A barn in Ogden, a courthouse in Decorah, a tiny cemetery chapel in Avoca and a sprawling military base on the south side of Des Moines – these are just four of the 14 historic preservation projects that were honored in a virtual ceremony Thursday, June 5 during the annual Preserve Iowa Summit. The summit, which is put on by the State Historical Society of Iowa (which is overseen by the State Historic Preservation Office) was co-hosted by the City of Dubuque this year.
The State Historic Preservation Office presented four awards for projects that were completed July 1, 2018-June 30, 2019. The nonprofit group Preservation Iowa presented 10 additional awards, including the Best Multi-Residential Preservation Project to Hotel Maytag in Newton.
This five-story hotel on the northeast corner of the Newton square anchored local social life since it opened, in 1927, until the mid-1960s, when it was divided into apartments, offices and shops. The building gradually declined until the City of Newton bought it and guided its top-to-bottom rehabilitation, complete with 45 modern apartments, a movie theater and a ballroom. The project received a mix of local, state and federal grants, loans and tax credits.
“It’s thrilling to see owners, architects, contractors and communities work together not only to save Iowa’s historic treasures but to make them focal points to attract new investment into Iowa communities,” Preservation Iowa President Bruce Perry said. “Preservation is a unique way of using our collective history to prepare for Iowa’s bright future.”
For the full news release, please visit: https://www.iowaculture.gov/about-us/news-and-media/press-releases/virtual-ceremony-honors-14-iowa-historic-preservation
