Dexter Community House, Dexter, Iowa - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

The Dexter Communty House was built in 1916 through the effort of several prominent members of the communkity. The idea was fostered by a tabernacle that had been constructed for temporary use in the early 1900s as a place for revival meetings, social gatherings, & entertainment of the time. When that structure was lost, the proposition of a community building was made. Money was raised through the sale of shares. Shares cost 5$. No one was allowed to purchase more than 60 shares. When enough shares were sold, plans were made for a unique public building that was deemed the 1st of it's kind in America. The total cost was $10,000. The architect was Major Matthew Leander King.

The 1st managing board consisted of 2 members from each church & 1 each from the farm group, school board & town council. There were 188 names in the original list of shareholders.

The 100' x 68' building appears round at ground level, but it elliptical. The building is constructed of hollow block. The roof is domed without support except for the walls. The interior offered a box office at the South entrance,a fully equiped stage & huge auditorium for movies, religious services, political & social gatherings.

Succeeding years saw extensive use by the Dexter School District for school plays, musical presentations, graduations & before the new High School was completed - basketball games. The large D with school colors is still on the wood floor.

The 90+ year old building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. It continues to be a popular site for a variety of community functions, entertainment, theater, sports activities, dances, reunions, church sevices & club meetings. Most recently the 6th District of the Iowa American Legion Auxilliary had their conference & luncheon here.

The building is owned by the City of Dexter & is maintained & opereated by the Dexter Community House Board. The Board has worked since 1985 to keep the facility inusable condition. Repairs to the roof, chimney, exterior, windows, sills, doors, locks & interior have been made with money raised through a variety of fundraisers. In 2001, A campaign for full restoration was begun. Grant applications have been made. Major fund raising events have been held & more are planned for the future. The project is to be completed in 5 phases beginning in 2001 & ending (hopefully) in 2010. The 1st Phase was completed in the 2001 with the installation of a new roof membrane.

The 2nd Phase included work removing all the ceiling plaster, applying paint sealant & masonry work around the top of the walls & outside the corbel.

Phase 3, completed in 2007, included new heating & air conditioning geothhermal system & a new electrical system. Also the South wall was moved in 7' to allow for a handicap accessible restroom, a kitchen, office area & storage room. The front entryway was redone to include wall lights for display cases & new access to the box office. There is also a mezzanine area to provide audio & lighting for stage productions.

The Dexter Community House remains an archtechural wonder of engineering technology. Each 1st visit eleicits a jaw dropping "WOW!" when entering the auditorium with its 30' high dome.

Street address: 707 Dallas Dexter, IA USA 50070 County / Borough / Parish: Dallas County Year listed: 1975 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering Periods of significance: 1900-1924 Historic function: Social Current function: Recreation And Culture Season start / Season finish: From: 01/01/2009 To: 12/31/2009 Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Privately owned?: Not Listed Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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