To: Iowa City's City Council
Landmark the Cottages – Protect Iowa City's History
Dear Iowa City Council Members,
I am writing to thank you for setting a special meeting to discuss the historic cottages which reside on the 600 block of South Dubuque Street. I am strongly in support of holding an open public hearing for discussion to be held and action steps created for the purpose of turning these repositories of local history into ones which will be upheld and maintained for future generations by granting them official landmark status. Having the unique position in our city of all three properties still standing as neighbors which show off a beautiful Greek revival style of architecture while representing the low-income and working class history of our community's heritage. While all three cottages show-case important parts of our city's history, the property of 610 S. Dubuque Street is of particular importance to the storied history of Iowa City. It once served as the starting point for the only nationwide literary movement to start out of Iowa City, the Actualist Movement in the Arts. As a movement, this literary ideology spread across the nation, influencing writers and poets for decades. As a citizen, I'm grateful that you as a council are willing to set aside discussion for the future preservation of these important pieces of our city's history, and I look forward to seeing these properties receive the landmark statuses they deserve.
Thank you,
I am writing to thank you for setting a special meeting to discuss the historic cottages which reside on the 600 block of South Dubuque Street. I am strongly in support of holding an open public hearing for discussion to be held and action steps created for the purpose of turning these repositories of local history into ones which will be upheld and maintained for future generations by granting them official landmark status. Having the unique position in our city of all three properties still standing as neighbors which show off a beautiful Greek revival style of architecture while representing the low-income and working class history of our community's heritage. While all three cottages show-case important parts of our city's history, the property of 610 S. Dubuque Street is of particular importance to the storied history of Iowa City. It once served as the starting point for the only nationwide literary movement to start out of Iowa City, the Actualist Movement in the Arts. As a movement, this literary ideology spread across the nation, influencing writers and poets for decades. As a citizen, I'm grateful that you as a council are willing to set aside discussion for the future preservation of these important pieces of our city's history, and I look forward to seeing these properties receive the landmark statuses they deserve.
Thank you,
Why is this important?
The cottages on the 600 block of South Dubuque St. tell a unique and interesting story of Iowa City's history. They are currently scheduled for needless demolition. Rather than bulldozing these properties, I would like to see Iowa City and our City Council designate them as historical landmarks so that their owners and tennants can invest the care and love into these properties that they deserve rather than further adding to the senseless destruction of our city's past institutions and landmarks.