Friends of
Historic Preservation
Iowa City, Iowa
UPDATES & EVENTS
Cautious Optimism...
On Tuesday, April 16th, the city council members voted 7-0 in favor of the local landmark designation for the Pagliai & Holub Apartments building. Five council members voiced broad support for the local landmark designation. Two council members supported the measure, yet expressed reservations. We still may not have the super majority vote needed to successfully landmark the building over the next two city council meetings. If you haven’t sent a note to the City Council consider doing so asking them to support Historic Landmark zoning.
We request that you still show up at the next council meeting on Tuesday, May 7th at 6PM. Thank you to everyone for the communication and letters written to council members. You have shown that keeping this architectural gem standing matters! To write City Council: council@iowa-city.org
Help Save 302 Bloomington Street –
PAGLIAI’S BUILDING
Background: The historic building at 302 East Bloomington Street, known as the home of Pagliai’s Pizza, the Holub Apartments, and Laundromania, has been a key property in Iowa City since 1875. The building is for sale and has been described as ‘perfect for redevelopment’ in the listing. Friends of Historic Preservation supports the effort to designate the building as a local landmark, a zoning designation that will protect it from demolition and provide financial and other incentives for continued use.
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Before 1969, a grocery and dry goods store occupied the store front space, where Paglia’s Pizza is now. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the building had a hotel and stable (now the laundromat). The building also had a library, saloon, dining and meeting hall which served as the gathering site for Czech fraternal and social societies. The building helped immigrants adjust to their new country, while they preserved customs and traditions of the old country. You can learn more about the history of the Pagliai’s building (National Hall) at Our Iowa Heritage:
40 Years of Historic Preservation Awards
in Iowa City
This video was presented at the Historic Preservation Awards Ceremony on September 28, 2023.
Members' Discount Day @ The Salvage Barn
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On the first Saturday of each month, we will have special discount prices available for members of the Friends of Historic Preservation! Discounts vary from month to month! You can purchase a membership on the day of the sale, for as little as $30 a year, which also gets you access to the Tool Library!
Featured Locations
Sanxay Gilmore House
1843
Built in 1843 at 109 E. Market, the Sanxay-Gilmore House is Iowa City’s oldest house within the original city limits. The University of Iowa purchased the home in 2018. A plan to relocate the house has fallen through and its future is uncertain.
Thomas C. Carson House (Alpha Phi House)
1875
Thomas Carson, a banker and merchant, had this house built in 1875 for $8,000. Carson is said to have arrived New Year's Eve 1855 on the first train to reach Iowa City (Weber, 1992). Carson was president of the Johnson County Savings bank from 1877-1905. This Second Empire style of architecture was popular after the civil war from 1860s-1880s and inspired by the architecture coming out of France during the reign of Napoleon III. The house was built with a fireplace in each of the 14 rooms and a bathroom in every bedroom. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Today the house serves as a home for the Alpha Phi sorority.
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📷: Carson House, 906 E College St, Frederick W. Kent Collection, Special Collections, The University of Iowa Libraries
Jefferson Building
1913
The Jefferson Building is located at 129 East Washington Street and was designed by architects H. L. Stevens Co. of Chicago. Built 1913, the Jefferson Hotel's “modern” amenities, such as an electric elevator, an artesian well, telephones, electric lights, and hot and cold running water, made it a premier hotel in Iowa at the time. The Jefferson Hotel opened as a six-story building in 1913. Two more stories were added in the 1920s, bringing it to its current 8-story height.
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📷: Busy downtown scene near Racines Cigar Store and Hotel Jefferson Iowa City, Iowa between 1920 and 1925, Frederick W. Kent Collection, Special Collections, The University of Iowa Libraries