NATIONAL TRUST NAMES
EAST SIDE AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS, DECORAH, IOWA,
ONE OF AMERICA'S 11 MOST ENDANGERED HISTORIC PLACES
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Washington, D.C (May 29,2003) - For more than a
century, the majestic twin towers of Decorah's East Side School have
dominated the skyline of this farming community nestled in the scenic
hills of northeast Iowa. A rugged example of turn-of-the-century
design and a time-honored symbol of the hopes and dreams of generations of
Decorah residents, the school was built in 1896 and remained in continuous
use until 1999. But today, East Side is empty, deteriorated and -
along with the adjoining Middle School, built in 1922 - facing an
uncertain future. Perhaps more than any other building type,
historic neighborhood schools such as East Side represent the bond between
the community's past and present and the collective memory of thousand of
local citizens - but thousands of these treasured landmarks have been
reduced to rubble in recent years. Before too long, Decorah could be
next in line to hear the sound of the school bell replaced by the crash of
the wrecking ball. |
| To highlight the threat to this vital piece of
American heritage, the National Trust for Historical Preservation
today named the East Side and Middle schools to its 2003 list of America's
11 Most Endangered Historic Places. |
"Across the nation, communities are
associating 'old' with 'bad' when they need to understand that historic
sites have value and deserve consideration," said Richard Moe,
president of the National Trust. "It's an unfortunate fact that
local public school officials in Decorah seem unable or unwilling to see
what they have right on their doorstep - important historical and architectural
pieces of our Heartland culture."
The History Channel® will feature the list on July 3, 2003 at 9 p.m.
EDT/PDT in a one-hour documentary special entitled, "America's Most
Endangered." The show, hosted by Roger Mudd, is part of the
Save our History™ campaign, The History Channel's award-winning
national initiative dedicated to history preservation and history
education. |
| History: Since 1896, the Romanesque
Revival East Side School has been a beautiful rural landmark, a
neighborhood school and a fixture of community life for generations. |
| Threat: Historic East Side School is
empty and the adjoining Middle School suffers from minimal maintenance.
They are both symptomatic of the national epidemic in historic school
demolitions. |
| Solution: Historic schools present a
national opportunity. They can - and should - be properly maintained
and, when necessary, upgraded so that they can provide state-of-the-art
learning environments and continue to function as neighborhood
anchors. Supporters are convinced that the East Side and Middle
schools can be upgraded to meet the educational needs of the students into
the 21st century.
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National Trust
for Historic Preservation |
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