CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Filmmaker and writer Justin Beahm remembers racing to the spaceball cages as soon as his parents paid admission at Chapman Fun World during his youth. “It was the only option in the Cedar Rapids area for that kind of thing, so it was a hot spot for birthdays and lazy summer […]
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Category: historic architecture
Mansion with storied past listed for sal...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — One of the last-standing mansions in a neighborhood once lined with grand homes has been listed for sale. Most recently known as the Moniker 86 Social Club, the mansion, at 821 Third Ave. SE, is listed for sale for $385,000. See interior photos on Zillow According to the Cedar Rapids Assessor’s […]
Architect tells Cedar Rapids School Boar...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — The Cedar Rapids Community School District Board of Education was given an update on plans to upgrade Harrison Elementary School, as well as new schools at the Hoover and Van Buren Elementary sites at its last meeting. “We’re very excited about how it’s coming together,” Robin Randall of Legat Architects said […]
Eastern Iowa Arts Academy prepares to re...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Leaders of the Eastern Iowa Arts Academy had been searching for a place to consolidate and grow their music classes and other offerings, but nothing stood out until they came upon Arthur Elementary School. The school, at 2630 B Ave. NE, closed at the end of the school year in 2024, […]
Alternative route offers hope for iconic...
TAMA, Iowa — A new route through Tama will bypass the more than century-old Lincoln Highway Bridge, offering an opportunity to save the iconic structure. Built in 1915, the Lincoln Highway Bridge is the last original bridge remaining along the historic transcontinental highway, but has fallen into disrepair in recent years. The bridge was closed […]
Johnson County Historic Poor Farm design...
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Johnson County officials announced that the Johnson County Historic Poor Farm has been designated an official Heritage Area Site in partnership with the Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area. The announcement on Jan. 14, 2025, notes that the farm will have access to funding for educational and interpretive site improvements and […]
Czech immigration mural rededicated in n...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — A decades-old mural depicting the Czech immigrant experience was rededicated at its new location in the Cherry Building in New Bohemia. David and Lijun Chadima, owners of the building at 329 10th Ave. SE, a 1919 former dairy equipment facility in New Bohemia that is now home to artists and local […]
Photos: Historic Lighthouse Inn destroye...
NOTE: A GoFundMe has been started for the owner of the Lighthouse Inn, with a goal of $30,000. CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — A landmark supper club, said to be the oldest in Iowa, has been destroyed by fire. The Lighthouse Inn, on the edge of Cedar Rapids at 6905 Mount Vernon Rd. SE, opened in […]
Cedar Rapids School District proposes co...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — In an abrupt deviation from its facilities master plan, the Cedar Rapids School District is proposing to immediately start the process of building two new elementary schools on the city’s west side. Chad Schumacher, the district’s director of operations, told the School Board at its July 22, 2024, meeting that Van […]
Cedar Rapids School Board rejects offer ...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — The Cedar Rapids School Board ignored an offer of more than twice the sale price for Garfield Elementary, voting unanimously to sell the school building to a developer. Amy McDonald, board president of the Linn Christian Education Association, the governing body of Isaac Newton Christian Academy, presented the board with a […]