Historic Garst
Farmhouse

Client
Whiterock Conservancy
Location
Coon Rapids, IA
Completion date
August 2018

The unassuming white farmhouse at the center of Iowa's Garst Family Farmstead represents significant, pioneering agricultural history and was also the site of an historic 1959 visit by Soviet premier Nikita Khruschev, in the midst of the Cold War.

Named to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009, the Farmstead is protected in perpetuity the Garst family's Whiterock Conservancy. The Whiterock Conservancy approached RDG in 2017, knowing the farmstead was overdue for multiple maintenance needs and asking for help to define what repairs were needed and help prepare application materials for grants and tax credits to help fund the work. RDG prepared an evaluation and assessment of the existing building, prioritized repairs, and then went on to develop construction documents focused on roof replacement, window and door repairs, wood trim repairs, and repainting the entire building.

Awards
Best Rural Project, Iowa Preservation at its Best Awards
Preservation Iowa
2019