Henry County Historic Preservation Commission meets

The Henry County Historic Preservation Commission met Wednesday Jan. 17, 2024 at the Henry County Courthouse. Rural road conditions and sub-zero weather hindered attendance, however three commissioners, Larry D. Roth, Pat White, and Joel Garretson, were able to attend the meeting. The minutes from last November's meeting and the January agenda were approved as well as the treasurer's report. Sales of the new Cemeteries of Henry County book have been brisk and copies are still available at the Auditor's office and local museums.

Locations were reviewed for the sign for the newly designated historic residential district in Wayland and it was decided that the best location would be in the southwest corner of the park, just ahead of the district boundary. The schedule for the Henry County Historic Highlights column has been set for the year. The following commissioners were re-appointed for another three year term; Johanna Crawford, Chad Brousseau, Martha Francy, and Larry D. Roth.

A proposal for a presentation on the commission's 30 years of preservation work was submitted to the Iowa State Historical Society for the upcoming Iowa Preservation Summit to be held in Mt. Pleasant in June. In preparation of the annual certified local government report and meeting with the supervisors, commissioners discussed the accomplishments in 2023 and goals for 2024.

The meeting with the supervisors will be on Feb. 13 at 9:20 a.m., followed by a regular commission meeting. On Presidents' Day Feb. 19, the Harlan-Lincoln House is hosting a presentation by Lincoln collector Ethan Afshani who will be sharing his knowledge, experiences, and his collection in two sessions, noon and 6:30 p.m. at the Union Block on the square in Mt. Pleasant. Free will donations are accepted.