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
𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 | Members of the public have the opportunity to provide input on proposed alterations to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB), including a plan to paint the historic granite facade in bright white, causing irreversible physical harm to this important structure. The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) is scheduled to review the project and hear public comments on plans for the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on Thursday, May 7. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝗼-𝗗𝗼 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁: 1. 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿: Protecting the Eisenhower Executive Office Building from Irreparable Harm on Thursday, April 30 at 3PM ET for an urgent conversation with David Scott Parker, FAIA—member of the National Trust Board of Trustees—and Rebecca Miller, executive director of DC Preservation League, about imminent and irreversible harm to this National Historic Landmark. Register for this free webinar: https://ow.ly/wCpT50YQQU1 2. 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗖𝗣𝗖. The deadline for public comments is Wednesday, May 6 at noon ET and we encourage you to submit early: https://ow.ly/1LPQ50YQQU0 3. 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿 to join the NCPC meeting on Thursday, May 7. The Eisenhower Executive Office Building will be on the agenda. Visit https://ow.ly/zqbm50YQQU2 for details and the final agenda. The EEOB is a National Historic Landmark and a contributing element of the Lafayette Square National Historic Landmark District that has been preserved, un-painted, since its completion in 1888. The subtle appearance of granite walls, slate roof, and cast-iron detailing are integral to its architectural significance and are character-defining features. Painting the exterior now would obscure the EEOB’s historic appearance and undermine its character-defining features. Coating the surface with an impermeable layer of paint would trap moisture within the masonry, and accelerate the building’s deterioration. Learn more: https://ow.ly/hngu50YQR2o Photo by Joel Sartore Photography
https://www.southeastiowaunion.com/mt-pleasant/news/historic-preservation-project-near-completion-in-lowell/article_b2d558b9-232d-481d-b768-3130c260c26b.html
Iowa History Makers: FY2027 Grant Applications are LIVE! 🔔 The State Historical Society of Iowa is looking for projects that preserve, interpret, and share our state’s rich history. Over $3M has been invested since 2020—will your project be next? 🤔✨ About our Grants: 📍 HRDP Grants: Up to $50k for museums, archives, and historic preservation. 🏫 Country School Grants: Up to $5k to save and celebrate our one-room schoolhouses. ✅ Who: Nonprofits, Businesses, Tribes, and Individuals. ⏰ Deadline: May 1, 2026. 🗓️ Project Window: July 2026 – Nov 2028. Learn more about the guidelines and start your application at https://history.iowa.gov/resources/grants
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
