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Mount Vernon Historic Preservation Commission

Mount Vernon Historic Preservation Commission

Exploring the Stories and History of Mount Vernon, Iowa

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      • Procedures of the Mount Vernon Historic Preservation Commission
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  • Historic Districts
    • Owning Property in a Historic District
    • Ash Park District
      • Ash Park District Description
      • Ash Park Walking Tour
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    • Commercial District
      • Commercial District Description
      • Commercial District Walking Tour
      • Commercial NRHP Registration Form.pdf
    • Cornell College District
      • Cornell College District Description
      • Cornell College NRHP Registration Form.pdf
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    • Mount Vernon Photos
    • Ash Park District – Photos
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  • History
    • A Short History of Mount Vernon
    • Map of How Mount Vernon Grew
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    • High School History Reports
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    • Mount Vernon / Lisbon Newspapers (1860 – 2012)
    • A Centennial History of Mount Vernon, Iowa: 1847-1947
    • A Survey of Brick Buildings in Mount Vernon, Iowa 1850-1859
    • 2023 Treasure Play
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Commercial District – Photos

Photo of Painting of Downtown Southside Sun Newspaper by Mark Benesh

If you want to see where it all began, take a stroll through the Commercial District. Mount Vernon began as a town which serviced travelers along the first north-south highway in the state: Highway One. The town consisted of dry goods stores, repair shops for wagons and harnesses, and a watering trough at the intersection of Main Street and Highway One. This intersection was the birthplace of Mount Vernon.

Today the Commercial District harbors several outstanding restaurants, antique shops, and boutiques. The district also serves as headquarters for many of Mount Vernon’s quintessential events—Chalk the Walk, Chili Cook-Off, Magical Night—so stop by! No matter the season, there’s always something exciting happening in the Commercial District.


Pandemic 2020-Kae Apothecary

Photo of Kae Apothecary

Pandemic 2020-Kae Apothecary

Categories Commercial District - Photos, Mount Vernon's Historic Photos Tags Commercial Historic District, Mount Vernon, Pandemic 2020

Pandemic 2020-Iron Leaf Press

Photo of sign in Iron Leaf Press window

Pandemic 2020-Iron Leaf Press

Categories Commercial District - Photos, Mount Vernon's Historic Photos Tags Commercial Historic District, Mount Vernon, Pandemic 2020

Pandemic 2020-Iron Leaf Press

Photo of Iron Leaf Press

Pandemic 2020-Iron Leaf Press

Categories Commercial District - Photos, Mount Vernon's Historic Photos Tags Commercial Historic District, Mount Vernon, Pandemic 2020

Pandemic window sign in April, 2020

Photo of sign in window

Pandemic window sign in April, 2020

Categories Commercial District - Photos, Mount Vernon's Historic Photos Tags Commercial Historic District, Mount Vernon, Pandemic 2020

Downtown @ 1895-1898

Photo of Downtown @ 1895-1898

Downtown @ 1895-1898

Categories Commercial District - Photos, Mount Vernon's Historic Photos Tags Commercial Historic District, Mount Vernon

Painting of Downtown Southside Sun Newspaper by Mark Benesh

Photo of Painting of Downtown Southside Sun Newspaper by Mark Benesh

Painting of Downtown Southside Sun Newspaper by Mark Benesh. Image used with permission from artist.

Categories Commercial District - Photos Tags Commercial Historic District, Mount Vernon

Painting of Downtown Southside Baumans by Mark Benesh

Photo of Painting of Downtown Southside Baumans by Mark Benesh

Painting of Downtown Southside Baumans by Mark Benesh. Image used by permission from artist.

Categories Commercial District - Photos Tags Commercial Historic District, Mount Vernon

Painting of Downtown Northside Lincoln Cafe by Mark Benesh

Photo of Downtown Northside Lincoln Cafe

Painting of Downtown Northside Lincoln Cafe by Mark Benesh. Image is displayed by permission from … Read more …

Categories Commercial District - Photos Tags Commercial Historic District, Mount Vernon

Fuel Painting by Mark Benesh

Photo of Fuel Painting by Mark Benesh

Mark Benesh gave permission for this image to be on the MVHPC website.

Categories Commercial District - Photos, Mount Vernon's Historic Photos Tags Commercial Historic District, Mount Vernon

Bauman & Company-May 2020

Photo of Mike Smith

Mike Smith helps with the window restoration of Bauman & Company.

Categories Commercial District - Photos, Mount Vernon's Historic Photos Tags Commercial Historic District, Mount Vernon

Chalk the Walk-2015

Photo of Chalk the Walk-2015

Chalk the Walk-2015

Categories Commercial District - Photos, Mount Vernon's Historic Photos Tags Chalk the Walk, Festivals, Mount Vernon

Chalk the Walk-2015

Photo of Chalk the Walk-2015

Chalk the Walk-2015

Categories Commercial District - Photos, Mount Vernon's Historic Photos Tags Chalk the Walk, Commercial Historic District, Festivals, Mount Vernon
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Mount Vernon Historic Preservation Commission

Mount Vernon Historic Preservation Commission

Mount Vernon Historic Preservation Commission

2 years ago

Mount Vernon Historic Preservation Commission
The MVHPC partnered with the Linn County Historic Preservation Commission and the Mount Vernon Lisbon Community Development Group on the placement of two new informational kiosks about the history of the Lincoln Hwy in Lisbon and Mount Vernon. There was a commemoration at the Kiosk in Lisbon on Oct. 6 with a poem created for the event by Poet Laureate Amanda Kibbie. The MV Kiosk is located in Prairie Park next to the Cornell football field. The MV kiosk faces one of the last remaining brick portions of the Lincoln Hwy and is near the 10th Avenue Overpass. The overpass was built in approximately 1910 as a part of the Lincoln Hwy. Credit to Steven Ciha of the LCHPC for images. ... See MoreSee Less

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Mount Vernon Historic Preservation Commission

2 years ago

Mount Vernon Historic Preservation Commission
UPDATE!!! Thanks to Jay and Arlie Willems, the circa 1910 glass negatives are now in the Mount Vernon Archives. We are grateful to Arlie and Jay for transporting the negatives and to Joe Burkart of Crestview Florida for donating them.Photo collectors in Crestview Florida have glass plate negatives of a photographer named Hodson who worked in and around Mount Vernon in 1910. The collectors have offered the negatives to the MVHPC. The plates are fragile and very heavy, so shipping them is not a good option. Is anyone planning to travel by car to Florida anytime in the next year and willing pick up these negatives in the panhandle of the state? If so, please send a message on this site to the site administrator. ... See MoreSee Less
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Mount Vernon Historic Preservation Commission updated their status.

2 years ago

Mount Vernon Historic Preservation Commission

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