History

Waverly’s Strong Culture of Historic Preservation

Historic Preservation is important to the Waverly community. The City’s Historic Preservation Commission is active in safeguarding the City's historic, aesthetic, and cultural heritage by preserving sites and districts of historic and cultural significance. Waverly has been recognized by the National Park Service with four separate Historic Districts on the National Register. The city also has five structures that are recognized on the National Register, including the “Old Main” building on the campus of Wartburg College, the Bremer County Historical Society Museum, the Bremer County Courthouse, the Waverly Municipal Hydroelectric Powerhouse, and the Third Street Southeast Bridge.

Since 1989, Waverly has been a nationally accredited Main Street community through the state's Main Street Iowa program and its national counterpart, Main Street America. The Main Street concept is to grow a community's downtown through economic development within the context of historic preservation. Waverly has been awarded several grants which have funded numerous building rehabilitation projects over the past 30 years. These grants are only available to Main Street communities and as a result, many of these projects have received awards at both the state and national levels. For more information about Waverly's Main Street Program CLICK HERE.