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 Opera House or Union Hall, a gathering place for the community. Early supporters of women's rights and civil rights spoke there, including Frederick Douglass, Bronson Alcott, Anna Dickinson, and possibly Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.[2] Preservation Iowa had listed Union Block on its most endangered buildings list because of its poor condition and lack of preservation plan. The building was badly damaged by an early morning fire on Jan. 25, 2011.

Union Block
Location109--113 W. Monroe
Mount Pleasant, Iowa
Coordinates40°57′56″N 91°33′13″W
Built1861
ArchitectMcCandless, William
Architectural styleItalianate, Vernacular Italianate
MPSMount Pleasant MPS
NRHP reference No.91001110 [1]
Added to NRHPSeptember 06, 1991
Union Block in 1870.
Union block, 2008, before fire and renovation

Preservation Campaign & Restoration

The Union Block Revitalization Committee was formed to raise awareness and funds for the restoration of the Union Block.[3] Money was raised by the people in the community and the building was renovated. It reopened in August 2014 housing businesses on the first and second floors. The ballroom was restored and updated on the third floor making it a beautiful hall used for a variety of community gatherings, events, and private parties.

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References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. Preservation Iowa, 2008 Most Endangered Properties, "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-01-05. Retrieved 2016-02-08.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. Union Block Revitalization Committee, http://www.savetheunionblock.com/index.html


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