"People today want a town that has an individuality about it, a sense of the past, and the preservation of what’s good in the past. You want to take the best of the old and use it. Main Street Elkader has done that," commented Florence Gifford, former president of Main Street Elkader (MSE). Residents of this small, rural Iowa town (population 1,500) rallied together to overcome numerous economic hardships and revitalize the historic downtown, maintaining its state leadership in per-capita retail sales.

The farm crisis of the 1980s, along with the emergence of discount stores in neighboring cities, challenged local leaders to maintain a viable business community. One by one a large hotel, a restaurant, and many small stores closed, leaving the community with only one grocery store and many vacant eyesores. Coinciding with the farm crisis, a new bypass was taking some 4,200 vehicles daily around Elkader instead of through the business district. In 1991, when the Turkey River flooded and damaged buildings along Main Street, the mayor brought residents together for a pep rally in the form of a New Orleans-style funeral complete with Dixieland band to celebrate the death of despair and the birth of hope.

From then on, Elkader community leaders, business owners, and citizens worked to bring life back to downtown. The revitalization began in 1991 with the formation of the Main Street program and technical support from Main Street Iowa and the National Trust’s Main Street Center. In 2001 Elkader received one of five Great American Main Street Awards from the National Trust in recognition of exceptional accomplishments in revitalizing America’s historic and traditional downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts. Since 1980 the National Historic Trust’s Main Street Center has worked with communities to revitalize their historic or traditional commercial areas. With the goal of preserving historic commercial architecture, the Main Street approach has become a powerful economic development tool.

Preservation promotes revitalization. According to Cindy Cook, MSE’s program manager, "People have rallied together. Main Street has had a snowball effect—people are fixing up their residential properties, too." When Main Street started 10 years ago, much of the community saw the value of aesthetic things. Then, for the first time, a group of people started focusing on historic preservation. They saw the town’s history as intricately connected with its growth and painted a picture of what they wanted, as opposed to using a Band-Aid approach.

The recent downtown streetscape project would not have been possible without the planning, finances, and efforts of the city government, the Greater Elkader Chamber of Commerce, Elkader Fest, The Elkader Development Corporation, The Elkader Historical Society, and the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of Elkader. Citizens have taken up the cause by showing pride in their community; they no longer wait for someone else to plan, implement, or pay for projects that need completing.

Since 1992 MSE has seen numerous projects to fruition:

Current projects include the following:

Being a small town, Elkader has limited financial resources to provide grants, loans, or tax relief to private businesses. Therefore, downtown merchants financed improvements with private loans from local banks that have been supportive of downtown revitalization, according to Cook. The Elkader Economic Development Corporation has helped buy down interest rates on some projects.

Restoring and preserving historical integrity during renovation was a priority, given Elkader’s nine National Register sites. MSE provided architectural design proposals for every building at no cost. This enabled business owners to improve their properties while maintaining historical integrity. Main Street maintains a good balance among retail, service, and specialty shops. Cook estimates that 70 percent of the businesses and services have stayed and improved their properties, and 30 percent of the businesses are new. Main Street revitalization also enhanced the town’s rental housing. Elkader has always had second-floor apartments above downtown businesses, and most owners renovated these units as part of the overall improvement.

Elkader’s downtown economic renaissance. As Main Street Elkader approaches its 10th anniversary, 77 buildings are restored, 99 percent of downtown buildings are occupied, and 83 new jobs have been created. Since 1992, real estate values have climbed 32 percent, and retail sales have increased 38 percent. Private investment in rehabilitation and property acquisition have totaled more than $2.1 million, and volunteers have logged 17,838 hours. Tourism and retail surveys have led to new directions for marketing and advertising that are paying off. Heritage tourism is growing rapidly as visitors explore Elkader’s nine National Register sites. Campground registrations set a record this year, and a survey showed that 60 percent of campers have used the River Walk to go downtown. A private investor has purchased property to expand the campground and build cabins.

Challenges remain, according to Cook. A few of the historic downtown buildings still need façade improvements, and MSE is seeking investors and re-uses for the movie theater. Expanding tourism and developing an industrial park to create jobs have high priority. Elkader is one of the smallest communities in the Iowa Rural Main Street Program, but it has evolved as a leader. The city is not just a place to pass through—it is a destination.

For additional information, contact: Cindy Cook, Program Manager, Main Street Elkader, P.O. Box 125, Elkader, IA 52043, (319) 245–2770; or The National Trust Main Street Center of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1785 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036, (202) 588–6219, or at Main Street Center’s Web site at www.mainst.org.