DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs today (Monday) announced 17 projects and individuals in 14 Iowa communities received the state’s highest honors for historic preservation during the 2022 Preserve Iowa Summit held last week in Mason City. The summit, presented annually by the department’s State Historic Preservation Office, is the state of Iowa’s premier conference for professionals and volunteers involved in historic preservation.

During the awards ceremony on Thursday, the State Historical Society of Iowa’s Board of Trustees awarded four projects – in Bettendorf, Council Bluffs, Davenport and Mason City – with a Preservation Project of Merit Award, which recognizes projects that exemplify the best practices of historic preservation, meet federal standards, and make use of state tax credits for historic preservation. The board also presented Leah Rogers of Mount Vernon with the Petersen-Harlan Lifetime Achievement Award for her 40-year career in historic preservation, scholarly research and educational outreach programs.

In addition, the nonprofit group Preservation Iowa presented 12 awards for “Preservation at its Best” in Bloomfield, Centerville, Des Moines, Dubuque, Keosauqua, Mt. Pleasant, Newton, Red Oak and Sioux City. The annual awards honor properties and educational efforts that meet the highest standards of preservation practices. “Preservation Iowa is thrilled to honor the people and projects that truly demonstrate preservation’s power to change the future,” Preservation Iowa board president Bruce Perry said. “These awards honor thousands of volunteer hours and more than $120 million of investment in Iowa’s economy. Without the combination of private funding, historic tax credits, grant awards, and public dollars, projects like these would be impossible.”

Western Iowa/Area award recipients include:

Margaret Keyes Award
Project: McCormick Harvesting Machine Company Building, Council Bluffs
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This award recognizes outstanding preservation of a larger historic preservation project that uses tax credits from State Historic Preservation and Cultural & Entertainment District programs. The award is named for a nationally recognized historic preservationist who led the restoration of the Old Capitol in Iowa City.  Built in 1894, the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company originally served as a farm-implement warehouse. After an extensive renovation spearheaded by Pottawattamie Arts, Culture & Entertainment (PACE), the building is now the Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center, with nearly 95,000-square-feet that houses a 280-seat theater, rehearsal and exhibition spaces, artist studios, teaching kitchens, classrooms and more. By the end of 2023, the building is expected to serve more than 54,000 patrons annually with an estimated $4.6 million impact on the local economy.

Residential (Single-Family) Structure Award
Project: Dearborn House, Red Oak
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With just a single historic photo and some correspondence from the original homeowner’s family, the home’s current owner, Cecelia Lock, and her project team began a complete renovation of the exterior after a hail storm in March of 2020. They used insurance money and private funds to remove aluminum window wraps, screens, downspouts and vinyl siding; restore the original cedar siding; and rebuild two porches to return this Red Oak home to its former glory.

Large Commercial Award
Project: Warrior–Davidson/Warrior Hotel, Sioux City
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Owned by Restoration St. Louis, the 10-story Warrior Hotel was built in 1930, served as a hotel until 1972 and then was vacant for 40 years. It was redeveloped in 2020 with a $72 million investment including State Historic Tax Credits. The hotel now offers 146 rooms, including full-service amenities with a restaurant, bar, exercise centers, hotel lobby, ballroom, banquet kitchen and commercial retail space. Careful attention to detail and preservation standards has created a catalyst for Sioux City’s downtown redevelopment.