This Commission fosters pride in the legacy of beauty and achievements of the past, and promote the use of sites and districts of historic and cultural significance as places for the education, pleasure and welfare of the people of the city.
| *Jeff Thomas | 1-01-27 |
| Lea Bradley | 1-01-29 |
| Deb Savage | 2-01-27 |
| Vacancy | 1-01-27 |
| Joy Lapp | 1-01-29 |
(*Denotes Chair)
The Mount Pleasant Historic Preservation Commission (MPHPC) was established in 1988 by city ordinance. This commission is responsible for identifying and documenting historic properties, maintaining records of survey projects, and nominating eligible sites to the National Register of Historic Places. In addition to these activities, the MPHPC may acquire, preserve, maintain, operate, and transfer historic properties to support preservation efforts. The MPHPC also promotes public awareness of historic preservation and local history through educational and interpretive programs.
In spring 2025, the Mount Pleasant Historic Preservation Commission (MPHPC) received a Certified Local Government (CLG) from the National Park Service / State Historic Preservation Office to nominate the proposed Mount Pleasant Downtown Historic District to the National Register of Historic Places. The MPHPC hired Rebecca Lawin McCarley of SPARK Consulting to develop the nomination, which was based on information researched as part of the 2023-24 survey project. The proposed historic district is composed of 137 properties on approximately 14 blocks in downtown Mount Pleasant around Central Park and to the north and east. Overall, there are 170 tabulated resources, including 149 contributing resources and 21 non-contributing resources. The historic district is dominated by two-story brick buildings with integrity dating from the middle of the 19th century to the middle of the 20th century, with some one-story buildings and some taller three-story or four-story buildings as well. The Mount Pleasant Downtown Historic District served as the central business district for Mount Pleasant from the platting of the town with a central square in 1837 through the end of the period of significance in 1981.
A public hearing will be held on the proposed Mount Pleasant Downtown Historic District on Monday May 18, 2026, at 6:30 P.M. on the third story of Union Block (111 W. Monroe St). Property owners and interested residents from Mount Pleasant and the surrounding area are encouraged to attend to learn more about the historic downtown, the nomination process for the National Register, and the benefits of listing. The meeting will feature a presentation by the project consultant Rebecca Lawin McCarley, who will share detailed information about the proposed district, National Register of Historic Places, and available financial incentive programs that support the rehabilitation of historic buildings. Listing a property in a National Register historic district does not place any additional restrictions on property owners. If an owner chooses to use financial incentive program, the guidelines of the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation must be followed as a condition of funding. Otherwise, property owners may undertake any type of project without additional review requirements. Owners are encouraged to pursue projects that are sympathetic to the historic character of their buildings, and resources and guidance are available.
The current draft of the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) nomination for the Mount Pleasant Downtown Historic District is found below. This nomination will be reviewed by the State Nomination Review Committee on Friday June 12, 2026. Final revisions to this draft nomination will be completed after the meeting, and the nomination will be forwarded to the National Park Service for final review and formal approval. This process typically takes 90-120 days after the state meeting.
Link to draft NRHP nomination:
Draft NRHP nomination form for Mount Pleasant Downtown Historic District
NRHP photographs for Mount Pleasant Downtown Historic District
The Mount Pleasant Historic Preservation Commission (MPHPC) received a Certified Local Government (CLG) from the National Park Service / State Historic Preservation Office to complete an intensive level historical and architectural survey project in 2023-24 for downtown Mount Pleasant. The project was structured for the MPHPC to work with a consultant, Rebecca Lawin McCarley of SPARK Consulting, to complete the survey project. Through the work of the MPHPC, consultant, and several dedicated volunteers, extensive research was completed on 137 properties within downtown Mount Pleasant, with the information documented on individual Iowa Site Inventory forms. The project also included the development of a survey report that further documents the overall history of downtown Mount Pleasant and the results of the survey project. This project set the stage for the nomination of the Mount Pleasant Downtown Historic District to the National Register of Historic Places.
This map outlines the area and buildings included in the survey project. The survey numbers were assigned for the purposes of the project, with the Iowa Site Inventory forms below associated with these numbers.
Link to survey report:
Intensive Level Historical and Architectural Survey of Downtown Mount Pleasant, Iowa
Historical and Architectural Survey 2023-2024
- DT-000 – MP Downtown Historic District – 44-02280
- DT-001 – 101 W Washington St – Central Park – Iowa #44-00086
- DT-002 – 100 W Washington St – Capitol Savings and Loan – Iowa #44-00441
- DT-003 – 110 W Washington St – Hi-Hat Café – Iowa #44-00443
- DT-004 – 112 W Washington St – J.J. Parker Building – Iowa #44-00444
- DT-005 – 200 S Jefferson St – Sinclair Station – Iowa #44-00413
- DT-006 – 204 S Jefferson St – Taylor Motors Used Cars – Iowa #44-00217
- DT-007 – 203 S Jefferson St – Taylor Motors – Iowa #44-02251
- DT-008 – 201 S Jefferson St – V.F.W. Building – Iowa #44-00216
- DT-009 – 204 W Washington St – Home Furniture – Iowa #44-00445
- DT-010 – 204 S. Jackson – Mt Pleasant Fire Station – Iowa #44-02275
- DT-011 – 203 S Jackson St – Kauffman Chiropractic – Iowa #44-02240
- DT-012 – 300 W Washington St – Medicap Pharmacy – Iowa #44-02276
- DT-013 – 309 W Washington St – Dickey’s Prairie Home & Maid-Rite – Iowa #44-02278
- DT-014 – 301 W Washington St – Mustang Market – Iowa #44-02277
- DT-015 – 217 W Washington St – Modern Laundry – Iowa #44-00447
- DT-016 – 211 W Washington St – Smitty’s Cleaners – Iowa #44-00446
- DT-017 – 129 S Jefferson St – Drug Town – Iowa #44-02250
- DT-018 – 119 S Jefferson St – West Side Café and Tavern – Iowa #44-00211
- DT-019 – 117 S Jefferson St – Ruby Dry Cleaners – Iowa #44-00210
- DT-020 – 115 S Jefferson St – Lash Building – Iowa #44-00209
- DT-021 – 113 S Jefferson St – Kennedy’s Dairy – Iowa #44-00208
- DT-022 – 111 S Jefferson St – Ernst Building – Iowa #44-00207
- DT-023 – 109 S Jefferson St – Commercial building – Iowa #44-00206
- DT-024 – 107 S Jefferson St – Commercial building – Iowa #44-00205
- DT-025 – 103 S Jefferson St – Hoaglin’s Variety Store – Iowa #44-00204
- DT-026 – 101 S Jefferson St – First National Bank – Iowa #44-00203
- DT-027 – 220 W Monroe St – City Hall – Iowa #44-00377
- DT-028 – 300 W Monroe St – Universal Motors Co – Iowa #44-02264
- DT-029 – 301 W Monroe St – Complete Eye Care Center – Iowa #44-02265
- DT-030 – 106 N Jackson St – Bud’s Super Valu – Iowa #44-00180
- DT-031 – 104 N Jackson St – Skerik Parts Service Co – Iowa #44-02239
- DT-032 – 225 W Monroe St – Masters Building – Iowa #44-00378
- DT-033 – 217-219 W Monroe St – McLeran Building – Iowa #44-00376
- DT-034 – 215 W Monroe St – Mt Pleasant News Building – Iowa #44-00375
- DT-035 – 211 W Monroe St – Galer & Galer Building – Iowa #44-00374
- DT-036 – 101 N Jefferson St – Insurance Plan Savings & Loan – Iowa #44-00184
- DT-037 – 103 N Jefferson St – Hoaglin’s – Iowa #44-00185
- DT-038 – 105 N Jefferson St – City Hall Block – Iowa #44-02241
- DT-039 – 109 N Jefferson St – Brown’s Shoe Fit Co – Iowa #44-00188
- DT-040 – 111 N Jefferson St – C.C. Warhurst Grocery – Iowa #44-00190
- DT-041 – 113 N Jefferson St – Thompson Building – Iowa #44-00192
- DT-042 – 115 N Jefferson St – Martin & McAdam Building – Iowa #44-00193
- DT-043 – 119 N Jefferson St – Weir Building – Iowa #44-00194
- DT-044 – 121 N Jefferson St – Burket Hardware – Iowa #44-00195
- DT-045 – 123 N Jefferson St – Harlan-Hoaglin-DeJaynes Building – Iowa #44-00197
- DT-046 – 125 N Jefferson St – Harlan-Hoaglin-Walker Building – Iowa #44-00198
- DT-047 – 127 N Jefferson St – Dougherty Building – Iowa #44-02242
- DT-048-49 – 129 N Jefferson St – Shannon Building – Iowa #44-00199
- DT-050 – 207 W Madison St – W. Fletcher and Harriet Dougherty House – Iowa #44-02254
- DT-051 – 205 W Madison St – Couchman Clinic – Iowa #44-02253
- DT-052 – 203 N Jefferson St – Fellowship Cup – Iowa #44-02247
- DT-053 – 207 N Jefferson St – Elgar Law Office – Iowa #44-02248
- DT-054 – 209 N Jefferson St – State Farm Insurance – Iowa #44-02249
- DT-055 – 210 N Jefferson St – Sandy’s – Iowa #44-02246
- DT-056 – 206 N Jefferson St – Christian Science Church – Iowa #44-02245
- DT-057 – 204 N Jefferson St – Megorden Building – Iowa #44-02244
- DT-058 – 202 N Jefferson St – McCoid Building – Iowa #44-02243
- DT-059 – 200 N Jefferson St – United States Post Office – Iowa #44-00786
- DT-060 – 122 N Jefferson St – Harlan House (Hotel) – Iowa #44-00196
- DT-061 – 112 N Jefferson St – Mt Pleasant Implement Co – Iowa #44-00191
- DT-062 – 110 N Jefferson St – Goe Building – Iowa #44-00189
- DT-063 – 108 N Jefferson St – Cole Brothers – Iowa #44-00187
- DT-064 – 106 N Jefferson St – City Hall and Fire Station – Iowa #44-00186
- DT-065 – 125 W Monroe St – Hill-Hayes Building – Iowa #44-00373
- DT-066 – 123 W Monroe St – Becker’s Jewelry – Iowa #44-00372
- DT-067 – 121 W Monroe St – O’Connor Clothing Store – Iowa #44-00371
- DT-068 – 119 W Monroe St – Rukgaber Hardware – Iowa #44-02263
- DT-069 – 117 W Monroe St – Lane’s Ready to Wear – Iowa #44-00370
- DT-070 – 115 W Monroe St – McCandless Building – Iowa #44-00369
- DT-071 – 111 (107-109-111-113) W Monroe St – Union Block – Iowa #44-00368
- DT-072 – 103-105 W Monroe St – Crane Building – Iowa #44-00367
- DT-073 – 101 W Monroe St – National State Bank – Iowa #44-00366
- DT-074 – 105 N Main St – Saunders Building – Iowa #44-00240
- DT-075 – 107 N Main St – Commercial building – Iowa #44-00241
- DT-076 – 109-111 N Main St – Pitcher Building – Iowa #44-00242
- DT-077 – 115 N Main St – Masonic Temple Theater – Iowa #44-00246
- DT-078 – 119 N Main St – Burton Chiropractic – Iowa #44-00249
- DT-079 – 121-123 N Main St – Dyall Building – Iowa #44-00251
- DT-080 – 127 N Main St – Spurgeon’s – Iowa #44-00254
- DT-081 – 101 W Madison St – Iowa-Illinois Telephone Company – Iowa #44-02252
- DT-082 – 213 N Main St – J.F. Sargent House / D.L. Cookes Funeral Home – Iowa #44-00259
- DT-083 – 212 N Main St – Case Memorials – Iowa #44-02258
- DT-084 – 210 N Main St – Spry Building – Iowa #44-02257
- DT-085 – 208 N Main St – Garrison Building – Iowa #44-00258
- DT-086 – 206 N Main St – Masonic Temple – Iowa #44-02256
- DT-088-87 – 202-204 N Main St – Wettach Building – Iowa #44-02255
- DT-089 – 200 N Main St – Mount Pleasant Public Library – Iowa #44-00257
- DT-090 – 130 N Main St – Main Street Café – Iowa #44-00256
- DT-091 – 128 N Main St – Snell Building – Iowa #44-00255
- DT-092 – 126 N Main St – Bergdahl Building – Iowa #44-00253b
- DT-093 – 124 N Main St – Virden Building – Iowa #44-00253a
- DT-094 – 122 N Main St – McClure Building – Iowa #44-00252
- DT-095 – 120 N Main St – Bud’s Flower Shop – Iowa #44-00250
- DT-096 – 118 N Main St – Walker Building – Iowa #44-00248
- DT-097 – 116 N Main St – Smith Building – Iowa #44-00247
- DT-098 – 114 N Main St – Smith & Linn Building – Iowa #44-00245
- DT-099 – 112 N Main St – Dilger Building – Iowa #44-00244
- DT-100 – 110 N Main St – Budde-Singer Building – Iowa #44-00243
- DT-101 – 100 N Main St – Brazelton House (Hotel) – Iowa #44-00239
- DT-102 – 115 E Monroe St – Colonial Apartments (Asbury Chapel) – Iowa #44-00331
- DT-103 – 104 N Adams St – Taft Warehouse – Iowa #44-02231
- DT-104 – 201 E Monroe St – Zuhn Building – Iowa #44-00332
- DT-105 – 205 E Monroe St – Sater Blacksmith Shop – Iowa #44-02259
- DT-106 – 211 E Monroe St – Hunt Building – Iowa #44-02260
- DT-107 – 217 E Monroe St – Buss Building – Iowa #44-02261
- DT-108 – 200 E Monroe St – Rec Center – Iowa #44-02262
- DT-109 – 114 E Monroe St – Professional Office Building – Iowa #44-00330
- DT-110 – 100 S Main St – Henry County Savings Bank – Iowa #44-00293
- DT-111 – 102 S Main St – Mt Pleasant Bank and Trust Co – Iowa #44-00294
- DT-112 – 106 S Main St – Crane Hardware – Iowa #44-00295
- DT-113 – 108 S Main St – Eshelman Building – Iowa #44-00296
- DT-115-114 – 110-112 S Main St – Schliep Building – Iowa #44-00297
- DT-116 – 114 S Main St – Mt Pleasant Fruit Supply – Iowa #44-00298
- DT-117 – 116 S Main St – Seifert’s – Iowa #44-00299
- DT-118 – 118 S Main St – Timmerman-Burd Building – Iowa #44-00300
- DT-119 – 120 S Main St – Louisa Building – Iowa #44-00301
- DT-120 – 124 S Main St – Stough Building – Iowa #44-00302
- DT-121 – 111 E Washington St – Van Allen Building – Iowa #44-00414
- DT-122 – 100 E Washington St – Henry County Court House – Iowa #44-00442
- DT-123 – 117 E Washington St – Dairy Queen – Iowa #44-02266
- DT-124 – 109 S Adams St – C.D. Swailes Auto Service – Iowa #44-00103
- DT-125 – 201 E Washington St – Quick Break – Iowa #44-02267
- DT-126 – 207 E Washington St – Henry Co Supply Co-op – Iowa #44-02268
- DT-127 – 209 E Washington St – Conoco Service Station – Iowa #44-02269
- DT-128 – 107 S Harrison St – L.F. Willard House – Iowa #44-02237
- DT-129 – 301 E Washington St – Henry County Savings Bank – Iowa #44-02270
- DT-130 – 200 S Adams St – St Michael’s Rectory – Iowa #44-02271
- DT-131 – 202 E Washington St – St Michael’s Episcopal Church – Iowa #44-02272
- DT-132 – 204 E Washington St – Mt Pleasant Police Station – Iowa #44-02273
- DT-133 – 300 E Washington St – Congregational Church – Iowa #44-02274
- DT-134 – 207 S Harrison St – Mt Pleasant Professional Center – Iowa #44-02238
- DT-135 – 204 E Clay St – Wilcox Welding Service – Iowa #44-02236
- DT-136 – 300 S Adams St – Henry County Abstract Co – Iowa #44-02232
- DT-137 – 106 E Clay St – Henry County Jail and Sheriff’s Quarters – Iowa #44-02234
- DT-138 – 106B E Clay St – County building – Iowa #44-02235
- DT-139 – 104 E Clay St – Donald Gartin Law Office – Iowa #44-02233
- DT-140 – 206 S Adams St – Jesse and Florence Allender House – Iowa #44-02279
Several buildings in Mount Pleasant have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places over the last 50 years. Click below on links to these earlier nominations.
- Old Main – Iowa Wesleyan College (1973)
- Harlan-Lincoln House – 101 W Broad St (1973)
- Henry County Courthouse – 100 E Washington St (1981)
- Brazelton House – 401 N. Main St (1983)
- Mount Pleasant Public Library – 200 N. Main St (1983)
- G.W.S. Allen House – 207 E Henry St (1985)
- Brazelton House Hotel – 100 N. Main St (1986)
- Henry Ambler House – 405 N Broadway St (1986)
- Harlan House Hotel – 122 N Jefferson (1987)
- First National Bank – 101 S. Jefferson St (1991)
- Budde-Singer Building – 110 N. Main St (1991)
- Masonic Temple Theater – 115 N. Main St (1991)
- Henry County Savings Bank – 100 S. Main St (1991)
- Timmerman-Burd Building – 118 S. Main St (1991)
- Louisa Building – 120 S. Main St (1991)
- Zuhn Building – 201 E. Monroe (1991)
- National State Bank – 101 W. Monroe (1991)
- Union Block Building – 109 W. Monroe (1991)
- McCandless Building – 115 W. Monroe (1991)
- City Hall – 110 W Monroe St (1991)
- Masters Building – 221 W. Monroe (1991)
- Justin Ball House – 500 W Monroe St (1994)
- George and Margaret Cooper House – 400 W Monroe St (1997)
- Second Baptist Church – 407 W Saunders St (2014)