All posts by Brian McMillin

Public Libraries

Public Library (Truro, Iowa)

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Public Library (Truro, Iowa)

When a library was first established in the Madison County community of Truro, books were added to a rental shelf and loaned to residents at a cost of 10 cents each. As money was raised through the rental fee, new books were purchased and added to the library collection. The library moved to the current building in 1966, which was expanded in 1978. The first computer was installed in the Truro Public Library in 1998, and interior renovations were completed in 2005.

Moving forward, the Truro Public Library has created a set of short- and long-term goals for operation, including growing the video library, maintain copy machine availability, update collections with new materials, and purchase a new computer every three years.

Courthouses

Harrison County Courthouse (Logan, Iowa)

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Harrison County Courthouse (Logan, Iowa)

When the Harrison County seat was relocated from Magnolia to Logan in 1876, a combination of $5,000 from taxes and $9,000 in private donations helped construct a two-story brick courthouse in the town square. With a growing county population and a need for additional office space, the brick courthouse was replaced with a three-story steel and concrete block building accented by Bedford limestone that was dedicated November 3, 1911. The courthouse still serves residents of Harrison County today.

City Halls

City Hall (Rudd, Iowa)

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City Hall (Rudd, Iowa)

The Floyd County community of Rudd sits just north of U.S. Highway 18 in the northwest quadrant of the county. Platted as Danville in 1869, the community was quickly renamed Rudd to recognize a man who promised to contribute $1,000 for a church in exchange for town naming rights. His contribution never materialized, but the town name remained. Rudd was officially incorporated in 1900.

City Halls, Post Offices

City Hall and Post Office 50560 (Lu Verne, Iowa)

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City Hall and Post Office 50560 (Lu Verne, Iowa)

Nearly ten years ago, black mold was first discovered at the Lu Verne Post Office and a clean-up was conducted. The clean-up was unsuccessful, and a test two years later in showed mold problems continued to exist. The building was vacated and the Post Office was relocated to Lu Verne City Hall two blocks north in September 2003. Once considered a temporary relocation, this unique sharing arrangement remains in place today.

Movie Theatres

Capitol Theatre (Davenport, Iowa)

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Capitol Theatre (Davenport, Iowa)

The Capitol Theatre opened inside the 10-story Kahl Building in downtown Davenport on Christmas Day 1920. At the time of opening, it was considered a state-of-the-art movie palace and was the largest such venue in the state, with a capacity for 2,500 patrons. The stage was expanded in 1925 to allow for a wider variety of theatrical productions and vaudeville performances. By 1977, the Capitol Theatre ceased operation as a working movie theatre.

In 1994, the theatre, along with the entire Kahl Building was donated to Scott County Community College, part of the Eastern Iowa Community College District. Two years later, the building opened as an education facility and currently, 1,000 students take classes in the building each semester.

In February 2008, the Community College entered an lease agreement with a newly-established local organization, Capitol Theatre LLC. In exchange for the lease cost of $1 per year, the organization would be responsible for maintenance, renovations, and booking of the historic venue. Though the slowly gained traction and saw several successful events booked, Capitol Theatre LLC was unable to secure the estimated $2 million needed to renovate and modernize the building’s 90-year-old physical systems, and the theatre’s last event was held June 5, 2010.