Black started this project in 1943. By the 60’s all the hippies and beatniks wanted to live there. It was the Greenwich Village of Iowa. Some tenants went on to national attention with their Pulitzer Prize winning books and others became famous stage actors or nationally recognized artists. One former tenant wrote a screen-play of the same name, another wrote a book called “The many mansions of Sam Peeples” Fiction based on the place and Henry Black. Author Kurt Vonnegut lived one door east. Actor Gene Wilder lived one door west. And a long list of other notables lived there too. A short film was made there in 1978 called “Henry-song”
All rooms were originally furnished with antiques. The Black family sold the property in 1987. The place still exists and is more of a living monument to its more notorious past. The real fun was living there for awhile in the 70’s. Gaslight Village may look like a place from a Gothic Edgar Allan Poe story but it is very safe to live there. Nothing bad ever happens there. It is located in an excellent neighborhood, probably Iowa City’s best neighborhood, the historic northside, close to campus. Yet it is not for everyone, it’s more of an artist’s colony and less like those giant modern apartment complexes that blemish Iowa City’s landscape like so many pimples. The current owner has done a marvelous job of restoring the property, installing hardwood floors and painting dam near everything. The place is quiet and thoughtful. A great place to write a book. Worth visiting especially if you can get someone to let you see their apartment.