The Old Downtown Des Moines Library is a historic building in downtown

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

that was built in 1903. It was individually listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1977, and became a

contributing property In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distri ...

in the Civic Center Historic District in 1988. The building ceased to be a library in 2006 and now houses the Norman E. Borlaug , World Food Prize Hall of Laureates for the

World Food Prize The World Food Prize is an international award recognizing the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity, or availability of food in the world. Conceived by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nor ...

History

The Des Moines Library Association was formed in 1866 in the basement of a Methodist church. It was supported through private contributions and public charity until 1882 when its services were taken over by the city of Des Moines because of precarious finances. In 1898, the city bought property on the

Des Moines River The Des Moines River () is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the upper Midwestern United States that is approximately long from its farther headwaters.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe Na ...

for $35,000. The

cornerstone The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure. Over tim ...

for the library building was laid in 1900 and it was opened in October 1903. In the 1920s, the library became the home of the Cumming School of Art. It was the birthplace of the Library Bill of Rights in 1938 when the library was under the direction of Forrest Spaulding. It was meant to fight against “growing intolerance, suppression of free speech and censorship affecting the rights of minorities and individuals.” The Boys and Girls Department opened in 1937 and the Music Department began in the 1950s. In the 1990s, it was determined that the library building was too small and lacked the necessary technology capacity.

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

architect David Chipperfield was chosen to design a new library on Grand Avenue, and it opened on April 8, 2006. The building was acquired by The World Food Prize for its use. The building was renamed in honor of

Cresco, Iowa Cresco is a city in Howard County, Iowa, United States. The population was 3,888 in the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, a decline from 3,905 in 2000 United States Census, 2000 census. It is the county seat of Howard County, Iowa, Howard Co ...

native

Norman Borlaug Norman Ernest Borlaug (; March 25, 1914September 12, 2009) was an American agronomist who led initiatives worldwide that contributed to the extensive increases in agricultural production termed the Green Revolution. Borlaug was awarded multiple ...

, who founded the award which recognizes those who have made contributions in all fields involved in the world food supply. Gensler Architecture, Design and Planning, RDG Planning & Design and Hoerr Schaudt Landscape Architecture are involved in renovating the building. It will serve as a museum to recognize great achievements in agriculture, a convocation center that will hold the World Food Prize International Symposium, a home for the Global Youth Institute, an educational facility that will feature interactive displays on hunger and food security and a conference center and community hall.

Architecture

Des Moines architects Gutterson & Smith designed the Beaux Arts style building. It was constructed of salmon pink, Minnesota

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

. A mural was painted on the ground floor of the library by Des Moines artist, Harry Donald Jones. It was a project of the

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...

. The mural covers and portrays the development of Des Moines from pre-historic times to the 20th century. The building originally featured a fountain and stone steps, which were removed in 1955.

References

External links

{{Historic Des Moines structures Library buildings completed in 1903 Beaux-Arts architecture in Iowa Libraries on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa National Register of Historic Places in Des Moines, Iowa Buildings and structures in Des Moines, Iowa Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in Iowa