Like many small towns, Anamosa’s downtown suffered from disrepair, neglect, vacant commercial storefronts, and underutilized upper story housing units. The community was proud of its history but lacked adequate funding for property owners to appropriately repair and reinvigorate these historic buildings. This project rehabilitated 10 buildings through the Downtown Revitalization Program administered by Iowa Economic [...]
Read Full Article
Built in 1929 as the former home to Globe Hoist Company, 217 East 2nd Street in Des Moines was home to many businesses. Sitting vacant since 2018, the 20,000 square-foot building was deteriorated and in need of significant work. Teams worked on an expedited timeline to restore the building’s historic clerestory windows, saw-toothed roof, brick [...]
Read Full Article
King Chapel on the campus of Cornell College has dominated the skyline of Mt. Vernon since its completion in 1882. Designed in the Victorian Gothic style by Chicago architect Cass Chapman, the building is constructed of yellow dolomite limestone quarried in nearby Stone City. It is marked by three towers the largest of which rises [...]
Read Full Article
This farmhouse sits on 18 acres of land high on a ridge between the North and Middle Rivers and has a magnificent view of the Middle River valley below. While much of the house’s early history is unknown, it was likely built around 1863. The Andrew Hastie Family are the first identified owners of the [...]
Read Full Article
Constructed in 1924, Wilson Middle School, in southwest Cedar Rapids, was the last of four iconic junior high schools built in the city during the 1920s and was the pride of the neighborhood. It was designed in the Gothic Revival style featuring entranceways with arched doorways and decorative elements like gargoyle and spire carvings. All [...]
Read Full Article
Built in 1913, this once grand Four Square plan house has fallen into serious disrepair. Distinctive features of its Colonial Revival style, however, such as the round classical columns and the pedimented gable on the porch remain. The house is located near the Cedar River in what was a historically redlined area, a section designated [...]
Read Full Article
This spacious former residence of the Jacob and Martha George family was built in 1892. The Queen Anne style home is one of the few houses built in the 1800s remaining in North Liberty and retains many original features including a wraparound porch and turret on the exterior as well as wood flooring, and staircase, [...]
Read Full Article
Built c. 1927, the Seed House is the last surviving structure associated with the Iowa Canning Company. Processing mostly sweet corn, it was one of Iowa’s earliest and largest canning operations operating from the late 1800s through the mid-1900s. The company was an important economic contributor to the city of Vinton and surrounding area during [...]
Read Full Article
