Demolition work at Ushers Ferry won’t include historic buildings

Cedar Rapids city workers started crunching up a flood-damaged building at the historic Ushers Ferry Village site on Thursday.  But historic village managers say no one should worry that the wrecking ball is aimed at the old farm houses and other buildings that visitors love to see.

Ushers Ferry, located next to Seminole Valley Park in Cedar Rapids, recreates Iowa life in the late 1800's and early 1900's.  Many original buildings were moved to the village, restored and filled with antiques.  But Cedar River flooding in June of 2008 swamped the village along with many other parts of Cedar Rapids.  The village reopened in 2008, but tours have not included any of the damaged buildings.

But the demolition that began on Thursday didn't touch any of the old original buildings.  Instead, city workers knocked down a large concession stand that park workers built a number of years ago.  The reason is it would be too expensive to rebuild that structure that has no historic value to the park.  Likewise, at least five other “replica” buildings that look old-but aren't-will eventually get torn down as well.

But Ushers Ferry Superintendent Teresa White said volunteers and work crews are still busy fixing up those structures that do date to the early years of local history.  And visitors won't have to wait too much longer to see all the restoration work.

“By the first of June, for sure, you'll be able to tour quite a few of the homes again.  They'll be refurnished-we were able to save quite a bit and we've got it in storage,” White said.

The city's historic site also has two structures originally donated by Jones County.  There's no money for repairs of the train depot and another building-so Jones County has agreed to dismantle the buildings and take them back.  White said those buildings will apparently go up in the town of Olin.

Ushers Ferry will be able to take FEMA money not used for repairing the non-historic structures and put it into different projects.  Right now, the plan is to eventually use some of that recovery money to construct a lodge at the entrance to the historic village.

By Dave Franzman, KCRG-TV