The Lisbon Historic Preservation Commission provided an annual report to the city council Monday, Feb. 12.
“The Lisbon City Council entered into an agreement with the National Park Service and the State of Iowa to become a certified local government 32 years ago, creating the Lisbon Historic Preservation Commission and committing to supporting local preservation efforts,” said Rebecca Hess, president of the commission. “Only about 10% of communities in Iowa hold CLG status, with only four in Linn County — Cedar Rapids, Marion, Mount Vernon, and Lisbon. There is no cost for being a CLG, and the benefits are spelled out in the handout.”
CLGs are required to submit an annual report to the State and required to give a summary of its annual report to the city council at a public meeting.
2023 was a busy year for LHPC, with 645 hours spent working on behalf of the City.
Last year the commission:
* continued to work with the City on the rehabilitation on the west wall of the Lisbon History Center — grant funds covered about 40% of the costs of Phase 1 and Phase 2 rehabilitation projects
* continued to work with the City on the rehabilitation of the Lisbon Public Library building — grant funds covered about 30% of the costs of Phase 1 and Phase 2 projects
* continued to serve as a consultant to the City in the administration of the Downtown Reinvestment Grant Program–four grants were approved for Main Street buildings in 2023
* hosted a walking tour of the Main Street Historic District offered during Sauerkraut Days and assisted the History Center of Cedar Rapids with a “Bite of History” dinner event at Gwen’s in September – these programs showcase our town’s history and bring visitors to our community
* celebrated National Historic Preservation Month with a special activity for the third grade classes at Lisbon Schools, a guest article in The Sun, and a City Proclamation of National Historic Preservation Month – last year marked the 13th year of our collaboration with the school
* collaborated with other organizations to purchase and install a new Lincoln Highway interpretative panel in Lincoln Square Park, with a dedication ceremony held in October
* purchased and installed “Historic District” signs on the lamp posts to designate the boundaries of the Lisbon Main Street Historic District
* worked with other organizations to apply for Emerging Partner Status with Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area for Pleasant Grove Heritage Park and began planning for the development of the park after Emerging Partner Status was awarded in August
* completed our first oral history interview in collaboration with the Grout Museum’s “Iowa Voices” project
* secured funding to cover the cost of a contract with OPN Architects to produce preservation plans for the agricultural structures in the Meyers Farmstead Historic District—these plans will serve as a tool for establishing priorities, preparing a timeline for completing the work, soliciting bids, and securing grant and private funding
“As required of all CLGs, we advocate for preservation and educate others on our purpose,” Hess said. “We have done this by expanding our website and our social media presence, and by partnering with organizations at the local, county, and regional level.
“While we sometimes must react to whatever is in front of us, planning for the future is where we focus our primary efforts, almost always looking six to 12 months ahead. This is especially true of our efforts to secure grant funding for our projects, which allows us to think big and bold, and take advantage of the many grant opportunities that will allow us to improve our community without over-burdening the taxpayers. In recent years over $96,000 in grant funding has supported preservation projects.”
Hess also noted that the commission was recently acknowledged in an article on Silos & Smokestacks that was published in The Alliance Review, a publication of the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions distributed across the nation to historic preservation commissions, State historic preservation offices, and local, regional, and national non-profits.
Mayor Doug O’Connor said he feels that LHPC is doing a great job preserving items in the community and the council works with them as they can.
Hess said she understands the budget is a budget, and they are just looking to see what they can accomplish this year with funds available that also benefit the economics of Lisbon.