County grants aid preservation efforts

By Mary Zielinski
County preservation efforts got a boost Tuesday when the Washington County Historic Preservation Commission distributed $4,700 in grants to five county non-profit groups. The awards were given during the county board of supervisors meeting by Commission member Wanita Zieglowsky. “We appreciate the money from the supervisors,” said Mike Zahs, Commission president, referring to the county’s allocation that will help with everything from preserving an historic American flag to saving a unique hog building. The Commission, whose members are appointed by the supervisors, solicits grant applications from county groups, then reviews requests and awards the grants. The formal presentation is always at a board meeting in May, National Historic Preservation Month.
This year the awards went to the Washington County Historical Society, $1,100 to help with repairs at the Conger House Museum; Kalona Historical Society, $400 to help preserve and display an historic 1876 American Centennial flag; Riverside History Center, $500 to help with its railroad history project that includes scale model trains; Washington DAR Chapter, $1,200 for repairs and restoration of the Alexander Young Log House, and the Washington County Fair Association, $1,500 to aid with moving and restoration of an octagonal hog building that is on the National Register of Historic Places.
“We are negotiating with the Amish about taking it down and moving it,” said Jerome Vittetoe, president of the fair association. He said the building is unique and when moved to the county fairgrounds probably will be used to display champions (pigs, rabbits, etc.) during the annual fair.
“We hope to move it this fall,” he said, adding that the roof will have to be restored to the original cedar shake shingles.
“It’s quite building. It has eight pens and there is a circular track and trolley that was used to collect the manure.”
The Riverside History Center grant “will be used for our newest exhibit on the railroad that created Riverside,” said Paul LaPorte, Center president. He said the exhibit, which is already under construction, will include a “fully operational model train.”
The Washington DAR Chapter is in the midst of repairing the historic Alexander Young log house that dates to the city’s origins. Work started last fall and the structure, to date, has needed $5,000 in repairs.
The flag at the Kalona Historical Village arrived in Kalona with the Abner Boone family in 1879, the year the town was founded. The flag is a replica of the original 13 stars and 13 stripes one and is believed to be have been done for the 1876 American Centennial It was given to the Historical Society by Fay Boone.
Zahs, who thanked the board for the funds, noted that the Commission hopes to create an oral history of the Hiland Palace, a once well known dance hall that operated from 1933 to the mid-1970s, near Riverside.
The Commission also presented the board with a copy of its state-mandated annual report.