I love this furniture store in downtown Cedar Rapids. Look at that sign stretching up the side of the building.
It's been jazzed up in the 1950's by taking an older building and adding some Modernist touches.
Such as removing the first floor walls and putting in large plate glass windows and streamlined aluminum detailing.
Even the doors received a jazzing up in the renovation.
I love these old factories, like the Quaker Oats Factory; they're so massive and convey a sense of strength and confidence.
This is the bridge that killed St. Louis's long term hopes of competing against Chicago, built in 1856 between Davenport, Iowa and Rock Island, Illinois.
I was able to photograph a little bit of Davenport recently while on a trip there; I'll definitely need to make it back and see some more.
Originally what was essentially a religiously based commune, the Amana Colonies are a popular tourist destination in central Iowa.
The commune ended back in the 1930's, but Amana Appliances are still produced in the town.
The architecture is sturdy, mainly stone instead of the ubiquitous red brick common in the Midwest.
The structures are simple, in keeping with the communal lifestyle that demanded every meal to be eaten with the entire group.
The meeting house is long, relatively unadorned and lacking any grand entrance.
I bet you always wondered where Ashton Kutcher was from, didn't you? The town of Oxford, Iowa, also has some great buildings on its main street as well.
I love how the building below has a strange, round window right in the middle of its front wall; there are many unique architectural varieties in Iowa, probably the work of individual masons who imprinted their personal style on buildings.
I love driving into small towns in Iowa and finding unique buildings.
Kalona, Iowa, is buried in the hills southwest of Iowa City, and is famous for its Amish and Mennonite communities. The downtown is small, not terribly ornate, but it is 100% occupied with good stores, including a great bakery. It seems the town might be becoming a tourist destination, as a "Tuscan" Italian restaurant has opened, surely a sign of higher rollers coming to buy quilts and other goods.
I have driven by this house on US 163 numerous times, and this time I actually got the driver to pull over.
It is unique in many ways, from the date of its construction spelled out in the roof to the great detailing all around.
I discussed with my travel companions how there are literally thousands of anonymous, local styles across the country. The oval windows, which feature prominently in this house, also appear in other, smaller buildings near this one. Who was the builder who added these small details throughout their field of work?
This house is worth driving between Ottumwa and Des Moines.
The depopulation of the Midwest countryside has been particularly rough on small towns far from the interstate, such as Eldon, Iowa. I passed through the small town twice this weekend, and was able to persuade my chauffeur to stop only because it rid us of some particularly annoying cars in front of us.
Despite the desolation, the town has some fascinating local architecture, and a small, if heavily abandoned Main Street.
I particularly enjoyed the Doric-Revival bank building in downtown, with its terracotta columns and glazed brick.
Here is a detail of the bank.
Unfortunately, the refuse of abandonment is creeping close to the downtown area, replete with rusted out trucks.
Perhaps the town can fully utilize this potential tourist attraction: do you recognize it below?
