Why Not Us, LLC, the group of 73 local women who came together to save and rehabilitate the historic Centennial Block, has been awarded the Community Enhancement through Historic Vitalization Award by the Iowa Architectural Foundation.
The Centennial Block, at the corner of State St and N. Wilson Ave, was built in 1876 and is the oldest building on its block and the fourth-oldest masonry structure in Jefferson’s historic downtown district.
The building was damaged in 2019 when a frozen pipe on the second floor burst, dumping 44,000 gallons of water on the main level, making the entire building unusable.
The response became Why Not Us, LLC, a community equity model in which 73 women invested $5,000 each with no expectation of dividends, only the shared goal of saving the building.
Why Not Us purchased the property and worked with the city of Jefferson, Jefferson Matters, Main Street Iowa, Region 12 Council of Governments, local contractors, architect Pete Franks and other partners to assemble a layered funding strategy for the rehabilitation.
The $1,019,500 rehabilitation restored first floor commercial space as the Centennial Café, completed in 2022, and added two upper-story housing units, completed in 2025.
The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2022.
Why Not Us is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the building’s completion Sunday, Oct. 4. (See an earlier post on GreeneCountyNewsOnline for details.)
‘The historic character remained central to the rehabilitation. Original window openings were restored, historic finishes were recreated, and the building’s distinctive terra-cotta window hoods featuring women’s faces were preserved. One of the decorative faces was brought inside the restaurant as a focal point, allowing visitors to experience the building’s architectural history up close,” a press release from the Iowa Architectural Foundation stated.
“This project exemplifies what Community Enhancement means. It brought together a group of women determined to make their town better and it galvanized a community. It may not be a large dollar project but the impact on Jefferson has been immense,” said Chad Rasmussen, a juror in the award program.
Why Not Us LLC will be recognized Sept. 24 at the American Institute of Architects Iowa awards celebration.
About the Community Enhancement Awards – The Iowa Architectural Foundation’s Community Enhancement Awards celebrate the people and organizations who demonstrate that thoughtful architecture, design, and preservation can have a lasting impact on Iowa communities. Through these awards, IAF recognizes those who champion the built environment and help create places that are meaningful, vibrant, and connected to their communities.
Peg Raney, Rita Pedersen, Debra McGinn, Carol Zwicky, Jacque Andrew, Shirley Stapleton, Ruth Freeman, Jeanne Myers, Ginny Showman and Karen Voge-Perkins.
