(Des Moines) The Iowa Economic Development Authority’s State Historic Preservation Office has awarded $750,000 in Iowa Rural Heritage Revitalization Grants to help restore eight historic properties across rural Iowa, including a key landmark in Atlantic.
Funded through the National Park Service’s Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant Program, the awards mark Iowa’s first successful round in the competitive federal program since 2020.
In Atlantic, $71,609 will go toward rehabilitation work at the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Depot. The project will address water infiltration and masonry damage, including brick replacement, tuck-pointing, window stabilization, and restoration of interior walls. The historic depot—listed on the National Register in 1994—once helped drive Atlantic’s growth as a railroad hub and now serves as the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce and a community event space.
Projects must meet federal preservation standards and be completed by July 31, 2027.
