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Preserve Iowa Summit comes to Mt. Pleasant
Learn about and enjoy history in Mt. Pleasant next weekend through the summit or other more budget friendly options
MT. PLEASANT — Professionals, volunteers, and enthusiasts involved or interested in historic preservation of Iowan history will gather in Mt. Pleasant next weekend for the 2024 Preserve Iowa Summit, Henry County Heritage Trust special open house hours at three historic Mt. Pleasant locations, and “An Evening at Old Threshers” this weekend.
The Iowa Economic Development/State Historic Preservation Office, Mt. Pleasant Historic Preservation Commission, and the City of Mt. Pleasant will present the annual Preserve Iowa Summit in Mt. Pleasant June 6-8. The Iowa Economic Development office calls the “premier conference for professionals and volunteers involved in historic preservation in Iowa,” will highlight Mt. Pleasant’s historic preservation success this June.
According to the Economic Development office, since Mt. Pleasant’s settlement by Presley Saunders in 1835 and first incorporation in 1842, the town became known as the “Athens of Iowa” thanks to its many schools including Iowa Wesleyan University and Howe’s Academy. Additionally, the office recognizes Mt. Pleasant’s vibrant downtown square as one that highlights the community’s strong preservation ethic with adaptive uses of many historic properties.
The three-day summit begins next Thursday, June 6 with an awards ceremony to honor the Preservation Projects of Merit, Excellence in Historic Preservation & Archaeology awards, and Preservation Iowa’s “Preservation at Its Best.” The totality of the summit will consist of general sessions, concurrent breakout sessions, and hands-on educational training as well as mobile workshops, networking opportunities, and an exhibit hall. Wrapping up Saturday, the summit will offer how-to sessions specially designed for Iowans who work of volunteer at local historical societies and history museums across the state.
Registration for the whole summit event will cost $200. Those interested in registering must do so by June 3 at www.iowaculture.gov look for the event under Arts 7 Culture Calendar of Events. While registration for the summit as a whole may be outside some individual’s budgets, a smaller price tag during Saturday’s activities may be more achievable for others.
History lovers can find budget friendly options
“Activities on Saturday are $10.00, I want to go to one session on Friday. I'm hoping to get a volunteer time or I won't be able to attend,” Winfield Historical Society Member Susan Beard commented. “So many historic parts of Mt. Pleasant will be featured.”
One presenter for Saturday’s activities includes Owner of T K Enterprises and Mills Seed Co. Terry K. Philips, whose career focuses on sustainability through preservation.
“We rehabilitate old buildings and especially windows,” Philips described his work. “When we encounter old buildings that are at the end of their life we try to harvest the materials from them and have available for others to use.”
“We get to show people how rehabilitating historic windows can be done,” he said. “There are six windows, and we plan to show one that hasn’t been touched and another one that is completely rehabilitated, the others will be in carious stages of being rehabilitated.”
“The first two days of the Summit costs a bit of money but on Saturday there are activities that are nearly free,” Philips said. “We will be presenting about Deconstructing old buildings in the morning and I imagine that there will be time to run through the process of rehabilitating windows again.”
Philips offers to share his expertise to those attending Saturdays activities at the Pleasant Lawn School located on the Midwest Old Threshers grounds.
“If anyone wants to check out the window stuff, they should contact me and I can plan to talk about the windows in the afternoon,” Philips encouraged.
To contact Philps reach out via email at tkenterprises1@msn.com or phone (319) 430-8536.
Visit historic Mt. Pleasant sites during special open house hours
“While the Preserve Iowa Summit is being held here in Mt. Pleasant June 6-8 we'd like to have locals and out-of-towners seize the opportunity to visit and take in some of our amazing history,” Henry County Heritage Trust Treasurer Pat White commented.
In an effort to make this possible, three historic sites in Mt. Pleasant will offer Special touring opportunities Thursday, June 6 from 10 a.m.-noon at the Van Allen House, the Iowa Wesleyan Archive Room, and the Harlan-Lincoln House.
The Van Allen House, located at 204 North Van Buren adjacent to the Henry County Heritage Center Museum, will participate in these special open hours. The Van Allen Home is the boyhood home of world-famous physicist Dr. James Van Allen, discoverer of the earth’s radiation belts, now named the Van Allen Radiation Belts.
The circa 1862 house was home to three generations of Van Allens and is decorated with original and period furnishings from the mid-1920s, depicting the time when James and his accomplished brothers lived there. The house was saved from demolition and moved to its current location in 2009.
The recently opened Iowa Wesleyan Archives Room also will offer these special open house hours on Thursday at 403 West Madison in the Henry County Heritage Center Museum.
“Henry County Heritage Trust was selected to receive the majority of the Iowa Wesleyan University archives following the closure of the school in May of 2023,” information submitted by HCHT Treasurer Pat White detailed. “This room serves as the new home for many of the physical memories of this late and great institution. It is our mission to provide research opportunities and to share the stories of Iowa Wesleyan through the collection of records, books, trophies, banners, letter sweaters, game balls, photographs — and even a frog band.”
Finally, the Harlan-Lincoln House will join the other two locations for the open house hours Thursday. Located at 101 West Broad, the Harlan-Lincoln house was built by U.S. Sen. James Harlan in 1876 onto the front of an existing dwelling.
“Harlan was a Senator from 1855 — 1872. As a Sen., Harlan became a friend and political ally of President Abraham Lincoln,” White’s information explains. “Lincoln’s son, Robert, married Harlan’s daughter, Mary. The Robert T. Lincolns brought their three children to spend summers in Mount Pleasant at the Harlan grandparents’. Artifacts include a collar fragment of the coat Abraham Lincoln was wearing when he was assassinated, a mourning veil worn by Mary Todd Lincoln, items that belonged to the Harlans, Robert T. Lincolns and their children.”
For more information on the Van Allen House or Iowa Wesleyan Archives Room visit www.henrycoutnryheritagetrust.org. For more information about the Harlan-Lincoln House visit www.harlanlincoln.org.
Enjoy an evening at Old Threshers
The Henry County Heritage Trust will offer another affordable opportunity for families to enjoy the weekend amongst history with “An Evening at Old Threshers,” Friday June 7 at 6 p.m.
With a $20 ticket guests will enjoy a Methodist meatloaf dinner, homemade fruit pies, drinks, and music by Annie Savage and her band. The Theater Museum, carousel, and trolley rides will open for this event. Children under 12 get in for free. Contact Lea Bradley at (319) 931-0671 to purchase a ticket.
Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com
