April 15, 1977 – Papers are finally signed in downtown Iowa City and Old Brick Associates becomes the new owner of Old Brick – 26 East Market Street in Iowa City. The deal is done, and the decade-long drama of push-n-shove over Old Brick is finally over!
When it was announced in 1966 that the leadership team of First Presbyterian Church had decided to tear down their iconic church building on Market Street, replacing it with a new facility, all hell broke loose within the congregation. By 1968, Professor Joseph Baker and his wife Matilda – long-time members of the church – had been excommunicated, accused of causing division by steer-heading a city-wide effort to save ‘Old Brick’. Between 1975 and 1977, the preservation effort continued – working under the name of Friends of Old Brick. Standing their ground against all odds, by April 1977, Old Brick was saved from certain destruction. Today – 50 years later – the hard work of historic preservation continues, with Friends of Historic Preservation now leading the way.
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