A sturdy little building that’s sat in eastern Iowa since Grover Cleveland was President will be settled onto a new foundation in a new setting today. The historic Salvation Army Citadel made a four-hour journey through Maquoketa yesterday and is ready to be placed in its new home.Vera Barten is one of the champions of the 32-by-70-foot wooden structure, which was in danger of being torn down to become a parking lot for a car dealership. Built in 1887, it was the first Salvation Army facility in Iowa and may’ve been the first west of the Mississippi River.Barten says more than 21-thousand dollars was raised to move the Citadel across town and into Horseshoe Park, where it’ll become a welcome center & tourist information center for the Jackson County town. Barten says she’s found 113-year-old newspaper clippings that show how the building appeared back then, and she hopes to get it looking that way again.A local Boy Scout troop also plans to make the Citadel its permanent home. Donations for the renovation project can be sent to the Maquoketa City Hall. A city-wide garage sale tomorrow will raise money for the welcome center and a benefit bike-a-thon is planned for later in the month.
Iowa's Radio News Network
