Preservation Iowa bestowed its highest honors during the 2020 “virtual” Preserve Iowa Summit. “It’s thrilling to see owners, architects, contractors and communities work together not only to save Iowa’s historic treasures but to make them focal points to attract new investment into Iowa communities,” Preservation Iowa President Bruce Perry said. “Preservation is a unique way… Read more »
Marion County and The City of Knoxville are requesting proposals from real estate development companies interested in acquiring, rehabilitating, owning, and operating two historic buildings on the former VA Hospital site. These properties are part of a larger urban development scheme that is underway in the new Veteran’s District. This process will be conducted in two… Read more »
This year, due to the coronavirus outbreak, Iowa’s premier statewide annual conference for historic-preservation professionals and volunteers is shifting entirely online, with a mix of sessions, virtual tours and an online awards ceremony to celebrate outstanding preservation projects across Iowa. The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs and its State Historic Preservation Office are eager to… Read more »
Call for Nominations: 2020 Preservation at Its Best Awards Each year, Preservation Iowa seeks to honor individuals, organizations, projects, and programs whose work demonstrates a commitment to excellence in historic preservation. In doing so, we hope to inspire others to take action to preserve, protect, and promote historic resources. Project awards will be presented at the 2020 Preserve… Read more »
In June, the State Historical Society of Iowa awarded $538,000 in Historical Resource Development Program grants for projects to preserve museum collections and country schools, invest in communities through historic preservation, and promote Iowa history. Here are a few examples: The Taylor County Historical Society in Bedford received $50,000 to hire an architect, engineer and… Read more »
The Most Endangered Properties program started in 1995 to educate Iowans about the special buildings, sites, and structures that are slowly and gradually slipping away from us. The Most Endangered Properties program provides an excellent resource for media coverage and introduces owners of an endangered property to preservation advocacy and resources that can help preserve… Read more »
During the 2019 Preserve Iowa Summit in Newton, the State Historical Society, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, presented its annual Preservation Project of Merit Awards to historic properties in Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Northwood and Waterloo. The awards recognize projects that exemplify the best practices of historic preservation, meet the U.S…. Read more »
2019 Preservation at its Best: Large Commercial The 1909 Wilkins Department Store building was the first reinforced concrete building in Des Moines. In 1924 it was annexed to the newly constructed Younkers Building. Following Younkers’ closure in the early 2000s, the building sat vacant for 10 years before a developer began rehabilitation. In 2014, a… Read more »
2019 Preservation at its Best: Small/Medium Commercial The Daniels Brothers Super Service Station opened in 1929 as the third outlet for the Des Moines-based auto supply and service chain founded in 1919. This brick-and-stone-accented service station with Tudor Revival touches is an auto-row property described as “a department store for vehicles.” Owner/developer RE3, architect Goche… Read more »
2019 Preservation at its Best: Multifamily Residential The L. Harbach and Sons factory complex, consisting of two functionally related 5-story brick buildings separated by a paved courtyard, is a rare surviving warehouse-factory complex from early 20th century Des Moines. Kent Mauck Encore Properties, the current owner of the 1906 complex, rehabilitated the two buildings as… Read more »
