Thank you to everyone who joined us at Tuesday evening's reception during the Preserve Iowa Summit. We also want to thank our sponsor Hildreth Construction Services with additional support from Hartman Spiller Architecture & Interiors. Ryan Riley, photographer from Ames, photographed everyone having fun and deep conversations about preservation in Iowa!

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We at Preservation Iowa had a great time at the Preserve Iowa Summit this week! Congratulations to the State Historic Preservation Office for putting together such an informative program. And the board of directors got to meet in person which was a bonus! Keep an eye on our Facebook page in the coming days. We'll be rolling out awards announcements and photos from our Tuesday evening reception.

On May 21, 2026, the National Park Service listed the Samuel D. Butters House (1875) in Prairie City (Jasper County) in the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural significance. The property is a rare and well-preserved example of the Italianate style in Prairie City and surrounding Jasper County. The house has characteristic Italianate elements of a low-pitched hipped roof; wide overhanging eaves with decorative brackets; tall, narrow segmental arch windows with cast stone hood mouldings; and a central hall floor plan. The house was designed by Iowa architect William Foster who was one of Iowa’s most prolific and influential architects of the late 19th century and who shaped the civic and institutional landscape of the state through a wide range of public and private commissions throughout his four-decade career. The Butters House contributes to the understanding of Foster's residential commissions and the stylistic evolution of his career. Congratulations Prairie City!

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Looking forward to the Preserve Iowa Summit starting tomorrow. Preservation Iowa is hosting the opening evening reception food, drink, and conversation about historic preservation! There's still time to register at https://web.cvent.com/event/15fb3f27-c3e4-4975-9570-c3263f2ee0cd/summary Special thanks to the premier event sponsor, Hildreth Construction Services. Support also provided by TNT Tuckpointing and Hartman Spiller Architecture & Interiors.

Calling all emerging professionals! Register to attend our next Bridging the Gap Between Theory and Practice webinar. The webinar is free! Join us at 12pm (Noon) Eastern on Tuesday, June 2nd for our sixth episode of the series. In this episode, we will be discussing Site Management. We will be joined by Mitch Maniccia, Director of Operations at the Seward House Museum in Auburn, NY and Matthew Webster, Vice President of Operations for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. We are thrilled to have these two professionals share their experience with us. Join us to hear about the ins and outs of site management, including topics such as community engagement and security. Registration link: https://usicomos.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/usicomos/eventRegistration.jsp?event=231& Many believe that there is a significant gap between the preservation theory learned in classrooms and the knowledge and skills needed for a successful career in preservation practice. Our Bridging the Gap webinar series aims to bridge this gap by providing specialized preservation training, addressing real-life applications that aren’t typically covered in academic settings. This series is funded by a grant from the Historic Preservation Education Foundation (HPEF).

The Iowa Architectural Foundation Announces its Call for Nominations for the Statewide 2026 Community Enhancement Awards THE COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT THROUGH ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN AWARD The Community Enhancement through Architecture and Design Award is intended to recognize those individuals, organizations, agencies, or communities, outside the architectural profession, who have had a significant and positive impact on the quality of life in Iowa through their support and championing of high-quality architecture and/or urban design. A history of success over multiple projects is encouraged but not required. Past recipients include EMC Insurance, The Stanley Family, Hawkeye Hotels, Krause Group, Drake University, Shelter House, Principal Financial Group, Marc Moen, Grinnell College, Mary & John Pappajohn, the Ruan family, the Greater Des Moines Partnership, the City of Des Moines and the University of Iowa. THE COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT THROUGH HISTORIC VITALIZATION AWARD The Community Enhancement through Historic Vitalization Award recognizes efforts that are dedicated to historical vitalization. Like the Architecture and Design Award, this award category is intended to recognize those individuals, organizations, agencies, or communities outside the architectural profession. This may be a singular project or a collective group of efforts. Historical preservation and/or rehabilitation of an existing building will be considered. Past recipients include Mainframe Studios, Hawkeye Hotels (for Hotel Fort Des Moines), Des Moines Film (for the Varsity Cinema), and Rialto Theater. A jury composed of both architects and non-architects will select the award recipients. Submissions selected for recognition will be notified no later than August 17, 2026. Anyone can nominate candidates. All nominations must be received by 5:00 PM, June 30, 2026. You can find the nomination form here. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeSkuSwQVilcU92Qw7YXD_7_9R5YnIFW94-UOi8YhwxhYlljA/viewform Digital entries are encouraged, but if you prefer to send a hard copy nomination, please mail it to: Iowa Architectural Foundation 400 Locust Street, Suite 100 Des Moines, IA 50309. If you have questions, please contact Evan Shaw, AIA, INVISION, at evan.shaw@invisionarch.com.