Hunter
06/26/23
The Iowa City City Council has applied for a state grant to complete a restoration project at the historic Ned Ashton House on Park Road.
The Gazette reports the project includes clearing invasive species, as well as adding native flood plain trees, prairie plantings, a fire pit and bird blind. The project also includes adding accessible pedestrian trails and trail lighting, in addition to a drinking fountain, benches, bicycle racks and a bicycle fix it station.
The Resource Enhancement and Protection, or REAP grant, comes from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The city received a REAP grant in 2015 to restore landscaping and gardens at the Ashton House.
The home was built by Ashton in 1947. He was a professor of civil engineering at the University of Iowa and has been called the state’s most distinguished bridge engineer due to his design of several bridges over the Mississippi River. He also designed smaller projects, like the Benton Street Bridge.
