Cedar Falls Historical Society

Cedar Falls Historical Society
Location within Iowa
Established June 27, 1962 [1]
Location 308 West 3rd Street
Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States
Coordinates 42°32′09″N 92°26′55″W / 42.535932°N 92.448637°W
Type Historical Society
Museum
Historic house museum
Nonprofit organization
Director Karen Smith
Website www.cfhistory.org

The Cedar Falls Historical Society is located in Cedar Falls, IA. It strives to preserve the history of Cedar Falls, Black Hawk County and Iowa through its collection and five museums. It is also involved with community outreach, garden tours, guided tours, and research.[2]

The Cedar Falls Ice House Museum during the flood of 2008.
The Wyth House, a Mission/Arts and Craft style house decorated in the Art Deco style.

History

The Historical Society was founded June 27, 1962 by a group of residents interested in preserving and recording Cedar Falls' history.[1] During its first year, the society met in a community room of the Cedar Falls Trust and Savings Bank.[1] October 18, 1964, the Historical Society held its first exhibition in the basement of the Cedar Falls Trust and Savings Bank.[3] It was an exhibition of over a hundred old photos related to Cedar Falls.

The Victorian Home was the historical society's first building. It was purchased in 1965 for a price of $23,500.[4] The purchase price and funds for renovation were raised through a combination of fundraising and donations.[5] The Historical Society gained possession of the house in May 1966 and began renovations soon after. Renovations included basic remodeling, removal of an upstairs kitchen, rewiring and the installation of restrooms and a custodian's apartment.[6] The historic house museum opened May 30, 1968.[7] There were 109 visitors on opening day.[8] The house has continued to be the Historical Society's seat of operation. The Carriage House Museum was later added to the building for additional office, storage and exhibition space.

In 1977, the Cedar Falls Historical Society together with the city of Cedar Falls was successful in having the Ice House listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Through the work of a successful fund drive for restoration, the Ice House had its grand opening 1979 as the Ice House Museum.

The Wyth House was bequeathed to the Historical Society by Dorothy G. Wyth along with a fund for its preservation and restoration. The Historical Society restoration committee decided that the interior of the Arts & Crafts/Mission style home should be restored in an Art Deco fashion.

Collection

Because of the society's local focus, the collection ranges from the mid-1800s, when Cedar Falls was founded, to the present. The collection includes period furnishings, decorative arts, costumes, quilts and textiles, stereoscopes and cards, ice harvesting and agricultural equipment, and regional archives.[2] It also includes historic models of Cedar Falls buildings by Gene Lehman and the William J. Lenoir model railroad collection. Much of the collection was acquired through donation or bequests. The William J. Lenoir collection was acquired through successful petitions by community members and the historical society. It is now housed in the lower level of the Carriage House Museum.

Museums

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Christoffersen, Iver. “Many artifacts lost: Early efforts to organize historical society failed.” Cedar Falls Daily Record 4 June 1977. Print.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Historical Organizations in the United States and Canada, 263.
  3. ↑ ”First Historical Exhibition Oct. 18.” Cedar Falls Daily Record 7 Oct. 1964. Print.
  4. ↑ Waterloo Sunday Courier 6 Feb. 1966. Print.
  5. ↑ "Proposed Historical Society Museum: Plan Campaign for Museum Purchase." Waterloo Daily Courier 23 June 1965. Print.
  6. ↑ "Aim for May Opening: Renovation Underway at Historical Society Home." Cedar Falls Daily Record 8 Dec. 1966: 4. Print.
  7. ↑ "Official Opening Today..." Cedar Falls Daily Record 30 May 1968: 7. Print.
  8. ↑ "109 Tour Museum on Opening Day." Cedar Falls Daily Record 31 May 1968. Print.

Works cited

External links