New Old Brick

The former First Presbyterian Church at 26 East Market Street in Iowa City, known as "Old Brick," was sold to Old Brick Associates, an Iowa City organization dedicated to preserving the structure, on November 7, 1976, for $9,950. Amid the battle cry "Save Old Brick," the Presbyterian congregation voted to sell the structure on this day instead of having it demolished as was planned the previous year.

In 1856 First Presbyterian Church began building Old Brick on the site of the former North Presbyterian Church, which had burned to the ground. Construction of the church was delayed during a national financial panic and was also adversely affected by the decision to move the capitol from Iowa City to Des Moines in 1857. The structure, an example of Romanesque Revival style, was finally dedicated on August 20, 1865. A bell tower and spire were added to First Presbyterian in 1869, making the building 153 feet high. In 1877 a tornado or wind storm brought down the tower and spire and caused considerable damage to the south and east walls. The spire was never rebuilt and the belfry was redesigned as a battlement tower. A north addition was constructed in 1914. Old Brick was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and underwent a restoration in 2002. It is currently the second oldest public building in Iowa City. The inset photo is from 1875.