Albia Square and Central Commercial Historic District
The Albia Square and Central Commercial Historic District encompasses most of the central business district of Albia, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. The historic district includes 92 contributing properties from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A newspaper story that called Albia the ugliest town in Iowa was the catalyst that First Iowa State Bank Board Chairman Robert T. Bates needed to organize in 1965 what became "Operation Facelift." Bates was a renowned interior designer who had worked in Hollywood before returning to Albia in the 1950s. Volunteers solicited a $25 contribution from building and business owners to the Albia Area Improvement Association fund as seed money for the project. Bates himself established a $2,000,000 trust for revitalization efforts in later years.
