December 5, 2024 – With Iowa City’s Robert A. Lee Recreation Center being placed on the National Register of Historic Places, architect Roland Wehner is bestowed the rare honor of being a living architect with two buildings listed on the NRHP.

Quite honestly, it’s rare for a living architect to have one of his or her creations listed on the National Register of Historic Places – let alone two! First of all, any building that is nominated for the NRHP list must go through a rigorous test that proves its historic value, and secondly, that same historic building must be at least 50 years old at the time of its nomination! Finally, with these two rules in place, this bring us to the logical conclusion that any living architect of a qualifying building must have had 1) a long career in architecture, 2) they created their classic early in their career, and 3) they are fortunate enough to still be living a long life!

That’s why, in December 2024, Iowa City’s Roland Wehner was given this unique privilege…

Roland and Marilyn Wehner House – 3112 lowa Highway 1 – Iowa City – 1959 – NRHP-September 9, 2013.

Robert A. Lee Recreation Center – 220 S. Gilbert Street – Iowa City – 1964 – NRHP-December 5, 2024.

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