Contact: Jeff Morgan, Jeff.Morgan@iowa.gov, (515) 281-3858

(DES MOINES) – The State Historical Society of Iowa today announced the recipients of historic preservation awards and certificates during Celebrate Community History, an annual day-long symposium held as part of National Historic Preservation Month in Iowa.

Historians, historic preservationists and others gathered at the State Historical Building for the event, which was created in 1995 with the 10-year anniversary of the Certified Local Government Program. Today’s event recognized Iowa’s varied and important historic properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005, and groups and individuals for their work in preserving Iowa’s rich heritage.

“This event is a celebration of our historic assets and efforts undertaken during the last year to preserve them,” said Anita Walker, director of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, which oversees SHSI. “We are pleased to recognize the projects and the people who devote their time, energy and resources to ensure our heritage is kept alive for future generations of Iowans to study, research and enjoy.”

Awards and certificates presented today include: Best of Preservation Award, National Register of Historic Places certificates, Certified Local Government Awards of Grant Funds, Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance Preservation at its Best Award, Shambaugh Award, Loren Horton Community History Award and the National History Day in Iowa “Kids Count!” Award.

Celebrate Community History is sponsored by SHSI, the Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance and the Iowa Gaming Association. Following is a list of awards and certificate recipients recognized today:

1. Best of Preservation Award – recognizes outstanding rehabilitation projects underwritten in part by federal and Iowa historic tax credits.

(Category)
(Recipient)
(Property)
(Community)
(Year of Construction)
(Year eligible for listing on the National Register of History Places)

Outstanding Preservation Project – Commercial Property over $500,000
Nelson P. Klavitter
John Bell Block and Ziepprecht Block
Dubuque, Iowa
1886 (bank) and 1888 (store)
2002

Outstanding Preservation Project – Commercial Property under $500,000
Bill Hillman
Firehouse Brewery
Red Oak, Iowa
1897
2006

Outstanding Preservation Project – Residential Property
Roger and Lori Johnson
Heritage House
St. Ansgar, Iowa
1868
2001

Outstanding Preservation Project – Multi-Family Residential
Chris Ales, president of Signature Development Company
Lawlor, Upham, Peterson and West Hall
Marycrest College in Davenport, Iowa
1888
2004

2. National Register of Historic Places Certificates – The National Register of Historic Places is the nation’s official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. Properties listed on the Register include districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects that are significant in American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering and culture.

(Historic Place listing)
(Community)

Buffalo High School
Buffalo, Iowa

Chariton Free Public Library
Chariton, Iowa

Cherokee Commercial Historic District
Cherokee, Iowa

Robert Kirkpatrick Round Barn
Coggon, Iowa

3rd Street Historic District
Council Bluffs, Iowa

Iowa Soldiers’ Orphans’ Home
Davenport, Iowa

United States Post Office and Courthouse
Davenport, Iowa

John T. and Marietta (Greek) Carey House
Denison, Iowa

Salisbury House
Des Moines, Iowa

Seth Richards Commercial Block
Des Moines, Iowa

Upper Main Street Historic District
Dubuque, Iowa

Faeth Farmstead and Orchard District
Fort Madison, Iowa

Gilbert-Linn Street Historic District
Iowa City, Iowa

Melrose Historic District
Iowa City, Iowa

Standard Glass & Paint Co. Building
Des Moines, Iowa

Syndicate Block
La Porte City, Iowa

Mason City Downtown Historic District
Mason City, Iowa

Universalist Church
Mitchellville, Iowa

Ottumwa Young Women’s Christian Association
Ottumwa, Iowa

Philipus J. and Cornelia Coleman House
Pella, Iowa

St. Luke’s School and Recreation Center
St. Lucas, Iowa

St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church
Stone City, Iowa

Henry T. and Emilie (Wiese) Henryson House
Story City, Iowa

Smith Wildman and Jennie (Hearne) Brookhart House
Washington, Iowa

3. Certified Local Government Awards of Grant Funds – jointly administered by the National Park Service in partnership with the State Historic Preservation Office, the Certified Local Government Program is a model and a cost-effective local, state and federal partnership that promotes historic preservation at the grassroots level across the nation. 2005 award recipients include:

(Organization)
(Project)

Mason City Historic Preservation Commission
“Sites and Sounds Program” for Schools

City of Lisbon Historic Preservation Commission
Planning for Preservation Project

Dallas County Historic Preservation Commission
Dexter Downtown Survey and Evaluation

City of Marion Historic Preservation Commission
Downtown Commercial District Survey and Evaluation

City of Nevada Historic Preservation Commission
Lincoln Highway Corridor and Early 20th Century Architecture Survey

City of Ottumwa Historic Preservation Commission
Post WWII Development in Ottumwa Survey and Evaluation

City of Fort Madison Historic Preservation Commission
Fort Madison Downtown District National Register Nomination

City of Oskaloosa Historic Preservation Commission
Edmundson Park and Golf Course National Register Nomination

4. Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance Preservation at its Best Award – recognizes outstanding historic preservation projects in a wide range of categories. The awards, given annually, recognize projects that demonstrate a commitment to maintaining and preserving Iowa’s cultural heritage. 2005 award recipients include:

(Category)
(Project)
(Community)

Commercial – Small Property Award
Amana Visitor’s Center
Amana, Iowa

Commercial – Large Property Award
Platinum Building
Dubuque, Iowa

Residential
HEART Project, 2046 Washington Street
Dubuque, Iowa

Public Structure
Mt. Pleasant Public Library and Civic Center
Mt. Pleasant, Iowa

Rural Structure
North Bend Community Center
Spragueville, Iowa

Special Project
Hale Bridge Air Lift
Anamosa, Iowa

5. “Kids Count!” Award for Outstanding Service to Youth Researchers – recognizes libraries, archives or museums in Iowa for their outstanding service to youth researchers.

(Category)
(Organization)
(Community)

Certificate of Achievement
Iowa Women’s Archive
Iowa City, Iowa

Certificate of Merit
Rod Library
University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa

Certificate of Merit
The Council Bluffs Public Library
Council Bluffs, Iowa

6. State Historical Society Shambaugh Award – recognizes the most significant book published on Iowa history during the previous calendar year.

(Category)
(Author)
(Title)
(Publisher)

Shambaugh Award
Sharon E. Wood
The Freedom of the Streets: Work, Citizenship and Sexuality in a Gilded Age City
University of North Carolina Press

Shambaugh Certificate of Recognition
Steven Biel
American Gothic: A Life of America’s Most Famous Painting
W.W. Norton & Co.

Shambaugh Certificate of Recognition
Patricia L. Bryan and Thomas Wolf
Midnight Assassin: A Murder in America’s Heartland
Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill

Shambaugh Certificate of Recognition
Pamela Riney-Kehrberg
Childhood on the Farm: Work, Play and Coming of Age in the Midwest
University Press of Kansas

7. Loren Horton Community History Award – recognizes the best project that increases awareness of and participation in Iowa history on a local level.

(Category)
(Event/Program/Project)
(Group)
(Community)

Loren Horton Community History Award
Museum School
Grout Museum District
Waterloo, Iowa

Loren Horton Certificate of Recognition – Outstanding Museum Project
Preservation and Display of the Company B, 28th Iowa Civil War Flag
Grand Lodge of Iowa, A.F. and A.M.
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Loren Horton Certificate of Recognition – Outstanding Program and Use of Volunteers
Story City Sesquicentennial
Story City Main Street and Story City Historical Society
Story City, Iowa

The State Historical Society of Iowa is a trustee of Iowa’s historical legacy and an advocate for understanding Iowa’s past. It identifies, records, collects, preserves, manages and provides access to Iowa’s historical resources. Its dual mission of preservation and education serves Iowans of all ages, conducts and stimulates research, disseminates information, and encourages and supports historical preservation and education efforts of others throughout the state. More information about SHSI is available at www.iowahistory.org.

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