West Liberty Chamber of Commerce Business Spotlight:West Liberty Heritage Foundation
by Sara Sedlacek · May 13, 2009

In 1998, a group of West Liberty men saw that the 1897 Depot was in terrible disrepair and something needed to be done.

“The Depot was so run down,” said Bill Koellner. “It needed an organization to keep it up.”

So, as Koellner explained, the West Liberty Heritage Foundation was formed. After gaining its 501(c)3 status, the foundation obtained grants to purchase and repair the Depot. The cost to repair the Depot was $504,000, $300,000 of which was covered by grants from the Iowa Department of Transportation. The repairs and restoration to its 1897 condition was completed in the fall of 2000.

After the restoration was complete, the Depot became the home of the West Liberty Chamber of Commerce office and the West Liberty Economic Area Development (WeLead) office. The Depot also houses several historical railroad items and historical photographs of West Liberty and the railroad.

“The Depot is not just sitting there doing nothing,” said Foundation President Ken Donnelly. “It is an active facility inside and this couldn’t happen on the weekends without the help of RSVP volunteers. You know the Depot is open because the flag is out. We sure thank our volunteers.”

Now the foundation manages and maintains the Depot as part of its regular duties. In addition, the foundation is currently renovating the 1912 caboose that sits next to the Depot on Elm Street and just finished refurbishing an antique hand cart used on the railroad.

“We’re working actively in bringing in a windmill and a barn to the Depot property,” said Donnelly. Donnelly added the foundation will be working on the schoolhouse, as well. “The schoolhouse will be painted on the outside and furnished on the inside. We hope to work with the school district to bring elementary school kids there for an educational experience.”

The foundation has been working on another project, also.

“We have worked with Marlon Ingalls of Iowa City to help put the 1841 stage coach stop on the National Register of Historic Places,” Donnelly said. “It has been approved at the state level but not at the national level yet.”

The 1841 stage coach stop is not the property of the foundation but Donnelly said it will just add to the historical relevance of West Liberty.

“I dream that someday there will be Stagecoach Days in West Liberty. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to kick it off in 2016 when the stagecoach stop turns 175 years old,” said Donnelly. “We will be putting a historical marker, affixed to the Depot to honor John Brown.”

Donnelly said he is not sure when this will happen but hopes it will be sometime this year.

The West Liberty Heritage Foundation is run by a Board of Trustees and sustained by charitable donations. Current board members are Donnelly, Koellner as secretary/treasurer, Conrad Gregg, Ken Ruegsegger, Vic Schweer, Scott Brooke and Cliff McFerren. Koellner, Gregg, Schweer, McFerren and Brooke were the founding members of the West Liberty Heritage Foundation. The position of vice president is currently vacant. Anyone wishing to become a member of the Heritage Foundation can do so by contacting a current board member.

In the past, the Ryan Trust has supported the foundation. Private donations are also welcome and may be sent to the West Liberty Heritage Foundation, PO Box 352, West Liberty, Iowa 52776.