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.
Sponsored by the Des Moines Register, RAGBRAI is an annual seven-day bicycle ride across the state and holds the title of oldest, largest, and longest bicycle touring event in the world. The overnight stops for the 39th annual RAGBRAI were revealed this evening. Iowa Backroads has a photo from each town:
Though the Marion County communities of Melcher and Dallas merged to form a single community in 1986, they still retain separate zip codes and post offices locations. The pictured Dallas Post Office was officially discontinued in 1989, but the city took over costs and converted the building to a contract post office. The city ceased operations on January 1, 2011.
The Cresco Theatre dates to 1914, when it was originally opened under the Cresco Opera House moniker. The grand facility was originally constructed to accommodate live shows from traveling groups and was used for such performances through the late 1920s. While there are occasional live performances from the local community theatre group, the theatre is mostly used for movies, with first-run shows playing nightly at 7:30 p.m. For current movie offerings, call (563) 547-4292.
The historic Ottumwa Public Library sits on the west side of the community’s Central Park. Constructed at a cost of $50,000, the Bedford limestone building opened to the public on September 24, 1902. Ottumwa was the third community in Iowa to receive a library grant from Andrew Carnegie; the two prior grants were awarded to Fairfield and Davenport in 1892 and 1899 respectively.
The 110-year-old building continues to serve the community of Ottumwa, and the library recently underwent a quarter-million dollar in renovations, including new flooring, furniture, and computer space on the main floor. Two unique attractions can be found inside the historic library: an original Grant Wood painting (Tame Flowers) and 13 Babylonian small clay tablets, which are roughly 4,000 years old and donated to the library in 1927. The Ottumwa Public Library is open Monday through Saturday.
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