National Register of Historic Places

Union Block

Mount Pleasant, Henry County, Iowa
Listed
September 5, 1991
Type
Building
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
91001110

About this property

The Union Block of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, was built by William McCandless in 1861. Historically it was used as offices and by the county courts. In the Union Block in 1869, Arabella A. Mansfield became the first woman in the United States to be awarded a license to practice law. The third floor housed the Opera House or Union Hall, a gathering place for the community. Early supporters of women's rights and civil rights spoke there, including Frederick Douglass, Bronson Alcott, Anna Dickinson, and possibly Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Preservation Iowa had listed Union Block on its most endangered buildings list because of its poor condition and lack of preservation plan. The building was badly damaged by an early morning fire on Jan. 25, 2011.

Location

109--113 W. Monroe
Mount Pleasant, Henry County, Iowa
40.96550, -91.55368

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
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Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Nearby Historic Sites

Louisa Building
Industrial
0 mi
Timmerman-Burd Building
Industrial
0 mi
Henry County Courthouse
Industrial
0.1 mi
Henry County Savings Bank
Industrial
0.1 mi
Harlan House Hotel
Industrial
0.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Union Block listed on the National Register?

Union Block was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 5, 1991.

What type of historic resource is Union Block?

Union Block is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Union Block?

The period of significance for Union Block is recorded as the civil_war era.

Can I research the history near Union Block?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Union Block will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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