Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Name”? 1986. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ “Free Fallin’”? 1989. The process to create small-diameter lead shot by allowing molten lead to free-fall through a copper sieve in a tall tower into water? Patented in 1782 by plumber William Watts, who built the first shot tower as an […]
Historic Preservation
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‘A symbol of hope’: Tour highlights history of Harrison Elementary in Cedar Rapids, slated for demolition
Save CR Heritage hosted tours of Harrison Elementary School on Friday and Saturday to increase awareness of the school’s history and generate support for preserving the almost century-old building. Harrison is slated for demolition in the Cedar Rapids Community School District’s current Facilities Master Plan. The building received a temporary reprieve earlier this year, when […]
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Is this building a landmark? Iowa City Council will discuss status of Pagliai’s Pizza home at Tuesday hearing
There will be a public hearing during the Iowa City Council’s formal meeting on Tuesday about whether to designate the 19th century building and longtime home of Pagliai’s Pizza as an Iowa City Historic Landmark. The push to have the building at 302-316 E Bloomington Street landmarked began after the building was listed for sale […]
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Doodles, scribbles and goldleaf: Flipping through the University of Iowa’s medieval book collection
When one imagines a book from the Middle Ages, they likely picture a hefty religious tome, calligraphed by quill-clutching monks and featuring the kind of gilded, illustrated initials that inspired that one episode of Spongebob. But old books don’t have to glitter to be gold, according to Eric Ensley, medieval scholar and curator of Rare […]
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Save CR Heritage establishes its first headquarters in a new (old) house, named in honor of J.E. Halvorson
Save CR Heritage will be holding a dedication ceremony for its new headquarters on Friday. Appropriately for a nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness of Cedar Rapids’ historic buildings and advocating for their restoration and reuse, the “new” HQ is a house that’s more than a century old. Mercy Medical Center, which owned the house at […]
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‘Iowa can’t wait’: Historic preservationist Matthew Gilbert on the power of place and the urgency to save Black buildings
Matthew Gilbert’s great grandfather, Dr. Lee Burton Furgerson, is an Iowa legend. He was one of the first Black doctors in Waterloo. He contributed to the Iowa Bystander, the state’s leading Black publication. He joined prominent civil rights attorney Milton Fields and Judge William Parker in co-founding a Black bank in 1947 called Blackhawk Savings […]
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Cedar Rapids’ Bever Woods neighborhood proposed for National Register of Historic Places designation
The City of Cedar Rapids has decided to nominate the Bever Woods neighborhood to the National Register of Historic Places. Individuals residing in this southeast neighborhood are invited to an hour-long meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday evening at the Bever Park pavilion to learn more about the process. An email and letter were sent […]
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University of Iowa will no longer be relocating the Sanxay-Gilmore House, leaving the historic home’s future uncertain
The University of Iowa will not be moving forward with plans to relocate the Sanxay-Gilmore House due to “unforeseen costs of the project.” The house, located at 109 E Market St, is believed to be the oldest remaining house in Iowa City. Cost estimates for relocation and renovating the home were estimated at $1.23 million. […]
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Results of the Bever Woods historic survey will be presented at an online meeting on Wednesday
The city of Cedar Rapids is hosting a virtual open house Wednesday evening to inform residents about the results of a survey that analyzed the historic qualities of the Bever Woods neighborhood. City staff and project consultants from Wapsi Valley Archaeology will share highlights from the intensive survey conducted last year, discuss possible next steps […]
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Bever Woods neighborhood under consideration for historic landmark status
The first neighborhood survey scheduled as part of Cedar Rapids’ Historic Preservation Plan will start this month, with an analysis of the historic qualities of the Bever Woods neighborhood. The city received an $18,000 Certified Local Government grant from the state for the survey, which will be completed in two parts by Wapsi Valley Archaeology.
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The Hidden Homes Walking Tour will highlight seldom-seen parts of Cedar Rapids architectural heritage
Following a year that saw the demolition of several historic buildings in Cedar Rapids—including the Bever Building, a downtown fixture since 1923—Save CR Heritage is hosting a walking tour that highlights some of the city’s seldom seen historic gems on Friday evening.
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A special architectural salvage sale will support historic preservation in Cedar Rapids
Doors, windows and other architectural features from houses built between the late 19th century and the 1930s will be available this weekend when Save CR Heritage holds its first ever salvage sale.
