A Rich Heritage from Architecture and Arts to Entrepreneurism

I almost bought a Frank Lloyd Wright house for $30,000 in 1988. As you could imagine, there was a catch. The house had to be moved because a local church in Mason City, IA had bought the property and unless someone moved it, they were going to tear it down. After I found out how much it weighed, I quickly lost interest. But a group of local preservationists bought the house, moved it a couple of blocks and restored it back to its old majesty. I’m glad they did.

Mason City is blessed to have numerous Wright creations including several houses, a hotel modeled after the Imperial Hotel that he designed in Tokyo, and a waterfall. Walter Burley Griffin, another Prairie School architect designed a very unique house that is built into the side of a hill. It looks like a rock jutting out of the cliff.

Today several banks and commercial buildings in Mason City are designed in the Prairie style. It offers a unique charm to this great agurb®.

Meredith Willson, who wrote The Music Man, was born and raised in Mason City and River City was modeled after his hometown. A few years ago a local foundation built the Music Man Square, a meeting center with an authentic indoor re-creation of River City from the movie. There also is a Meredith Willson Footbridge over the river.

However, a lesser known local might have an even greater influence on Mason City and the entire state of Iowa with his philanthropy. John Pappajohn, 78 years old, was born and raised in Mason City. He made his first fortune in insurance and his second in Venture Capital. Today he is funding Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Centers throughout Iowa, including Mason City. These centers, aimed at improving the entrepreneurial skills of Iowans could be a major springboard for the entire state in this new century.