Presentations, Events, and Forums
Presentations
2019 Preserve Iowa Summit
June 6-8, 2019
Don Meyer collaborated with Brennan Dolan, Cultural Resource Project Manager with the Iowa DOT office, on a presentation at the 2019 Preserve Iowa Summit. The presentation was entitled, “ABCs of 106 for CLGs”. The focus of the presentation was to inform and educate CLG members on the importance of complying with a Section 106 review when dealing with the future of an historic property listed in the NRHP. Don shared the issues and process used by the Waverly HPC and the City of Waverly in determining the future of the “Green Bridge”, a NRHP bridge, located adjacent to an historic district in Waverly.
Click here to view the presentation.
2014 Preserve Iowa Summit
Friday, August 22, 2014
3:50 pm at the Cedar Rapids Public Library
Share Waverly's success in how the Historic Preservation Commission spearheaded using FEMA reimbursement funds to complete surveys which were the basis for applications for historic districts. Waverly's was one of 14 success stories at this session. We were required to describe what happened in 3 minutes or less, using 5 images.
Reason for the success and the value of doing survey work
Lessons learned
Click here to view the presentation.
Events
Historic preservation celebration at Harlington Cemetery a success
May 11, 2024
More than 60 local citizens and historic preservation enthusiasts joined an open house and celebration at Harlington Cemetery on Saturday, May 11.
Sponsored by the Waverly Historic Preservation Commission (WHPC) in honor of May’s National Preservation Month, the event was held to offer awards, recognition, and tours of both the cemetery office building and the historic cemetery campus.
The cemetery's brick office building, at the entrance to the grounds, was open from 10 a.m. to noon for exploration, from basement to attic.
Trumpeter Jim Vaux heralded the program portion of the morning, Harlington Cemetery was placed on the Waverly Historic Register and will receive a bronze plaque commemorating this honor.
The Register recognizes properties or sites in the community that are significant in terms of history or architecture. Waverly's cemetery is a natural choice for this designation, as it is associated with historic events that have made a noteworth contribution to broad patterns of local and state history, as well as being a place associated with the lives of persons who are significant in Waverly's past.
Accepting the award were city employees Garret Riordan, leisure services director, Paul Cheville, public ground superintendent, and Cole Staudt, cemetery maintenance.
Waverly Historic Preservation Award recipients
Two local homeowners received Waverly Historic Preservation Awards. To be eligible, a property must be at least 50 years old and within Waverly’s city limits. The award may be given in recognition of recent work or for a long-standing commitment to preservation and is selected on the basis of exterior appearance only. The 2024 recipients are Jim and Jana Hinders, 216 Third Street NW, and Beth Hesla, 421 First Avenue NE. Upcoming articles will profile both properties.
Craig Mehmen, retired cemetery superintendent, presented a short program highlighting stories about his many years working in Harlington Cemetery. He shared anecdotes about changes and improvements that he helped implement during his 35-year career, and answered questions about some notable features, such as the crypt and Babyland.
Two new informational signs about the history of Harlington Cemetery were installed in time for the celebration. An arched sidewalk was poured around the entrance flagpole in front of the office, and now features these signs and a soon-to-be-planted flowerbed. These additions are part of a corridor of historic signage found along First Street SW, including signs by 4 Queens, near the Farmers Exchange Office, by the Sturdevant House, and in South Riverside Park near the playground.
The concluding event was an optional tour around the cemetery grounds past some of its unique monuments and headstones. The tour was led by Dr. Terry Lindell, a local historian and longtime professor at Wartburg College’s History Department. Thirty-five participants followed Dr. Lindell as he highlighted stories about some of Waverly’s early famous and infamous pioneers, military veterans, and movers and shakers.
Mark Nagle of 4 Queens Dairy Cream, provided ice cream treat tickets to attendees. Waverly’s Leisure Service staff were thanked for their hard work and pride in maintaining beautiful and historic Harlington Cemetery.
WHPC commission co-chairs Kris Brunkhorst and Darius Robinson, along with commissioners Addy Kaune, Karen Lehmann, Mary Meyer, Bard Mackie, and Michael Pinegar, would like to thank everyone who helped to make this event a success.
Click here for the full article in Waverly Newspapers.
Waverly's 3rd Street SE "Green Bridge" monument dedication ceremony
May 13, 2023
A light drizzle did not deter the festive celebration on Saturday, May 13, 2023, which dedicated a new monument in Waverly’s Brookwood Park. A three-foot-wide commemorative bronze plaque, mounted on salvage from the original but now removed 3rd Street SE “Green” Bridge, was revealed to the fifty attendees at the Waverly Historic Preservation Commission’s (WHPC) 10:30am program. The plaque describes relevant history and includes an etching of the bridge as it appeared in its prime.
Go-Hawk Manufacturing, under the supervision of Waverly-Shell Rock High School Industrial Tech teachers Bryan Benham and Ben Applegate, is the student-led business responsible for the design and fabrication of the structure. Students Jack Thorson and Henry Litwiller proudly cut the ribbon to expose the installation, followed by remarks from Benham about the challenges and opportunities created by this learning experience.
The program, part of WHPC’s annual celebration of National Preservation Month, also included three local awards. Two homeowners received the Waverly Historic Preservation Award, given to properties that are at least fifty years old and demonstrate commitment to preservation of the honored building’s exterior. Jim and Michele Fischer, 606 3rd Avenue SW, and Phillip and Natasha Hoffman, 421 4th Avenue SW, were presented certificates. Their homes will be featured in a future article as well as being added to the WHPC’s website for all winners of this award at www.waverlyia.com/HPAward.
The First National Bank building, located in downtown Waverly at 98 East Bremer Avenue, was added to the Waverly Historic Register. This program recognizes properties or sites in the community that are significant in terms of history or architecture. Owners of the building are Joe Owen, Kelly Cunningham, and Ben Stroh from Cedar Falls. Current tenants on site are The Junkery and The Wooden Foot Saloon. In addition to distinctive architecture, over the years the former bank housed Waverly’s first post office, offices for doctors and other professionals, and a restaurant. A future article will explain its historic story and the building will be added to the Waverly Historic Register webpage at www.waverlyia.com/WaverlyHistoricRegister.
Stop by on the south side of the Cedar River to view Waverly’s final tribute to an historic bridge that spanned the water at 3rd Street SE. Descriptive signs and “The Visual Sightseeing Binoculars,” a public art installation with 3-D historic and contemporary photographs of the bridge, were dedicated in May 2022, and are also available to see in South Riverside Park.
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Forums
Inaugural Forum, Historic Tax Credits
Saturday, May 11, 2019
1:00 pm at the Waverly Public Library
Andrew Bell, an architect with Align Architecture & Planning, presented an introduction to state and federal historic tax credits on May 11, 2019. These programs provide significant financial support for the rehabilitation of historic buildings. Bell discussed the benefits of the programs as well as project eligibility and an overview of the process. He and his firm have worked on numerous tax credit projects in the Cedar Valley. For more information, please contact him at abell@alignplc.com or call (319) 233-1163.