16,000 sqft LUX MANSION. GYMNASIUM 25 Beds

Entire home in Conrad, Iowa

16+ guests
11 bedrooms
24 beds
10.5 baths

Rated 4.98 out of 5 stars.

45 reviews

Hosted by Jeffery Alan

10 years hosting

Listing highlights

Exceptional check-in experience

Recent guests gave the check-in process a 5-star rating.

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Extra spacious

Guests love this home’s spaciousness for a comfortable stay.

The Clemens Mansion, Conrad, Iowa

This 16,000 sq ft French provincial home, known as the Clemens Mansion, radiates with mystery and majesty. The Mansion boasts 11 bdrms / 10 baths, gym, library, living room, theater room, and a gourmet kitchen.

Save over conventional hotel, plus get the whole house to enjoy together!

The space
The Clemens Mansion, Conrad, Iowa

The Clemens Mansion (also known as the Conrad Mansion) is a luxurious French provincial estate set in the fertile soil of America’s heartland. Seeds for this incredible story were planted in the early 1950’s. The multi-million-dollar private home was constructed in the 1970’s. Today, the notable estate is being re-branded by the Mossman family.

THE STORY:

The history of this region dates to prehistoric times when Chiwere-speaking tribes (Ioway/Baxoje) nurtured an agricultural lifestyle, growing maize in the prairie land and rich soil.

Pioneers were drawn to this land of noble streams, picturesque hills and valleys, and broad prairies with a soil quality surpassing anything they’d ever seen. Pioneer farmers described topsoil as “the Black Gold of Iowa.”

Today, Iowa still plays an important agricultural role in feeding the country. Corn, oats, soybeans, cattle, swine, eggs, milk. Iowa’s early agricultural history truly sowed the seeds for The Clemens Mansion.

In the early 1950’s a young farmer named Leslie Clemens launched a small seed company. Clemens was focused on breeding resilient lines of corn, oat, sorghum and soy for American agri-business. During the 1960’s and 70's he experienced tremendous growth and success with his seed company.

In 1974, Clemens’ Seed Farm sold to Pfizer in a billion-dollar transaction. A new division of Pfizer, called Pfizer Genetics Inc. was launched through the acquisition of Clemens’ seed company. Soon after, a central research division of Pfizer was established, combining pharmaceutical, agricultural, and chemical R&D worldwide.

From small seeds, grow new beginnings. With funds from the sale of his company to Pfizer, Leslie and his wife Sandra Clemens began drafting their dream home. Construction on their mansion began in 1975, between the Iowa and Cedar Rivers, in the small town of Conrad, Iowa; the heart of the Clemens’ beloved, fertile prairie land of Grundy County. The estate, completed in 1977, drew attention from media sources state-wide. It was the largest single-family home ever built in Iowa.

The 16,000 square foot French provincial estate was surrounded by elegant landscaping, fountains, patios, gardens and orchards. The interior boasted eleven bedrooms, a state-of-the-art kitchen, and magnificent craftsmanship details such as Italian white marble fireplaces, an oak dance floor, and a 48,000-gallon heated indoor swimming pool (which is now covered and houses our indoor gymnasium). The property also featured a carriage house and several grounds buildings used as shop and storage for Leslie Clemens’ farming equipment.

Through the 1970’s and 80’s the Clemens family maintained an active role in civic life, grain farming and agriculture within the community of Grundy County. While they tried to keep the uniqueness of their estate low-key, they hosted many parties and social events for the townsfolk of Conrad, Iowa. Over time, the locals grew accustomed to this lavish estate, referring to it as “The Clemens Mansion.”

In 1988, seeking to downsize and travel in their retirement, Leslie and Sandra Clemens auctioned off the home. Promotional brochures were printed and sent to embassies around the world. It was the end of an era.

Over the following decade, the notable estate passed through the hands of several new owners and took on new identities as an antique shop/restaurant, a bed and breakfast and conference center. In 2003, Jeff Mossman saw an advertisement for the sale of the property. Mossman was a real estate mogul with a background in developing motel properties. Mossman and his wife Kim were Iowa natives, seeking a spacious home for their large family of seven children. The Clemens Mansion proved to be the perfect fit.

The Mossmans made renovations and extensive modernization to The Clemens Mansion. They installed a gymnasium and a state-of-the-art theater room. They raised their three older children in the home. (Those children are now grown and on their own.) The Mossmans are currently raising four younger adopted children. They also now have three grandchildren who enjoy visiting the estate.

Some call The Clemens Mansion “palatial, fancy, extravagant, a masterpiece in workmanship, and a dream home.” But Jeff and Kim Mossman simply called it “home”.

Jeff Mossman’s fondest memory is his children’s ‘blizzard parties’.
“When a blizzard was in the forecast,” explains Mossman, “the kids would call up their friends and invite everyone over. If the forecasters were right, we’d all be snowed in for days with nonstop fun and food! If only the walls could talk!”

Clearly, the Mossmans have always enjoyed sharing the splendor of their dream home and welcoming guests with world-class hospitality. Their interest in sharing this grandeur bodes well in the age of the sharing economy.

“We are extending an invitation!” says Jeff Mossman. “The Clemens Mansion is now listed and ready for your bookings.”

The Mossman family is offering a rare, grand estate where other families, and visitors can come to make memories of a lifetime. This one-of-a-kind 16,000 sq ft French provincial home is a savings over conventional hotels.

Today, The Clemens Mansion, radiates with mystery and majesty. The mansion boasts 11 bdrms / 10 baths, grand gymnasium, library, living room, theater room, and a gourmet kitchen, all encircled by meticulous landscaping and gardens.

“We boast a bucolic Iowa farm setting.” Adds Mossman. “Active farmland borders our property. No matter when you come you will see a different stage of farming right out your window. We live on a blacktop road with a public outdoor swimming pool (in summertime) just a mile away. The small city of Conrad has rural charm with shops, banks, grocery store, convenience stores, flower shop and bar for all your needs.

Please be our guest!

In grace & gratitude,
The Mossman Family

Guest access
We are affordable - fill us up and you're costs are only at about $30 per person!. You will have full house access to the rooms(s) you rent along with a living room graced with an imported Italian white marble fireplace, a dining room with views of the gardens and fountains, a distressed Italian kitchen, copper fireplace library, as well as a gymnasium and front and back patios.

Our gymnasium is great for small and large gatherings. Shoot some hoops, play volleyball, carpet ball, ping pong, pool, or foos ball or spend some time walking or jogging without worrying about the weather conditions.

Other things to note
We boast a beautiful Iowa farm setting located and documented as the richest black soil in the world!. No matter when you come you will see a different stage of farming right out your window. We live on a blacktop road with a public outdoor swimming pool (in summertime) just a mile away. The small city of Conrad has small shops, banks, grocery store, convenience stores, flower shop and bar for all your needs.

Where you’ll sleep

Bedroom 1

1 queen bed

Bedroom 2

4 sofa beds, 2 bunk beds

Bedroom 3

1 king bed, 1 single bed

What this place offers

Kitchen

Wifi

Free parking on premises

Private sauna

Pets allowed

Accessibility features

This info was provided by the Host and reviewed by Airbnb.

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Guests

1 guest

Rated 4.98 out of 5 from 45 reviews.

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Overall rating

5 stars, 98% of reviews
4 stars, 2% of reviews
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Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars for cleanliness

Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars for accuracy

Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars for check-in

Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars for communication

Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars for location

Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars for value

Where you’ll be

Conrad, Iowa, United States

This listing's location is verified and the exact location will be provided after booking.

Meet your host

Host

99 reviews

4.56 out of 5 average rating

10 years of hosting

Lives in Conrad, Iowa

Hi, I’m Jeff Mossman. My wife Kim and I both have roots in Iowa’s farming community. We both grew up on large farms. Perhaps our common background and shared desire to raise our children in America’s wholesome farmland, led us to purchase Iowa’s most famous estate; The Conrad Mansion. I attended business school in Ohio. Kim graduated from Iowa state. Kim is a talented pianist and singer/song writer. She teaches piano lessons on the grand piano in our home. I have an entrepreneurial spirit. My first business venture was a Dairy Queen restaurant I leased and managed. (I paid off my senior year of college with the funds it generated.) Kim and I operated several restaurants. Later in life, I launched a roofing company, which grew exponentially, and morphed into a massive real estate enterprise. Soon after our wedding, Kim and I became missionaries. We traveled the world and had many spectacular adventures. We lived in Hawaii, New York City, Russia… we traveled through Africa and South America. In total, we visited 48 countries. Eventually we returned to Iowa to home-school our seven children. Fortune, grace and… elbow grease, enabled us to purchase a massive, historic farm estate, where we spent fifteen years raising our children. Our older, biological children now have their own families and live abroad. Our younger children are adopted, and still live at home. We love to travel! These days, however, the Mossman family travels as a large group of fifteen (since we now have grandchildren!) We enjoy renting spacious homes in destinations such as Canada or Colorado, so that we can all snow ski together. In addition to skiing and winter sports, we love bowling, movies, and family cruises. Our love for family-oriented travel inspired us to open our own private home as a destination for large groups, family reunions, weddings, corporate retreats, business meetings, etc. It is our life mission to share the fortune of our personal estate and help guests to create memories that last a lifetime. Truly, hospitality is our life calling; not merely our business mantra. Our young children have guided us in launching “The Clemens Mansion” as a business venture and they stand behind it. Through this business, our children have learned service, brotherhood and responsibility. They assist in all aspects of cooking, cleaning, guest communications, marketing, and farm maintenance. And they are compelled to do this. As parents, we are grateful for this opportunity to teach them! This is the reality of having a large family and living in a farmland estate. We cannot imagine life any differently. Our children are enthusiastic about horses, and the possibility of offering winter sleigh rides, hayrides, and wedding carriages as a business concept in the future. Although we do not currently offer these amenities, we look forward to establishing such experiences. Currently, we have sheep and chickens. During the warmer seasons, we invite guests to help bottle feed the lambs and/or gather fresh eggs. All of this is a blessing. We invite you to share in this blessing. Please be our guest! In grace and gratitude, The Mossman Family

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Cancellation policy

House rules

Check-in after 3:00 PM

Checkout before 10:00 AM