Save CR Heritage
Save CR Heritage works to preserve historic resources through education, assistance, advocacy and action.
If you have a fund at the Community Foundation and would like to recommend a grant, login here
ABOUT
Founded in 2012, Save Cedar Rapids Heritage was formed by a group of residents both in response to the demolition of a beloved historic church and in an effort to prevent the demolition of another just blocks away. The all-volunteer nonprofit has since advocated to save other historic buildings, including Harrison Elementary School; moved and rehabbed the “Frankie House” in Wellington Heights to serve as affordable housing for a young family; saved and rehabbed the early-1900s J.E. Halvorson House, which serves as the group’s headquarters at 606 Fifth Ave. SE; and is fundraising in the summer of 2025 to purchase the historic Zastera Pharmacy building in northwest Cedar Rapids. We advocate to use or repurpose historic buildings in place. When that is impractical, we serve as a resource to move them or take on the project as an organization. As a last resort, we salvage useful materials from buildings destined for demolition, such as hardwood flooring, solid doors and other in-demand items, keeping them out of the landfill and selling them at low-cost to homeowners who need them.