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Union Block (Mount Pleasant, Iowa)

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United States historic place
Union Block
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Union Block (Mount Pleasant, Iowa) is located in IowaUnion Block (Mount Pleasant, Iowa)Show map of IowaUnion Block (Mount Pleasant, Iowa) is located in the United StatesUnion Block (Mount Pleasant, Iowa)Show map of the United States
Location109--113 W. Monroe
Mount Pleasant, Iowa
Coordinates40°57′56″N 91°33′13″W / 40.96556°N 91.55361°W / 40.96556; -91.55361
Built1861
ArchitectMcCandless, William
Architectural styleItalianate, Vernacular Italianate
MPSMount Pleasant MPS
NRHP reference No.91001110
Added to NRHPSeptember 06, 1991
Union Block in 1870.
Union block, 2008, before fire and renovation

The Union Block of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, was built by William McCandless in 1861. Historically it was used as offices and by the county courts. In the Union Block in 1869, Arabella A. Mansfield became the first woman in the United States to be awarded a license to practice law. The third floor housed the Opera House or Union Hall, a gathering place for the community. Early supporters of women's rights and civil rights spoke there, including Frederick Douglass, Bronson Alcott, Anna Dickinson, and possibly Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Preservation Iowa had listed Union Block on its most endangered buildings list because of its poor condition and lack of preservation plan. The building was badly damaged by an early morning fire on Jan. 25, 2011.

Preservation Campaign & Restoration

The Union Block Revitalization Committee was formed to raise awareness and funds for the restoration of the Union Block. Money was raised by the people in the community and the building was renovated. It reopened in August 2014 housing businesses on the first and second floors. The ballroom was restored and updated on the third floor making it a hall used for a variety of community gatherings, events, and private parties.

References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. Preservation Iowa, 2008 Most Endangered Properties, "Preservation Iowa". Archived from the original on 2016-01-05. Retrieved 2016-02-08.
  3. Union Block Revitalization Committee, http://www.savetheunionblock.com/index.html
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Topics
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Other areas
Related
National Register of Historic Places in Henry County, Iowa
Danville Henry County map
Lowell
Mount Pleasant
New London
Oakland Mills Park
Salem
Swedesburg
Trenton
Wayland
See also: National Register of Historic Places listings in Henry County, Iowa and List of National Historic Landmarks in Iowa


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