Cedar Rapids is the second-largest city in Iowa, United States and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, 20 miles (32 km) north of Iowa City and 100 miles (160 km) northeast of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city. It is a part of the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City region of Eastern Iowa, which includes Linn, Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Jones, Johnson, and Washington counties.
Washington High School is a public high school in Cedar Rapids, in the U.S. state of Iowa. Built in 1956, it is named in honor of the oldest high school in Cedar Rapids.
The Peoples Savings Bank in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was designed by Louis Sullivan. It was the second of a number of small "jewel box" banks in midwest towns designed by Sullivan during 1907 to 1919. It was built in 1911, and it was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. In 2014 it was included as a contributing property in the West Side Third Avenue SW Commercial Historic District.
The Mother Mosque of America, once known as The Rose of Fraternity Lodge, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States, is the oldest standing purpose-built mosque in the United States, having been completed in 1934. The Al-Sadiq Mosque in Chicago and the Powers Street Mosque are older by a decade but were converted from existing buildings to be used as a Muslim house of worship.
May's Island is a small island on the Cedar River, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Functioning as a civic center much like the Île de la Cité, it is the site of the Memorial Building, the Linn County Courthouse, and the county jail. The island plus an adjacent block was listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
The First Universalist Church of Cedar Rapids, also called the Peoples Church Unitarian Universalist is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1875, it served the Unitarian Universalist community of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA, for more than 135 years. Because of the high cost of upkeep and diminishing membership, the congregation voted to sell the building and grounds in May 2010. It was demolished in October 2011.
The Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railway (BCR&N) was a railroad that operated in the United States from 1876 to 1903. It was formed to take over the operations of the bankrupt Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Minnesota Railway, which was, in turn, the result of merging several predecessor lines, the construction of which began in 1869. The corporate headquarters were in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and it had operations in Iowa and in Minnesota. It was succeeded by the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway.
The C.S.P.S. Hall in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA was built during 1890-91 and expanded twice in the next two decades. It was a social and cultural center of the local Czech-Slovak Protective Society (C.S.P.S.). The building was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. In 2002 it was included as a contributing property in the Bohemian Commercial Historic District.
The Linn County Courthouse is located on May's Island in the middle of the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States. It, along with the Veterans Memorial Building and two other buildings, is a contributing property to the May's Island Historic District that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The courthouse is the third building the county has used for court functions and county administration.
The Cedar Rapids Post Office and Public Building, also known as the Witwer Building, is an historic building located in downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. In 2015 it was included as a contributing property in the Cedar Rapids Central Business District Commercial Historic District.
Clermont Public School, also known as Larrabee School, is a historic building located in Clermont, Iowa, United States. The school was named for its patron, William Larrabee, who was the twelfth Governor of Iowa. Larrabee himself had been a teacher in Allamakee County, Iowa. During his time in the Iowa Senate and as governor he championed education reform. He used as one of his campaign slogans: "A schoolhouse on every hill and no saloons in the valley." Larrabee and his wife Anna studied school buildings for a number of years, and were involved in planning this building. They hired Cedar Rapids, Iowa architect Charles A. Dieman to design the structure. R.A. Wallace, a contractor from Cedar Rapids, was responsible for its construction. The building was over-engineered as Larrabee insisted that the strength of everything be doubled. The bricks were produced, and the limestone was quarried, locally. It is a two-story Neoclassical building that features a classical portico, brick pilasters with Doric capitals, and two arched dormers on the hipped roof.
The Iowa Wind Mill and Pump Company Office and Warehouse, also known as Iowa Pipe and Supply Company, Cedar Rapids Presort, and the Mott Building, is a historic building located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States. This is the only extant building of a complex of buildings along the Cedar River used by the Iowa Wind Mill and Pump Company. The three-story structure is a simplified version of Victorian architecture. The thick brick walls were a form of fire protection and insulation, while the heavy timber for the interior support structure created large open space that was required to house industrial equipment, production activities, and warehouse storage. The tall windows allowed for interior lighting and ventilation. The first floor provided finished space used for offices. Iowa Wind Mill and Pump Company began as a branch of the Kendallville, Indiana based Flint & Walling Manufacturing Company around 1890. They began building their complex of buildings along the Cedar River and the tracks of the Chicago and North Western Railroad the following year. This building was completed in 1902. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.
The Marion Carnegie Public Library is a historic building located in Marion, Iowa, United States. The Marion Federation of Women's Clubs was established in 1901 with the purpose of organizing a public library. Adeliza Daniels was the primary force behind the organization, and she contacted Andrew Carnegie to donate funds for the building. After he agreed to a grant of $11,500, the Cedar Rapids architectural firm of Dieman and Fiske designed the brick Neoclassical building. Cedar Rapids contractor A.H. Conner was responsible for construction. It is a single-story structure built over a raised basement and a proment pedimented main entrance. The new library was dedicated on March 16, 1905, and served the community in that form until 1957. In that year the auditorium in the basement was remodeled into a children's reading room. A three-story addition, which doubled the size of the building, was completed in 1961. The building was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. The Marion Public Library has subsequently moved to a new facility, and the Carnegie building is now part of the First United Methodist Church complex. In 2009 it was included as a contributing property in the Marion Commercial Historic District.
Coggon Public School, also known as the Coggon Center, is a historic building located in Coggon, Iowa, United States.
Cedar Rapids Central Fire Station, also known as Cedar Rapids Hose Company No. 1 and the Cedar Rapids Science Station, is a historic building located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States. It served as the city's fire department headquarters and downtown fire station from 1918 to 1985. It replaced a frame structure in the northeast quadrant, and was part of a larger program of building new facilities for the local fire department. The building program was a response to a series of disastrous fires, changing technology, and the city's growth. This fire station served from the era of horse-drawn pumper wagons to the modern era of fire engines, pumpers, and hook and ladder trucks. The two-story, brick Mission and Spanish Colonial Revival structure was designed by local architect Charles A. Dieman. In the mid-20th century a two-story kitchen addition was built onto the back of the building.
William J. Brown was an American architect based in Cedar Rapids in the U.S. state of Iowa. He is also known by his full name, William Jay Brown.
The B Avenue NE Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013. At the time of its nomination it consisted of 210 resources, which included 167 contributing buildings, and 43 non-contributing buildings. This is a working and middle-class neighborhood northeast of the campus of Coe College. It includes single-family dwellings, a church, and a school. The buildings are representative of various architectural styles and vernacular building forms popular from c. 1875 to 1963. The oldest house was built in 1873 and moved here in the early 20th century. Bungalow, Craftsman, and American Foursquare houses are dominant. A simple side-tower church, originally Central Park Presbyterian Church, was built in 1904. For the most part, architect-designed buildings are a rarity here. The houses are designs from pattern books. Cedar Rapids architect William J. Brown designed Benjamin Franklin Junior High School (1923).
The Cedar Rapids 2nd Avenue SE. Automobile Row Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. At the time of its nomination it consisted of 24 resources, which included 17 contributing buildings, two contributing sites, four non-contributing buildings, and one non-contributing structure. This is a collection of commercial buildings that were built along the old Lincoln Highway between 1912 and 1953 to house automobile dealerships. They feature broad fronts with large display windows and open interiors. Auto repair shops were generally located at the rear of a dealership, but some were located in their own utilitarian buildings. Some of the corner lots were taken up by small gas stations. In later years, sales lots were placed adjacent to dealerships in order to display a larger number of cars. Other lots were occupied by used car lots. Prior to being converted into an automobile-centric commercial area, the district was a Victorian-era residential neighborhood. The multi-family dwelling at 309 8th St. SE remains as a reminder of that era, and it is one of the contributing properties.
The Cedar Rapids Central Business District Commercial Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. At the time of its nomination it consisted of 60 resources, which included 46 contributing buildings, one contributing structure, 12 non-contributing buildings, and one non-contributing structure. Cedar Rapids was platted on the east bank of the Cedar River as Rapids City in 1841, and it was incorporated under the same name in 1849. Kingston was established on the west bank of the river in 1852. The two smaller communities consolidated in 1870 as Cedar Rapids. The streets were laid out parallel and perpendicular to the river, which flowed from the northwest to the southeast. The Chicago, Iowa and Nebraska Railroad was the first to arrive in the community in 1859 and the tracks were laid on Fourth Street on the eastern edge of the central business district. The first bridge across the river was built at Third Avenue in 1871.
The Monroe Elementary School Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. At the time of its nomination it consisted of 10 resources, which included one contributing building, one contributing site, three contributing objects, two non-contributing buildings, and three non-contributing objects. The school building was completed in 1961 in a neighborhood of small ranch-style houses from the same era. Designed by the Cedar Rapids architectural firm of Brown & Healey, it was one of seven schools built as a result of a bond referendum in 1959. It was necessitated by a roughly 70% increase in enrollment between 1950 and 1960. The single story, brick building features long and wide corridors, low ceiling heights, extensive use of glazing, exposed trusses, and deep overhangs. The building retains historical integrity, while the other school buildings built at this time in Cedar Rapids do not. Two basketball hoops and a fire engine-shaped piece of playground equipment are the contributing objects. The non-contributing buildings are two temporary classrooms, three pieces of playground equipment are the non-contributing objects. It ceased being a school building in 2011.
