Old Brick

Information may not be reliable

History Old Brick was erected 1856-65 and was originally the North Presbyterian Church. It is the second oldest building in Iowa City and one of the few surviving local structures from the Civil War era.

Old Brick's RenaissanceOld
Brick has aged gracefully. Its Romanesque beauty and sturdy Iowa
construction weathered many storms, metaphorically and literally.

by the end of the twentieth century, inevitable deterioration led to a

Grants from the State Historical Society
of Iowa and loans from Community Development Block Grant funding,
enabled Old Brick to begin a major restoration project that included:
new gutters, soffits, and downspouts, exterior window trim repair,
installation of a chair lift that provided accessibility to the
auditorium, and rebuilding a handicapped accessible restroom.

than 3,400 hours of volunteer labor combined with the generosity of
several vendors led to additional improvements including remodeling the
kitchen, refinishing the entryway, stairs, upper hallway in the west
wing, and auditorium floor. Volunteers also painted auditorium,
remodeled a dressing room, installed new flooring in the entryway, and
planted new exterior landscaping. New tables and chairs for public event
and air-conditioning in the auditorium were also donated.

The Repointing ProjectA major repointing project was completed in 2006 that involved cleaning the building's brick exterior, replacing mortar and damaged bricks and rebuilding the chimney. This project was financed with an $86,900 grant from the State Historical Society, a Community Development Block Grant loan of $50,000 and a matching $50,000 raised by the Old Brick Foundation and the Old Brick Board from businesses and individuals.