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Washington Evening Journal
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Wayland West Main Residential Historic District, signed and defined
A visible sign of all the hard work that went into defining two blocks of West Main Street as a Residential Historic District paid off and they have the sign to prove it
WAYLAND — After nearly a decade of work, the Wayland West Main Residential Historic District is the first residential historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Henry County and everyone knows it, or they ought to know it.
To commemorate the hard work of the Henry County Historic Preservation and the historic standing of the 200 and 300 blocks of West Main Street in Wayland, a sign was recently added at Central Park bringing attention to this rich history.
Henry County Historic Preservation Commission (HCHPC) member and project director Larry D. Roth stated that the sign was carefully designed so those passing by could easily read the information and know a little about this special section of West Main Street full of rich history.
According to Roth, the construction for this district spans from 1888-1926 and holds significance because of its association with the residential development of Wayland reflecting the community development for prominent and successful residents. Additionally, this historic district contains noteworthy historic residential architecture.
These two blocks of West Main Street were officially added to the National Register of Historic Places in October 2023 and includes 16 residential properties located just west of the new sign.
Roth intimately knows the work that went into this project. With many binders and briefcases filled with documents and books upon books of information, Roth is a wealth of knowledge about Wayland’s history following a long journey to this point.
Roth explained that HCHPC conducted a reconnaissance level survey of the entire town of Wayland and Jefferson Township from 2015-1016 with the help of 30 volunteers, though work exploring the history of the Wayland/Jefferson Township began many years before that.
This survey was “part of a phased program to identify, evaluate, register, and protect the cultural resources of Henry County,” a report from the survey states.
The preliminary historic information collected on properties in Wayland included the houses in the newly defined historic district and these two blocks of West Main Street were identified as the potential “West Main Residential Historic District.” Then the work continued.
They began the project with town hall meetings encouraging anyone interested in helping with the large undertaking to join them. Volunteers received training and forms to follow as they made their way toward the goal of defining this historic district.
According to Roth, additional research was then completed on this neighborhood in fall 2017 with an Iowa Site Inventory form developed for the potential historic district. Roth, HCHPC, and volunteers worked along Rebecca Lawin McCarly from SPARK Consulting in Cedar Rapids as they split up the workload and methodically filled in the inventory form.
After many years, Roth says the most rewarding part was receiving the final email from McCarly saying every state agency finally signed off on their submitted project and the West Main Residential Historic District was officially listed in late October 2023.
Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com
