Tenth historical marker unveiled at The Book Vault

May 31—On Thursday, Oskaloosa's tenth and final historical building marker was unveiled at the Book Vault.

The building, formerly Oskaloosa Savings Bank, was built in 1906. Its rich history was researched and shared by Calvin Bandstra, steering committee research coordinator. Notable historical facts include the preservation of architectural elements — marble walls, stained glass skylights and original vaults — and the many lawsuits and disputes from previous owners.

"It's the people that do the meticulous record-keeping to make sure we have the proper chain of ownership of the building, the pictures that were taken of the activities of the day, stories that were written in the newspaper about the events that were going on and what established the culture that was being understood at that time, even down to the point of the stories that are told from one generation to the next, those are all little nuggets that are left for us to find," said Oskaloosa Mayor David Krutzfeldt. "And then once we get ahold of that history, we have a much deeper appreciation."

The Historical Building Marker Project began in 2017 and includes nine other historical markers: Centennial Block Building, Frankel Block, Iowa Building, Iowa Masons Benevolent Society Building, Mahaska County Courthouse, Oskaloosa Fire Department, Oskaloosa Public Library, Stapp Building and Trolley Place. Steering committee members include Bandstra, Ann Brouwer and Sherry Vavra. The project is approved by the Historical Preservation Commission.

Each historical marker includes the architectural type of the building; the year the building was built; photos of each respective building throughout the years; and fun, interesting facts about the building's history.

"I think that Oskaloosa has a very rich story to tell, and this is just a piece of it," Krutzfeldt said.

Emily Hawk is the associate editor of the Ottumwa Courier and the Oskaloosa Herald. She can be reached at ehawk@oskyherald.com.