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
The National Park Service is now accepting applications for three grant programs, the Save America's Treasures grant program, the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization subgrant program, and the Semiquincentennial preservation grant program. These grant programs are funded through the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) and help support important preservation work across the country. The deadlines for applications is varied and quickly approaching! For more information, go to: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/historicpreservationfund/project-grants.htm Pictured: Oleson Park Band Shell, Fort Dodge Save America's Treasures Grant Program $25.5 million in funding is available through the Save America's Treasures grant program for FY25. These grants help preserve nationally significant historic properties and collections. Grants are split into two different opportunities, preservation grants and collections grants. The program was established in 1999 and since inception has awarded more than $350 million in grants to over 1,300 projects across the country. Applications are due June 16th. Learn more and apply today! Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant Program $17 million in funding is available for the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization sub-grant program for FY25 and FY26. This program supports sub-grant programs that enable the rehabilitation of historic properties and rehabilitate, protect, and foster economic development of rural communities. The program was established in 2018 and named after longtime Vermont preservationists Paul Bruhn. Applications are due June 23rd. Learn more and apply today! Semiquincentennial Grant Program $11.907 million in funding is available for the Semiquincentennial grant program for FY25 and FY26. This program was established in 2019 to honor the 250th anniversary of the United States by supporting the preservation of sites and structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places that commemorate the founding of the nation. The deadline for applications is June 30th. Learn more and apply today!
https://www.mississippivalleypublishing.com/a-quarter-century-of-saving-history/article_d41d3db5-0c3f-44dc-ad49-6225b4c13eea.html?utm_campaign=blox&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social
The National Park Service listed the Harcourt Consolidated School Gymnasium (1941) in Harcourt, Iowa on the National Register of Historic Places on May 21, 2026. This building, designed by Iowa architect Thorwald Thorson, is a well-preserved example of a gymnasium in the Moderne style, an architectural expression popular in the Depression era and closely associated with the New Deal programs of the 1930s and early 1940s. The building’s design and construction was funded by the Work Projects Administration (WPA) and built using local labor. The architect’s use of laminated arches to support the soaring roof and other innovative materials including plywood and fiberboard represent both the development of new materials in the mid-twentieth century and of Depression-era frugality. Finally, Iowa sculptor Christian Petersen created bas relief portraits of presidents Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt and a girl and boy basketball player for the façade, an example of the federal government’s employment of artists during the Depression. This building is much loved by the residents of Harcourt and it continues to serve as a community center for meetings, recreation, and special events. Congratulations Harcourt! #webstercountyiowa #IowaHistory #iowaarchitecture #LivingNewDeal
Coming to Des Moines this fall! The National Preservation Institute presents Section 106: Agreement Documents. This advanced seminar focuses on memoranda of agreement and programmatic agreements under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Learn how to survive and thrive during the agreement process through careful analysis, clear writing, and good negotiation. Review the available tools, guidelines, alternatives—and non-alternatives—to reach a favorable conclusion to the process. To learn more and register, go to: https://www.npi.org/seminars/laws-and-regulations/section-106-agreement-documents
The famous publicity photograph "Lunch on a Beam," also known as "Lunch Atop a Skyscraper," pictures eleven ironworkers – mid-air on an I-beam bench – during the construction of Rockefeller Center’s RCA Building in 1932. Despite the image’s renown, little factual information or serious history has been available about it. Now, in a new book, Lunch on a Beam (April 2026), Christine Roussel – long-time archivist at Rockefeller Center and author of the definitive books The Art of Rockefeller Center and The Guide to the Art of Rockefeller Center – unpacks the story behind one of America’s most iconic photographs. Though often seen as a spontaneous snapshot of daring laborers, the image was staged as a publicity tool during the Great Depression. Roussel blends art, architectural, and social history to illuminate the photographers, publicists, financiers, and immigrant and Indigenous workers behind the picture—revealing how the photograph not only honored working men but also helped promote John D. Rockefeller, Jr.’s ambitious vision and shape the mythology of New York City. At this event, Christine will be in conversation with William Bartlett, former head of executive communications at NBC Universal and the author of NBC and 30 Rock: A View from Inside. The program on Tuesday May 26, 2026 — 5:00 PM (Central) will be livestreamed to the Skyscraper Museum YouTube channel here: https://ticketstripe.com/events/9108108705593379 You do NOT need to register for the livestream.
Charity does an interesting interview regarding Iowa's transportation history and historic preservation!
