Thomas: ‘Preservation at its best’
by Dave Morris · June 03, 2009

Longtime historic preservation advocate Richard Thomas, of Mount Vernon, has been named the recipient of the “Preservation at its Best – Preservationist Award” by the Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance, in conjunction with the Iowa State Historic Preservation Office.

Thomas’ involvement in historic preservation efforts were acknowledged at the state, local and national levels.

In his nomination, Peter Jaynes, a retired Kirkwood Community College history professor who has worked with Thomas on several historic preservation tasks, listed many highlights, including: Thomas’ work as chairman of the Terrace Hill Authority, as chairman and ongoing member of the Mount Vernon Historic Preservation Commission, his work in creating and chairing Linn County’s Historic Preservation Commission and, at the national level, his work as a senior historian and chief of chaplains of the United States Air Force.

Specifically, Jaynes wrote: “Photographer, author, researcher, planner, goad, advocate, teacher, instigator, founder, advisor, scholar, committee member and chairman, worker of the political process, Dick has done it all.”

Among other things, Thomas is the author of a widely quoted work called “From Porch to Patio,” which compares the semi-public spaces used as porches to the more private, backyard patios.

Although his accomplishments are many, Thomas said nothing is more important than what has been done locally.

“I’m most proud of what’s going on in Mount Vernon,” Thomas, 78, said.”There aren’t any other small towns like this. It is so unusual.”

He refers to his work as “bringing the community’s attention to the richness here.” To that end, Thomas and others worked to obtain designation of three areas, including the entire Cornell College campus, as historic districts on the National Register. “The way this community has preserved and celebrated its unique historical environment is very satisfying to me,” said Thomas.

He noted that Iowa in general is “a conserving place,” and he recently counted at least eight buildings in town that have been moved for continued use.

“That accidental attitude gets much of the credit,” he noted.

Thomas gives a lot of the credit for Mount Vernon’s historic preservation efforts to “an acute awareness” among city leaders   of the importance of such work. By next fall, all but one building in uptown will have something close to its original appearance.

Thomas, a native of Aberdeen, S.D. who first came to Mount Vernon in 1967 to teach at the college, notes that as a historian one must understand the past to understand the present and prepare for the future.

“One is both provoked and enriched by historic things that might conjure up a memory,” he said. “Historic preservation deals with symbols. Midwesterners have a natural disposition to treat things of the past with a reverence.”

It’s not just the mansions that need saving, Thomas said. It’s the ordinary places, such as an old soda fountain, that can provide both collective and individual memories of a time long ago.

“Words are needed, but the artifacts are important, too,” he said. “We need to save as many as we can as long as we don’t turn the world into a house museum.”

Thomas refers to old buildings as being able to talk to each other due to their interconnected histories.

He said it’s important for citizens to care about historic preservation.

“It’s whether as a human being you’ll open yourself to the experience of your forefathers,” he said. “It’s a question of being enriched.”

From his first days of leading the committee charged with restoring and opening Terrace Hill to the public, Thomas has been adept at navigating political waters. For that project, which turned the historic Des Moines mansion into the governor’s residence, he had to work with a Democrat-controlled state legislature and a Republican governor.

“You have to find allies, build coalitions, and bring people together for a common goal,” he said. “I learned to take a lot of criticism over Terrace Hill, but if you don’t get in the trenches and fight for it, not much will get done.”

Thomas shows no signs of slowing down. His preservation work will continue, he said, citing a few areas of immediate need:

• “We need a new written history of the town,” he said. The earlier history, “The Centennial History of Mount Vernon, 1847-1947,” included the memories of the sons and daughters of the pioneers and has been reprinted just four times since 1947.

• An interactive website hosting many historic photos and facts is needed, Thomas said. The interactive part of that would allow people to post queries and locate information. The Mount Vernon Historic Preservation Commission’s current website is www.mvhpc.org.

• Increased cooperative education would be beneficial to local students. “As a teaching laboratory, we have a wonderful teaching environment – you can walk everywhere,” he noted.

Thomas said he was told by state officials that Mount Vernon has one of the top two historic preservation programs in the state, and certainly the top one in a community of less than 4,000 people.

“That’s because of a lot of people,” said Thomas. “A lot of things have come together here that are quite remarkable. We’ve got a good reputation.”

Thomas said he likes to tell people that in his early days he collected merit badges. Later, it was degrees, then titles and finally awards. This most recent one, he said, “is an important one – to be recognized by your peers.”

The Preservation Alliance’s awards are presented in conjunction with the Iowa Gaming Association.