Building partnerships that enhance our economic and cultural future through the preservation of Iowa's historic resources.
The future of Iowa is sustainable communities with an authentic sense of place created by their important historic structures. The rehabilitation and reuse of our historic buildings is both economically attractive and environmentally responsible; it is important to citizens and visitors to our state as well as for future generations.
Iowa Programs
Iowa’s Most Endangered Properties
Iowa’s Most Endangered Properties began in 1995 to show Iowans the special buildings and historic sites that are slowly and gradually slipping away from us. The program provides an excellent resource for media coverage and introduces endangered property owners to preservation advocates and resources that can help preserve their historic property.
Preservation at Its Best Awards
Each year Preservation Iowa seeks to honor statewide successes through the “Preservation at its Best Awards”. In doing so, we hope to inspire others to take action to preserve, protect, and promote Iowa’s historic resources. Additionally these projects highlight the work being done around the state to preserve our historic infrastructures by re-purposing them to allow reintegration into their local communities.
Property Types
Preservation Iowa focuses on providing information, raising awareness and protecting property types that hold special significance for Iowans.
Its efforts encompass a wide range of historic resources, including residential buildings, commercial and industrial structures, sacred places, schools, and movie theaters, as well as rural properties such as farmsteads and barns.
Residential
Movie Theaters
Sacred Places
Commercial & Industrial
Schools
Farmsteads & Barns
Preservation News From Across The State
National Preservation Atlas (NPA), the first-ever interactive map of the country's historic places and preservation protections, announces its launch and an educational webinar. https://www.preservationatlas.org/atlas?utm_campaign=Launching%20the%20National%20Preservation%20Atlas%21&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter The NPA aims to illuminate the breadth, depth, and power of our historic places—and the legal protections and incentives that support them. Over the last year, our team has painstakingly read and interpreted thousands of pages of documents and legal texts, while cleaning and digitizing maps—including lots of blurry, incomplete, and hard-to-read ones. We're launching the interactive map that so far shows historic properties in the states of Connecticut and Nevada. Even as we continue building it out, the NPA already reveals fascinating patterns. Where do federal and state tax credits promote rehabilitation? Which property owners are subject to local review processes? And which neighborhoods have we chosen for formal designation, and which have we ignored? Join us at our Launching the National Preservation Atlas webinar, 11:00am (Central), Friday, May 1st, to learn more about the methodology behind the project, how to get the most out of the map, and how to use the NPA to improve preservation policies in your community. https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_oY0zrEYtSj-vsGadS0anTw?utm_campaign=Launching%20the%20National%20Preservation%20Atlas%21&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter#/registration
⏳ Just 15 tickets left Eat | Drink | Architecture is this Sunday. Join us for an afternoon of food, drinks, and downtown exploration. 🎟️ Don’t miss your chance—grab your ticket now!
https://www.kcrg.com/2026/04/10/hotel-ottumwa-announces-closure/
Join in the celebration of Preservation Month this May! As we mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, this Preservation Month, we’re looking to the places that bring its most powerful promise to life: “all people are created equal,” and to the preservationists, like you, who ensure those places endure. Access resources to help engage community members and your networks in your own celebrations! Feel free to add details about events you’re hosting, and visit our LinkedIn Group to see how others are celebrating Preservation Month in their communities! Resources are here: https://savingplaces.org/stories/preservation-month #preservationmonth #nationaltrustforhistoricpreservation #historiciowa #IowaHistory #iowahistory
https://www.kcrg.com/2026/04/13/we-people-its-more-about-just-building-school-effort-underway-restore-one-iowas-oldest-classrooms/?outputType=amp
