Historic Preservation Commission looks to honor, save local history


Leah Rogers, Tallgrass Archaeology, LLC, is working with JCHPC in an effort to update the county’s recognizance survey of historical sites. The end result will allow owners the opportunity to nominate the site for the National Register of Historic Places. (Photos by Kim Brooks)

Rogers presented a slideshow of historic places to several people in attendance during the Aug. 28 gathering at Edinburgh. Many of those present shared possible historic sites worth investigating.
By: 
Kim Brooks
Express Editor

     The rich, rural history of Jones County will soon be revealed.

     The Jones County Historic Preservation Commission hosted guest speaker Leah Rogers at the Edinburgh Village on Aug. 28. Rogers is an architectural historian and archaeologist. Her firm, Tallgrass Archaeology, LLC, has been tasked with assisting the JCHPC with an in-depth recognizance survey of historical sites throughout Jones County. JCHPC was awarded a grant to hire Rogers as a consultant on this project.

     The end result will give property owners, with whom many of these historical sites sit, an idea of whether or not these structures could qualify for nominations to the National Register of Historic Places.

     Some of the historic structures Rogers is looking to find, inspect, and survey include:

     • Old barns

     • Former country schoolhouses

     • Former churches

     • Farmsteads, old farmhouses

     “We need a lot of help,” said Rogers of covering the entire county. “You, the residents, know better than anybody where these rich historical resources are.”

     While many are located on private property, Rogers said they will not be trespassing or entering private property without permission.

     Starting this fall, the JCHPS wishes to set up tour days to drive around and more accurately locate these structures. Termed “windshield surveys,” the idea is to take in what one can see from their vehicle.

     “We could hopefully cover a township at a time,” suggested Rogers.

     With a dozen or more people at the table during the Aug. 28 meeting, many shared ideas of where certain historic structures might be located. Rose Rohr with JCHPC said they need addresses of where these sites are actually located for record purposes.

     The tours not only involve driving time and collecting addresses, but taking numerous photos and getting an in-depth look at these properties to note their current condition.

     Jones County conducted a recognizance survey a decade or more ago. Rogers said she has no doubt that some of the structures listed in that survey are no longer viable for nomination to the National Register.

     “We need to update the original recognizance survey,” she said. “We need to note what’s still here and identify critical properties. We need to record what’s still here as to its importance to the county. We need to record this history before we lose it.”

     Rogers said historical barns all over the State of Iowa are falling to pieces without being recognized.

     “You need to also have this as a record of what was here,” she added in terms of local history.

     If those sites are eligible for the National Register, then JCHPC will work with those property owners to follow through with the nominations.

     The final product of historical sites is not just for Jones County, but Rohr said also goes to the State Historical Society for their public records as well.

     “This also preserves everything for the state,” she said.

     Rogers said the recognizance survey would also assist owners who wish to apply for preservation grants.

     Phil Owen of Monticello, who was in attendance, said a project like this shows how diverse the early Jones County settlers were in their construction and craftsmanship. “It needs to be preserved,” he said.

     “It’s a celebration on your local resources,” added Rogers.

     She said in almost any barn these days, archeologists have to look inside the structure to find the architects’ imprint as to how it was built.

     “It’s almost like a fingerprint,” she explained. “Then you can identify other barns built by that architect. The inside is where the true significance lies. The outsides always look the same.”

     The timeline for this new recognizance survey ends in June 2018. The grant is through the National Park Service, administered by the State Historical Society.

     For more information or if you’re interested in assisting, contact JCHPC member Joyce Fishwild at 563-488-3804.

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