West Liberty Fairgrounds Historic District | |
Location | 101 N. Clay St. West Liberty, Iowa |
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Coordinates | 41°34′03″N91°15′56″W / 41.56750°N 91.26556°W |
Area | 45 acres (18 ha) |
NRHP reference No. | 15000916 [1] |
Added to NRHP | December 22, 2015 |
The Muscatine County Fairgrounds are located in West Liberty, Iowa, United States. It hosts the annual Muscatine County Fair. The Muscatine County Historic Preservation Commission received a grant from the State of Iowa to study the fairgrounds in 2014. [2] Most of it was listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places as the West Liberty Fairgrounds Historic District in 2015. [1] At the time of its nomination it consisted of 42 resources, which included 16 contributing buildings, two contributing sites, two contributing structures, 16 non-contributing buildings, and six non-contributing structures. [3] Historic tax credits will be used to rehabilitate the historic buildings on the fairgrounds. [4]
The Union District Agricultural Society began holding fairs in southwest Cedar County in 1863, and transferred them to West Liberty in 1871. The West Liberty Park Association was established three years later and bought the first 31 acres (13 ha) for the society in 1875. Additional land, which makes up the historic district, was purchased in 1889 and 1963. The initial wood-frame buildings were replaced by some of the present buildings beginning in 1915 with the Exhibition Hall. County fairs in rural areas were a showcase of livestock, agricultural products, home economics, and craftwork. Youth participation began to increase in the 1910s, the result of practical rural education. [3] Structures geared to their activities were built beginning in the 1930s. As demand grew at about the same time for spectator space along the race track, a new grandstand was built in 1928. Because the size of the exhibitions grew in the mid-20th century, new and larger exhibition space was added in the 1960s, which included a new livestock judging pavilion in 1966.
The race track initially sponsored horse racing throughout the summer months. The stalls and track were used for rental and training purposes. They were eventually replaced by auto races. In addition to the races and the fair, various other events are held at the fairgrounds. They include family reunions, picnics, holiday celebrations, and other community events. [3]
Nichols is a city in Muscatine County, Iowa, United States. The population was 340 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Muscatine Micropolitan Statistical Area.
West Liberty is a city in Muscatine County, Iowa, United States. The population was 3,858 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Muscatine micropolitan area.
The North Carolina State Fair is an American state fair and agricultural exposition held annually in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1853, the fair is organized by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. It attracts around a million visitors over eleven days in mid-October.
The Oregon State Fair is the official state fair of the U.S. state of Oregon. It takes place every August–September at the 185-acre (0.75 km2) Oregon State Fairgrounds located in north Salem, the state capital, as it has almost every year since 1862. In 2006, responsibility for running the fair was delegated to the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department, and the division is now known as the Oregon State Fair & Exposition Center (OSFEC), which holds events on the fairgrounds year-round.
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Hemlock Fairground is a national historic district and fairground located at Hemlock in Livingston County, New York. The district covers 35.6 acres (144,000 m2) with five contributing buildings and one contributing object, the racetrack. There are two clusters of buildings near the racetrack. One cluster consists of the grandstand and livestock sheds located along the perimeter of the track at the southwest corner of the site. The second cluster consists of exhibition buildings located east of the track.
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The Iowa State Fairgrounds is located on the east side of Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It annually hosts the Iowa State Fair in late summer. The state fair was begun in Iowa in 1854 and the current fairgrounds were established in 1886. The fairgrounds were listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987 as the Iowa State Fair and Exposition Grounds.
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The Bridge near West Liberty is an historic structure located west of the town of West Liberty in rural Muscatine County, Iowa, United States. The welded steel rigid frame bridge was built in 1937. It was designed by Otto Wendling of the Iowa State Highway Commission. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998 as a part of the Highway Bridges of Iowa MPS. The bridge was demolished and replaced by a culvert in 2020.
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The Barnstable Fair Hall or Barnstable Agricultural Hall was an exhibition hall located in Barnstable, Massachusetts that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 7, 1979. It was leveled by fire in the early morning of April 2, 1980. In the early 1990s, the structure was re-built as a condominium complex. In 1856 and 1857, land around the present building was given and sold to the Agricultural Society for use as a fairground. Total acreage of the property eventually exceeded twenty acres and extended as far back as the Maraspin Creek, a tidal stream. In 1857- 1858 a building "for exhibition purposes and a hall for public meetings" was built on the site of the present building. In February 1862, this first fair hall was destroyed by a gale, resulting in the formation of a building committee in April 1862 and the construction of the new structure between June 17 and October 14, 1862. Money for building costs came from private subscription, to which William Sturgis, a Boston merchant and native of Barnstable, was the major donor. Praised as being "superior in taste to the old" hall, the new Fair Hall was dedicated at the Barnstable County Fair of 1862 and served as the exhibition hall for all subsequent annual fairs until 1931 when the fair ceased to be held regularly. The fair is now held on an annual basis in Falmouth. During the period in which this property served as a fairground, there were additional shed and storage buildings to the north and east of the Fair Hall, as well as a track for trotting races, baseball diamond and grandstand, all of which have been removed. In addition to the usual exhibits of livestock and agricultural products, turn-of-the century fairs had vaudeville performances, balloonists, and other entertainments.
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