Pleasant Grove Heritage Park in Lisbon is now under new ownership. At its December 9 meeting, the City took formal action to transfer the property to Pleasant Grove Heritage Park, Inc., a newly-formed local non-profit under the leadership of Steve McElmeel and his family.

The 15.33-acre park, located on West Market Street, includes a large grove of mature trees, a catch-and-release pond, and prairie grasses. It is home to the Meyers Farmstead Historic District, named to the National Register of Historic Places in February of 2021. The park and surrounding area were once part of a large farmstead owned by Jacob Meyers, a prominent figure in Lisbon’s history. Meyers arrived in Lisbon in 1853, about the same time as early settlers who came from Pennsylvania, bringing with them the construction methods, farming methods, cultural traditions, and a shared heritage. Steve and Doris McElmeel rented the property from John Meyers (Jacob Meyers’ son) for a number of years before purchasing the farm in 1981. They first used the barns and fields for raising sheep, and later for raising horses. For many years Doris taught students from Lisbon Schools about sheep shearing through a live demonstration at the farm.

The City approached McElmeel about acquiring the property in 2018 with the intent of developing the property as a “nature park.” McElmeel sold the property to the City in January of 2019, with the understanding that the property would be developed as a park and open to the public in perpetuity.

The derecho of 2020 damaged two of the barns and a combination corn crib/hog house in the historic farmstead, which led the City’s insurance carrier to recommend immediate repair of the structures for liability purposes or demolition of two of the structures. Faced with the loss of the 150-year-old barns and the knowledge that the City had no immediate plans or funding for developing the park, the McElmeel family approached the City with an offer to have the ownership of the property transferred to the newly established non-profit Pleasant Grove Heritage Park, Inc.

“My family has a sentimental attachment to the property, with many memories of enjoying the natural beauty of the land and buildings,” said McElmeel. “We could have sold the property to developers but wanted to preserve the area for the enjoyment of future generations. With the assistance of numerous volunteers and organizations, we have plans to begin work on developing the park and restoring the barns as soon as the weather permits.”

Lisbon city administrator Brandon Siggins said this was the best outcome for all parties, and it is a huge relief that the barns will be able to stay and the park remain open to the public.

“The only difference is the city no longer owns the property,” Siggins said.

The McElmeel’s and City had worked on the transfer agreement behind closed door sessions since late March.

Siggins said the transfer was done to help protect the Resource Enhancement and Protection grant that the park had received and transferring ownership to a non-profit accomplished that goal.

“It’s a win-win for everyone involved,” Siggins said.

Pleasant Grove Heritage Park will be open to the public and will be managed by the Board of Directors of the new non-profit, whose mission is to preserve and develop the local environment, restore and preserve local historical sites, and provide educational opportunities to learn about agricultural history in Iowa. The non-profit holds charitable 501(c)(3) status with the Internal Revenue Service.

Additional reporting provided by editor Nathan Countryman