Some 40 years ago, my mother donated a 1915 landscape plan to the State Historical Society of Iowa’s library in Iowa City. The plan, a rare surviving hand-painted sketch by landscape architect Joseph Krieger for Waterloo architect Howard Burr (1885-1964), was part of their design of what later became my family’s home in rural Charles City.
Burr embraced the Prairie style of architecture that emerged in the early 20th century. His designs are evident in homes, churches, schools, and public libraries across Iowa and the Midwest.
His papers, including my mother’s gift, are housed at the State Historical Society of Iowa (SHSI) Research Center in Iowa City, but face an uncertain future following the recent decision by state officials to close that facility in 2026. The administrator of the Society claims that an agency budget shortfall of $800,000 leaves her with no choice but to close the library. The amount in question accounts for 0.00008 percent of the state’s overall budget…