Preservation Iowa, formerly called the Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance (IHPA), was founded in 1989 by members of the public concerned about the destruction of significant historic sites and buildings in the state of Iowa

Iowa

Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...

.

Preservation Iowa sponsors two programs, Iowa’s Most Endangered Properties and Preservation at its Best Awards. Currently, it is undertaking initiatives to document barns, country schools, and small-town movie theaters. Preservation Iowa and the National Trust for Historic Preservation

National Trust for Historic Preservation

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is an American member-supported organization that was founded in 1949 by congressional charter to support preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods through a range of programs and activities, including the publication of Preservation...

 are combining efforts to document and mitigate the effects of the 2008 Iowa floods on historic structures.

Preservation Iowa publishes the Iowa Preservationist quarterly.

The 2008 Preservation Iowa "Iowa's Most Endangered Properties" include:

• Gruwell and Crew General Store
  Gruwell and Crew General Store
  The Gruwell and Crew General Store is one of the oldest buildings in West Branch. Mayor S.C. Gruwell and J.C. Crew built the structure in 1894, it operated as a music store, harness shop, shoe repair shop, and as a variety store. In 1964 the West Branch Heritage Foundation converted it to a museum....
  
  , West Branch
  West Branch, Iowa
  West Branch is a city in Cedar and Johnson counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 2,342 as of July 2009, a 7% growth since the 2000 census...
  
   (on the NRHP)
• Len Jus Building (Mason City, Iowa)
  Len Jus Building (Mason City, Iowa)
  The Len Jus Building on Federal Avenue in Mason City, Iowa was constructed in 1882. It has an extremely rare sheet-metal facade, manufactured by the Mesker Brothers Iron Works. This building has been placed on Preservation Iowa’s Most Endangered list because of its poor repair and indifferent...
  
  , Mason City
  Mason City, Iowa
  Mason City is the county seat of Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States. The population was 28,079 in the 2010 census, a decline from 29,172 in the 2000 census. The Mason City Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Cerro Gordo and Worth counties....
  
  
• Masonic Building (Burrows Block--Bank Block)
  Masonic Building (Osceola, Iowa)
  The Masonic Building, also called the Burrows Block, Bank Block, and Masonic Temple stands on the public squarein Osceola, Iowa. It was constructed by banker A.H. Burrows in 1872. The upper stories of this Italianate building were used by Osceola Lodge No. 77 of the Ancient Free & Accepted Masons,...
  
  , Osceola
  Osceola, Iowa
  Osceola is a city in Clarke County, Iowa, United States. The population was 4,659 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Clarke County.-Geography:Osceola is located at , at the junction of Interstate 35 and U.S. Routes 34 and 69...
  
  
• Union Block
  Union Block (Mount Pleasant, Iowa)
  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 awarded a license to practice law. The third floor housed the...
  
  , Mount Pleasant
  Mount Pleasant, Iowa
  Mount Pleasant is a city in and the county seat of Henry County, Iowa, in the United States. The population was 8,668 in the 2010 census, a decline from 8,751 in the 2000 census. It was founded in 1835 by pioneer Presley Saunders.- History :...
  
   (on the NRHP)
• Fort Madison Archaeological Site, Fort Madison
  Fort Madison, Iowa
  Fort Madison, situated on the Mississippi River, is a city in and one of the county seats of Lee County, Iowa, United States. The other county seat is Keokuk. The population was 10,715 at the 2000 census...
  
   (on the NRHP)
• Faeth Farmstead and Orchard District
  Faeth Farmstead and Orchard District
  The Faeth Farm near Fort Madison, Iowa was founded by German immigrants Jacob and Elizabeth Faeth in 1832. Mormons encamped near the farm after fleeing Nauvoo, Illinois. Adam Faeth built the existing house and barn. Herb Faeth expanded the orchard; he was close friends with the naturalist Aldo...
  
  , Fort Madison (on the NRHP)
• Grant Wood
  Grant Wood
  Grant DeVolson Wood was an American painter, born four miles east of Anamosa, Iowa. He is best known for his paintings depicting the rural American Midwest, particularly the painting American Gothic, an iconic image of the 20th century.- Life and career :His family moved to Cedar Rapids after his...
  
   Home, Cedar Rapids
  Cedar Rapids, Iowa
  Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
  
  
• Bethel African Methodist Church
  Bethel African Methodist Church (Cedar Rapids, Iowa)
  The Bethel African Methodist Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa is one of the few surviving links to Cedar Rapid's early African American community; this neighborhood has been nearly obliterated by development of Mercy Hospital. The church has been placed on Preservation Iowa’s Most Endangered list...
  
  , Cedar Rapids
• Flooded Historic Neighborhoods, Cedar Rapids