Rescued from deterioration and refurbished as a grand symbol of Iowa pride in our state’s leadership — past, present and future — Terrace Hill, for the first time in its history, is launching an annual campaign to assure that the investments of the Legacy for Iowans capital campaign are supported with annual upkeep and that the legacy of this landmark is perpetuated.

Unlike many significant American landmarks, Terrace Hill does not have an endowment fund on which it can draw for emergency and essential expenses. State allocations allow for minimal staffing and bare maintenance. Observers note that the lights have been darkened, the thermostats adjusted and the number of prison-release workers increased in cost-cutting efforts for the operation and maintenance of Terrace Hill. Still the doors remain open to the public.

Each year, hundreds of yellow school buses line the red-brick street adjacent to Terrace Hill. Thousands of Iowa children learn what daily life was like for the pioneering men and women who grew a city where two rivers meet. They learn the lessons of Iowa’s first millionaire, who lost his fortune, and of another ambitious man who built his empire from a five-dollar gold piece. more…