After three years in Burlington, a committee chose Iowa City as the site of the new Iowa territory capital in 1839. An architecture and construction contract was awarded shortly after, with the cornerstone laid on July 4, 1840. Four rooms were complete by December 1942, when the territorial legislature met in the building for the first time. Iowa officially became the 29th state in the union on December 28, 1846, with Iowa City retaining capital city status for the next eleven years.
When the state capitol was moved to Des Moines in December 1857, the Old Capitol became the first permanent building of The University of Iowa. The site housed the entire university until 1863, when the school’s second building was occupied. Renovations were made to the building in the 1920s, 1970s, and 1990s, with contractors on the final project accidentally setting the dome on fire. While damage was limited to the dome area, the building did not officially reopen to the public until 2006.
The building now houses the Old Capitol Museum, which is open to the public six days a week.
Published April 24, 2012 |
Historic Sites |
Johnson County
| Map
Constructed in 1857 at a cost of $40,000, the former Dubuque County Jail is one of a handful of Egyptian Revival buildings remaining in the United States. Featuring 18-inch gray limestone walls, the building functioned as a jail until 1971. A few years later, the Dubuque Art Association leased the building for use as a museum, an arrangement that remained in place through 2003. When the Association moved to a remodeled bank building in 2003, the Dubuque County Historical Society established the Old Jail Museum in the historic facility.
The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Published July 18, 2011 |
Historic Sites, Museums |
Dubuque County
| Map
The Muscatine Journal reports that the pictured Graffiti Barn was destroyed in an early morning fire; arson is suspected. Located two miles west of Grandview on Highway 92, the Graffiti Barn had become an area landmark. The barn was covered with many layers of graffiti, primarily painted by students from the Louisa-Muscatine and Columbus Junction school districts.
Published May 21, 2011 |
Features, Historic Sites |
Louisa County
| Map
Situated just north of the Fayette County community of Clermont is the Montauk Mansion and Historic Site, which was home to Iowa’s 12th governor, William Larrabee, and dates to 1874. Constructed of brick and limestone, the mansion was home to the Larrabee family for more than 100 years before being given to the State Historical Society of Iowa. The home and surrounding property, which overlooks the Turkey River, is open for tours Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Published March 1, 2011 |
Historic Sites |
Fayette County
| Map
Local residents celebrated when the Hotel Charitone opened on the northeast corner of the square in the Lucas County seat of Chariton. The hotel featured modern conveniences including tile floors, a telephone in every room and an in-house restaurant. The future looked bright for the historic building in 2003 when developer Charles Thomas purchased the abandoned hotel and announced plans for a $1.5 million renovation. The plans included renovation of the building to accommodate fifteen assisted living apartments with a “full spectrum of amenities.”
The project never got off the ground, and in January 2008, the Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance group placed the building on its list of Most Endangered properties. That year, a portion of bricks detached from the south side of the building, and while the owner took steps to prevent additional damage, including covering the windows with plywood, the structure remained in a state of significant decline. No further changes have been made to the property, and in December 2010, the Chariton City Council voted to move to acquire the property’s title by classifying the building as a public nuisance.
Published January 31, 2011 |
Historic Sites |
Lucas County
| Map
