2020 Preservation at Its Best: Community Effort As Iowa’s only National Trust Historic Site, Brucemore is a significant tourist attraction in Iowa, greeting more than 1,000,000 visitors since 1981. The restoration is part of a multiyear, $4.5 million effort to preserve the 19th century Queen-Anne style mansion. The project focused on the roof slate, window… Read more »
2019 Preservation at its Best: Adaptive Reuse Four Oaks and ASK Studio/AKAY Consulting transformed vacated Monroe Elementary School in Cedar Rapids into 19 multi-family apartments called Monroe Place. With its original footprint and many of architectural features still in place, the 1961 building’s historic use is immediately apparent even now that it serves as modern… Read more »
Preservation at its Best 2018, Martha Hayes Award: Ruth Ann Van Donselar (Individual), Save Cedar Rapids Heritage (Group) This year, judges selected an individual and group for the Martha Hayes Preservationist of the Year award. Both have tenacity and both are deserving, but each earned this award using different methods. Individual – Ruth Ann Van Donselar Ruth Ann attended… Read more »
Preservation at its Best 2017, Community Effort: Frankie House (Cedar Rapids) A Bohemian immigrant home destined for the landfill became a labor of love for Save Cedar Rapids Heritage, a young non-profit organization that works to preserve historic buildings through awareness and action. Built in 1894 by John Kuba, a Bohemian immigrant and railroad employee,… Read more »
The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs announced that more than $32 million in historic preservation tax credits have been registered for 14 different projects in eight communities across the state for fiscal years 2016 and 2017. The State Historic Preservation and Cultural & Entertainment District Tax Credit program provides an income tax credit of up… Read more »
2016 Preservation at its Best, Sustainability in Preservation: Mott Lofts Originally the Iowa Wind Mill & Pump Company, the building was constructed in 1902 as part of a larger industrial/commercial complex. The company eventually closed its doors in 1951 and the building gradually became the only remaining of the original complex. Linn County purchased the… Read more »
Preservation Iowa’s 2016 Most Endangered Buildings: Knutson Building (Cedar Rapids, Linn County) The Knutson Building is one of the two oldest commercial buildings on the west side of Cedar Rapids. Just 2 percent of the building stock remains standing from that era. The building was constructed with local materials and was designed by local architect William… Read more »
