Charity Comes Home

By JACQUELINE DEVINE

September 10, 2009

We have all endured a year focused on losses. For some fortunate few, the worldwide recession has been the first time their boat has been rocked. For the majority, it has been a reminder that economies and, indeed, lives are cyclical and not always within our control.
Even as we struggle to survive and process priorities, we discover creative solutions. Life takes on renewed energies when challenges arise. Adversity brings us back to core values. One of the recurring reminders of true importance is charity. It enriches each time it comes home. Charity is the triumph of the human spirit.
Terrace Hill is urgently in need of your charity whether given as a membership to the Society or as a tax-deductible donation to the Foundation.

More than Doors
Countless paths have led to the portal at 2300 Grand in Des Moines a passage, like a time-machine, that leads to the past and to the future. The massive doors at Terrace Hill arch beneath a tower that stretches 90 feet above an architectural triumph both intimidating and inviting.
The weathered doors have held out the north wind since 1869. They have welcomed leaders from around the world and friends from across the street.
Nearly every day of the year, bright-eyed students file through the towers vestibule in anticipation of ghosts and other rumored wonders. Recently, a tiara-wearing three-year-old came fully expecting to meet a princess in Iowas castle. Silver-haired guests come to recall an era of refinement when time moved at a graceful pace. In the offices of the second floor, schedules are set and decisions are made with the speed of the digital age.

More than a Home
The guest book at Terrace Hill brims with signatures from around the world. People from places as different as Iowas cornfields are from this landmark on the prairie take with them images of this historic home and a sense of Iowans pride in their past and their commitment to creating the future.
The official residence of Iowas governors since 1976, when Governor Ray and his family moved into the third floor beneath the mansard roof, Terrace Hill remains a public and private partnership. It is intended to be both a public museum and a secure and private home for Iowas first family. This dual demand on the facility takes its wear on the structure and on the staff.
Restoration and maintenance are nonstop investments of dedicated effort and donor dollars. Former first families have awakened in the third-floor residence to the sound of construction workers on scaffolding right outside their windows. Major exterior capital improvements were made at the turn of the 21st century to ensure the longevity of this 19th century National Historic Landmark.
But the need goes on.

More than a Museum
As with all old homes, especially ones in which the original craftsmanship is as magnificent as it is at Terrace Hill, when restoration is undertaken, work must be done with tender care to match the standard of excellence and historic accuracy. Places like Terrace Hill help keep Old World craftsmanship alive.
But Terrace Hill is more than a home and more than a museum. It is a vibrant educational and cultural center. Terrace Hill serves as the stage and spotlight for culture music, art and theater with roots in the Victorian era, the time when Terrace Hill was new. By bringing the past to life in this way, the Foundation has dusted the cobwebs off of history and brought the rooms and grounds to life. Students compete for musical scholarships, and actors teach audiences lessons through classical drama and original comedy.
There is much more to be invested in the educational and cultural aspect of Terrace Hill. The teaching technology of Terrace Hill is woefully lacking, and funds must be found to bring this 19th century learning center into the 21st century. Currently students sit on folding chairs and watch a small-screen TV. The Foundation envisions interactive displays that engage todays students in the lessons that will prepare them for the future by learning about the achievements and achievers of the past.

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