CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — The Dairy Queen story continues to unfold in Cedar Rapids, with one DQ earning its place as a local historic landmark and the other ready to turn the page on a new chapter. On Tuesday, April 14, 2026, the Cedar Rapids City Council unanimously approved the second and third readings to […]
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Category: historic architecture
Historic Preservation Commission respond...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Immigrant advocates made a last-ditch plea to a city commission to prevent a tall fence from being constructed outside of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Cedar Rapids. Though smaller in numbers than a previous effort last month, members of the public spoke out at the Cedar Rapids Historic […]
Church and nonprofit team to transform l...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — A Cedar Rapids home that has stood the test of time since the Civil War era has been brought back to life after nearly two decades sitting vacant, thanks to a unique partnership. The nonprofit Matthew 25, through the help of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church and other community partners, restored […]
Tale of two (Dairy) Queens
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Two of the last original walk-up Dairy Queens in Cedar Rapids are taking divergent paths. One, at 3304 First Ave. NE, has closed and will not reopen after owner Jill Muckler died last year. She had been the third-generation owner of the popular spot, where customers of all ages — sometimes […]
Plant shop breathes new life into former...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — The mansion on a busy stretch of Cedar Rapids has undergone a number of “reincarnations” in its history, from a home to a mortuary to a variety of restaurants, with the latest iteration starting a new chapter as a plant shop. Crazy Plant Gal opened Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, at 821 […]
History of Cedar Rapids Dairy Queen cite...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Already a cornerstone for the Mound View neighborhood, one of the remaining walk-up Dairy Queens is seeking an official designation with the city of Cedar Rapids as a local historic landmark. Dairy Queen #4, at 501 16th St. NE, had the first review of its local landmark application in front of […]
Mount Pleasant School Board moves closer...
MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa — The Mount Pleasant Community School District Board of Education rejected pleas from community members and an offer to repurpose the beloved P.E.O. Memorial building, instead voting to move forward with demolition plans. Allowing another entity to repurpose the building could save the School District nearly a half-million dollars in demolition costs, […]
Death of a queen: Heartbreaking end to i...
MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa — The “Queen of Hearts” mansion in Marshalltown met its end after a last-ditch effort to save the iconic home. While several individuals tried online fundraising in hopes of moving the early-1900s structure, owner Todd Hollingworth took out a demolition permit last week and the mansion was demolished on Sept. 23, 2025. The […]
Final days of Iowa’s Queen of Hearts man
UPDATE: The mansion was demolished on Sept. 23, 2025. See more: Death of a queen MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa — The dusty floors, boarded windows and cracked porch spindles belie the opulence of the once-majestic mansion dubbed by locals as the “Queen of Hearts.” “It’s long past gone,” owner Todd Hollingworth said of the Marshalltown mansion. “It’s […]
Brucemore throws birthday party for Gran...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — One hundred years ago, Irene Douglas noted in her check register the payment of $182 for her daughter Barbara’s sleeping porch. That August 1925 payment was to artist Grant Wood, just five years before his iconic “American Gothic” painting was completed at his Cedar Rapids studio. Brucemore hosted a birthday party […]