Save CR Heritage is celebrating its 10th anniversary by highlighting historic churches and other buildings at the edge of downtown Cedar Rapids Saturday, April 30.
The tour, set for 1-3 p.m., will begin at the J.E. Halvorson House, 606 Fifth Ave. SE. The nonprofit hopes to draw attention to these buildings that have stood the test of time, along with their history and the people who keep them going today.
Two churches on the tour, for example, have been committed to staying downtown, even as the surrounding neighborhoods have all but disappeared, while the owner of a small café in another building has managed to stay open during the pandemic, derecho and ongoing street closures.
One building on the tour was moved 100 years ago, while another was relocated in more recent history to save it from demolition.
Participants will start at the J.E. Halvorson House, 606 Fifth Ave. SE, next to Kathy’s Pies, for a wristband and map of the tour sites, all within walking distance. Visitors will see inside these historic gems as volunteers share information about the history of each tour stop. Tickets, at just $10 each, support the early-1900s J.E. Halvorson House.
The tour also will be the last opportunity to sign a petition to place the closure of Garfield Elementary School on the Cedar Rapids Community School District’s Board of Education agenda. Save CR Heritage believes the public deserves a voice in a decision as far-reaching as a school closure.
Organized in response to the demolitions of two historic Cedar Rapids churches, Save Cedar Rapids Heritage was incorporated May 3, 2012, and is operated entirely by a group of volunteers. The buildings tour is the first of several events the group plans this year to mark the past decade, including window and screen repair workshops and other tours.
