Cedar Rapids, Iowa		 Ushers Ferry & The Flood of 2008
   

 
 
 

 Is Ushers Ferry Open to the Public?
Although the buildings will not be open for tours, staff and volunteers have worked very hard to make the grounds available public activities and programs during the 2009 season. The grounds are now available for Ushers Ferry events and private rentals of the Gazebo and pavilion. The Doctor's House exhibit was undamaged by the flood waters and is now open to tour during programs and public events. Exterior restoration of the Lawyer's House, which was untouched by the flood waters, is completed and plans are underway for an extensive interior renovation so that the house may be used as a program and education building until more buildings can be brought back into service. In addition, a combination of private donations and grant funds have been obtained to help with the restoration of our 1874 College Township Hall to be used as a school house at Ushers Ferry. Thanks to the diligent work of employees from the city's Facilities Maintenance Department, the interior restoration of the Town Hall building is complete, and ready to use for programs and small party rentals. It is our hope to be able to restore regular school tours and programs to Ushers Ferry by the spring of 2010. In the meantime, we still have been able to continue with our regular school tour programming thanks to the generosity of the Linn County Conservation Board, who has allowed us the use of the historic Abbe Creek School house near Mt. Vernon. Ushers Ferry will continue to apply for additional grants and is accepting private donations to help with restoration and recovery of our historic buildings.
 
 
What Ushers Ferry programs & events are still being offered?

Join us for the

Old Fashioned Melodrama at

Ambroz Recreation Center

2000 Mt. Vernon Rd. SE

 Even though the village has been closed to the public since the flood, the Ushers Ferry staff has been able to offer many of its regular special events and programs at other venues. Thanks to the generous cooperation of the Brucemore staff and the Ambroz Recreation Center, the Ushers Ferry Parlour Theatre was able to complete it's 2008 Season. In 2009, the Ushers Ferry Parlour Theater Company produced many successful collaborative shows under the direction of volunteer theater director, Jim Stewart. With Jim's assistance, the Ushers Ferry theater program has now redeveloped into the Ushers Ferry Theater Company, with larger "Main Stage" performances to be held at Ambroz Recreation Center and our traditional smaller and more intimate "Parlour Theater" performances to be held at the newly restored College Township Hall at Ushers Ferry. The 2010 Ushers Ferry Theater season is already planned and underway, so keep checking the Ushers Ferry Website for more information.

The Ushers Ferry Visitor Center is open for business and a wide variety of small programs, workshops and children's teas are scheduled for winter and spring. We are now offering many small storytelling events and winter teas, and birthday party opportunities. Please check out the Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation Winter brochure, or our 2010 Calendar page for more information. You may also wish to join our Ushers Ferry Historic Village Facebook group for more frequent updates on flood recovery and upcoming programs.

What about the regular open hours and special events at Ushers Ferry?

With the recovery of our Village grounds, we have been able to hold many of our popular annual events, such as the Wild West Weekend and Fairytale Festival in addition to a great number of smaller programs and Parlour Theater events. Unfortunately, due to the amount of damage caused to our buildings, it may be a while before other family favorites like our ever-popular "Thanksgiving Candlelight Tour" can return to the village. We do not have regular open hours at this time, but you are welcome to stop in and see the progress we are making.
 

Does Ushers Ferry have any rental facilities available for the 2010 season?
The Ushers Ferry gazebo and pavilion are now available for weddings and private party rentals. With the restoration of the Town Hall nearly complete, and now featuring both heat and electricity, we can now offer that building for small party rentals, in addition to the Ushers Ferry Visitor Center. For more information on rental availability please contact Teresa White at 286-5699 or email her at t.white@cedar-rapids.org.
   
How can I help?

Give Money

A special fund has been established through the City of Cedar Rapids to support flood recovery efforts at Ushers Ferry. Financial contributions to this fund are tax deductible and are a great help as we await official 501c3 status for our new "Friends of Ushers Ferry" charitable organization. Should you wish to make a donation to the flood recovery efforts at Ushers Ferry, you can make checks payable to the: "City of Cedar Rapids --Ushers Ferry," and write "Ushers Ferry Flood Recovery" in the memo line. Checks may be sent to Ushers Ferry at 5925 Seminole Valley Tr. NE, Cedar Rapids IA 52411.

 

To date, contributions to this fund have been used to:

  • Provide matching funds for a successful State HRDP Emergency grant to restore the College Township Hall.

  • Purchase of lumber and supplies to secure and stabilize our flood damaged buildings.

  • Purchase of paint and other materials to clean and repair the exteriors of flood damaged buildings awaiting restoration.

  • We are currently seeking funds to help with the restoration of our antique school desks so that we can welcome our school tours back to the Village this fall!

Your financial contributions are extremely valuable to us as we seek matching funds to apply for other restoration grants!

 

Give Materials

We are not accepting donations of artifacts or antiques at this time. However, in-kind donations of construction materials such as paint, lumber, drywall and other items would be welcome.

 

In particular, we are looking for:

  • Lumber

  • Plywood

  • Sheet rock

  • Insulation

  • Oil based primer

  • Paint supplies

  • #2 Red Cedar Shingles

If you interested in making an in-kind contribution, please call Ann Cejka at (319) 286-5764 or email her at a.cejka@cedar-rapids.org  to learn more about our needs.

Give Time

We can always use more help! With the coming spring there will be plenty of volunteer opportunities as we work to finish cleaning up our grounds and building exteriors. We also have plenty indoor work as well for those rainy days. To learn more about how you can help, please call Darrin Crow at 319-286-5707 or email him at d.crow@cedar-rapids.org.

 

 

 

Become a Friend of Ushers Ferry!

In May of 2009 the "Friends of Ushers Ferry" received official 501c3 nonprofit status. The Friends of Ushers Ferry works to support the maintenance and program operations of Ushers Ferry Historic Village. Their first goal is to raise $10,000 to build an endowment fund for Ushers Ferry through the Greater Cedar Rapids Foundation. To date, they have raised approximately $8,000. Can you help them bridge the gap?

Donations may be sent to:

Friends of Ushers Ferry

P.O. Box 11354

Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52410-1354

 

All donations to Friends of Ushers Ferry are tax deductible.

 

IMPORTANT! --If you tried sending a donation to "Friends of Ushers Ferry" at this address between the months of June 1st and August 1st, please note that due to an error in the Post Office Automated Sorting system, your donation may have been returned to you and marked as "incorrect address." This error has since been corrected, and this is indeed the correct address for Friends of Ushers Ferry!

 

If you have any further questions, please email Cathy Cropp Scanlon at: ccropp@mchsi.com