IOWA CITY, Iowa — Iowa City residents wrote letters, spoke in front of the City Council and wore specially designed stickers showing their support of designating the building that houses Pagliai’s Pizza as a local landmark, but some members of the City Council didn’t seem convinced. After a 2 1/2-hour meeting, which also included more […]
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Category: historic architecture
Iowa City Council to vote on Local Histo...
IOWA CITY, Iowa — The Iowa City Council will consider a recommendation at its April 2, 2024, meeting to designate the building that houses Pagliai’s Pizza as a Local Historic Landmark. Related: Iowa City takes first step to landmark Pagliai’s building In February, the Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission voted unanimously to designate the property, […]
Damage to stained glass windows at Kirkw...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Stained glass windows by celebrated glass artist Louis Millet that were removed from display at Kirkwood Community College have been damaged in storage, with an uncertain future. The windows, saved from First Christian Church before the century-old building, at 840 Third Ave. SE, was demolished to make way for parking for […]
End of an era as Sykora Bakery history h...
By Cindy Hadish/Homegrown Iowan CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — The final kolaches were baked months ago, as bread pans, baking sheets, mixing bowls and more from Sykora Bakery’s long history in Czech Village are auctioned online. Developer Kory Nanke, who purchased the historic Sykora building for $290,000 in December, said he was unsure what business might […]
Bohemian dance hall to Pagliai’s Pizza;
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Pagliai’s staff deftly serve pizza in the same building where Czech kolaches were undoubtedly served in the distant past. That long history could eventually be marked in the form of a local landmark designation for the building most recognized in recent decades as the home of Pagliai’s Pizza in Iowa City. […]
Historic Preservation Commission letter:...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — The Cedar Rapids Historic Preservation Commission, tasked with advising the city on preservation issues, is sending a letter to the City Council, encouraging options to save Harrison Elementary School. “We strongly encourage and implore City Council to advocate for the consideration of all options torenovate and reuse this building,” the letter […]
Historic Chandler Pump building enters n...
By Cindy Hadish CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Iowa’s 2020 derecho almost wiped out plans to transform the historic Chandler Pump building into supportive housing for Willis Dady Homeless Services. The top floor of the two-story building, 707 B Ave. NW, was obliterated by the hurricane-strength windstorm, leaving the rest of the 1903-built brick structure at […]
Costs for new school to replace Harrison...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Touted costs-savings to replace the structurally sound and architecturally significant Harrison Elementary with a new school have already proven greatly exaggerated. The Cedar Rapids Community School District’s Master Facility Plan Oversight Committee was told at its Dec. 18, 2023, meeting that the estimated cost had grown to $33.8 million, well over […]
Despite missing stones, masonry complete...
By Cindy Hadish/Homegrown Iowan CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Finish work on stone columns and what remained of the historic stone wall at Oak Hill Cemetery became more challenging when it was discovered that none of the field stones had been saved for the project. The 120-foot-long wall, cited as a contributing historic structure in the […]
Finding Trevor H.
MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa — It was the photography/art wing of the now-closed Iowa Wesleyan University’s auction. Related: See photos from the Iowa Wesleyan auction Hoping for a wooden bench or two, I bid on an entire room, not expecting to win. But I did, and the room came with an unexpected find. A large art […]