Historic Preservation Alive and Well in Woodbine, Iowa
We arrived mid-afternoon in Woodbine, the location of my third Historic Preservation Award the following day. The town of Woodbine, with a total population of just under 1500, is a wonderful success story of main street revitalization through a state funded program and a lot of hard work by Woodbine locals.
As we traveled across the state it was clear that both urban and rural Iowa have a tremendous number of unique historic properties and yet the average citizen, as well as many officials, have no clue of the historic treasures that abound in their state. Too many homes and buildings have already been tossed to the scrap heap. I have especially noted this heartbreaking trend within smaller towns and communities, however the Woodbine story is such a refreshing change. Through successful use of the Iowa State Horizons Project, Woodbine’s Main Street program has now become a wonderful example of a colorful and vibrant main street. I think it shows other small towns not only in Iowa but across America, that they too can become a leader in main street urban revival, economic development and historic preservation.
The first restored historic structure that greeted us as we drove into town was none other than the Woodbine grain elevator. This age-old landmark has come to be known as the town “skyscraper,” and is an image well known by this farming community. The elevator had been marked for demolition, with its metal walls badly in need of renovation. This symbol of rural America was now not only been fully restored into an attractive landmark but it is also an attractive art form as well!
All the historic buildings on Woodbine Main Street have now been restored and they look great. What an incredible difference when comparing them with the “before photos” of each of the buildings. A hundred years ago, Woodbine was a rural hub that looked like this.
The Woodbine Artisan is a wonderful bold and creative endeavor. Owned by developer Tammy Barrett, a Woodbine native who has replanted her roots in Woodbine, it is enthusiastically managed by Bracinda Blum. Artisan is an eclectic three story mix of a funky craft store, art lesson and creation center along with a classy gallery that features among others resident glass artist Simeon Lisk who works from an attached studio called Back Street Glass.
At the request of Bracinda, I held two afternoon workshops on Wednesday afternoon, April 24, (one for children and a small one for the adults) called “Paint the Town!”, where I gave demonstration and instruction on how to draw and paint historic buildings of Main Street Woodbine. What FUN! I found there to be no shortage of artistic talent in Woodbine Iowa! Here you can see art in action . . .
That’s it for today, Leisa
