DES MOINES, Iowa — Seven historic Des Moines buildings are endangered. The Des Moines Heritage Trust is looking to save them.
To do so, the Heritage Trust released a list of the seven buildings across Des Moines, which include George the Chili King, Highland Apartments, Washington School, The Salvation Army building, Butler Apartments, the Jefferson Apartments and the Lustron Home.
The list was created to bring awareness to these buildings that serve historic and cultural significance to the community.
If not preserved properly, these buildings face serious risk of demolition or falling into a state of disrepair.
"So some of them, our board actually makes the decision of whether or not they're vacant," said Tim Waddell, board president of Des Moines Heritage Trust. "That's a big decisive factor: if a building is vacant, it has a tendency to be vandalized and/or maybe arson could be committed."
The Heritage Trust says the first step to restoring these buildings is fixing the existing property damage, things like laeky roofs or broken windows.
Waddell said the Heritage Trust's list makes the community aware of the danger these buildings are in, and how their demolition would impact the Des Moines community.
"Every building has a story to tell," Waddell said. "And each one of these have a story to tell. And I think that the importance of it is that it's part of our heritage. It's part of our culture. It's what makes us who we are, it's what makes our community what it is. And when we lose that fabric, then it changes who we are."
The Des Moines Heritage Trust is currently most concerned about the Highland Apartments on 6th and Euclid. That building's fate will be decided at Monday's city council meeting.