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June 30, 1975 – A new city-wide committee is formed to battle against the sale of Iowa City’s Old Brick which would result in this iconic building being razed. The group takes the name: Friends of the Old Brick Presbyterian Church – and later is simply called Friends of Old Brick (FOB).
When it was announced in May 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. Later that same month, UI Professor Joseph Baker and his wife, Matilda – long-time members of the church – published an open letter to the people of Johnson County. 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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My mother, Elisabeth, was a loyal Presbyterian, as I once was. She was not a supporter of the campaign to abandon Old Brick and construct a new building, which actually would have the same seating capacity. (This is similar to the University Field House and Carver Arena). I had long left Iowa City by the time of this controversy, but I recall the pastor was accused of being overly enthusiastic in promoting new church buildings, based on his history.
Indeed, a highly controversial & divisive issue that consumed nearly 2 years of “battle”…