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A grave way to spend a day

http://iapublication.com

A grave way to spend a day

At the Ottumwa Cemetery, an old brick vault was once used to…

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This week we celebrate the Iowa City Municipal Airport Terminal in Iowa City, Iowa which was recently listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This building, constructed in 1953, expresses the glamour and excitement of passenger air travel in the era following World War II. Designed by Iowa City architect Henry Leach Fisk, the building’s construction was funded by city airport bonds and a grant from the federal Civil Aeronautics Administration. Essentially unaltered, the airport terminal embodies the distinctive characteristics of the International style including an asymmetrical composition of rectilinear geometric forms, a flat roof without coping, horizontal bands of windows, and flat wall surfaces without decoration. Large windows on the runway elevation allowed optimal viewing of the planes from both the first and second floors. Additionally, the interior plan remains intact as does the staircase with its aluminum and glass railing to the second floor (location of the Cloud Room restaurant), light fixtures, and an original phone booth. Congratulations Iowa City! #iowaarchitecture #iowaaviation #IowaHistory #friendsofhistoricpreservation

You'll want to listen to this episode of Talk of Iowa with guests John Doershuk, state archaeologist and director, Office of the State Archaeologist; Elizabeth Reetz, strategic initiatives director, Office of the State Archaeologist; Tieranny Keahna, tribal historic preservation officer, Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa; and Shawn Patch, president, American Cultural Resources Association

http://www.iowapublicradio.org

Federal historic preservation law is facing the most critical threat in 60-year history

Sixty years ago, the National Historic Preservation Act was signed into law,…

Members of the Radcliffe Fire Department are attempting to raise roughly $25,000 to help fund preservation efforts on the historical location that housed the fire department beginning in 1897. The department has plans for a museum. Read more about the old fire department by clicking the link below. https://www.timescitizen.com/news/radcliffe-firefighters-fundraising-to-preserve-old-fire-station/article_0cd3c02c-1ecc-4b41-9efd-b48a5d7b79c0.html

The National Historic Preservation Act celebrates 60 years today. Watch this five minute video that explains why six decades later this legislation is critical to preserving our nation's history. Please share to your own networks.

http://www.106strong.com

Before It's Gone - 106 Strong — SECTION 106

A large bill will be considered by the Senate right after the election that will adversely affect historic resources and public participation in federal projects at the local level. Read more here: https://savingplaces.org/press-center/media-resources/national-trust-rejects-key-provisions-of-permitting-reform-bill The National Trust for Historic Preservation has linked a letter here that you can send to Senators Grassley and Ernst: https://support.savingplaces.org/page/103529/action/1?ea.tracking.id=Email&ea.url.id=6157771&forwarded=true Or you can send a comment using these links: Senator Charles Grassley https://www.grassley.senate.gov/constituents/questions-and-comments Senator Joni Ernst https://www.ernst.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact

Preservation Iowa announces its call for 2027 Most Endangered Properties This program, established in 1995, serves as an invaluable tool for generating media attention and connecting endangered property owners with preservation advocates and technical resources that can support the protection and rehabilitation of their historic places. In many cases, local interest groups have also used the designation to leverage financial support, encourage partnerships, and catalyze community-driven efforts to restore and preserve threatened properties. Know of an endangered historic property in your community? Consider nominating it to Preservation Iowa's Most Endangered Properties program! Guidelines To submit a nomination to the Most Endangered Properties Program e-mail Nomination Form, digital images, letters of support, etc. to info@preservationiowa.org. Please use “Most Endangered Properties Nomination” in the e-mail subject line. Images may also be sent using a file transfer service, such as Drop Box, Google Drive, or We Transfer. If using Google Drive, ensure that permissions are set to allow anyone with the link to download prior to sending. Nomination Packet Must Include: Completed Nomination Form – be sure to complete all parts of the form. At least two (2) and no more than four (4) high resolution (minimum 300 dpi, 2MB in size) images. Ideally, one image preceding threat or an historic image and one current image. Please include photo credits There is NO nomination fee SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Thursday, December 10, 2026 Submission to Most Endangered Properties provides Preservation Iowa permission to use materials in organization promotional materials. For more information, go to: https://preservationiowa.org/programs/iowas-most-endangered-properties/ Any additional questions may be directed to info@preservationiowa.org.

IEDA Receives $750,000 in Federal Funding for Rural Historic Preservation The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) has received a $750,000 award from the National Park Service’s (NPS) Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant Program to support another round of Iowa Rural Heritage Revitalization Grants. The award is part of nearly $17 million in federal grants announced by NPS last week to rehabilitate historic properties and foster economic development in rural communities. The next round of Iowa Rural Heritage Revitalization Grants will open in December, with applications due in March 2027. Eligible applicants: Iowa-based nonprofit organizations, units of local or county government and federally recognized tribal councils. Eligible projects: Properties in rural areas owned by the applicant at the time of application. Eligible properties include buildings, structures or sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places or designated as National Historic Landmarks. The competitive federal program awarded funding to 25 projects across 20 states. These projects will be supported through a grant from the Historic Preservation Fund administered by NPS, a bureau within the U.S. Department of the Interior. This is IEDA’s third Paul Bruhn award and the second consecutive year it has received funding through the program, following awards in 2020 and 2025. The 2025 award supported grants to eight Iowa communities. To learn more, go to: https://opportunityiowa.gov/community/historic-preservation/historic-preservation-planning-programs/iowa-rural-heritage-revitalization-grant?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_c

From the National Trust for Historic Preservation There is a new threat to the National Historic Preservation Act. This is in addition to the Advisory Council for Historic Preservation's rewriting of the regulations for Section 106. The Senate bill Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act will dismantle Section 106 and irreparably harm historic properties in the United States. The Senate plans to vote November 9. For 60 years, Section 106 has made one simple promise: before the federal government harms a place that matters, it stops, looks, and listens. Most reviews finish quickly and without controversy. Lawsuits are rare. The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act proposed in the Senate by Senators Heinrich, Whitehouse, Lee, and Capito takes a process that works and tears it apart. To learn more and what action you can take, go to

http://savingplaces.org

National Trust for Historic Preservation Rejects Key Provisions of Bipartisan Permitting Reform Bill | National Trust for Historic Preservation

The National Trust for Historic Preservation today expressed strong opposition to the…

As of September 29, 2026, the Earlham Downtown Historic District is officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places! The district encompasses the small, Madison County community’s historic brick downtown, including buildings built between 1895 and 1975. Located along the Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific Railroad, Earlham grew as a predominantly Quaker settlement and thrived as a center for shipping stone, apples, wool, and other local products along the railroad. After a fire in 1901 destroyed a block of downtown, the local government and business leaders committed to rebuilding the commercial center in brick to safeguard against future fires. Some of the buildings constructed around this time included a lavish bank (pictured below) and an opera house, something few towns Earlham’s size had at this time. The buildings are ornamented with a variety of details popular at the time, including Victorian, Romanesque, and Colonial Revival elements. Even as times changed and the railroads became less central to Iowa’s commercial landscape, Earlham adapted to serve automobile travelers on the nearby White Pole Road. New buildings in this period were more restrained and reflected changing tastes for simpler designs in the middle of the 20th century. Today, almost all of Earlham’s downtown buildings still house local businesses, and the legacy of downtown Earlham continues. #iowahistoricpreservation #IowaHistory #iowahistory

Chuck Offenburger's Come See How Jefferson Does Things.

http://chuckoffenburger.substack.com

Come see how Jefferson does things

There’s a celebration Oct. 4 of the 150-year anniversary of one of…