PLAY ME PLEEZ

A few members of the Tower View Team accepting the 2014 Best Image Project award for the Play Me Pleez painted piano project.

EMPTY BUILDING TOUR

Jefferson Matters: Main Street received the “Game Changer” award for its Empty Buildings Tour held in April 2015, which brought more than 100 people through eight vacant downtown buildings. The tour sparked new interest and investment, leading to several buildings being acquired and rehabilitated, including one that was renovated and sold by the city in 2016.

MAIN STREET MINUTE

Outstanding Image Activity was awarded to the Promotion Committee for their Main Street Minute promotion. Short videos of merchants in the Main Street District were shared on social media with much success.

TOWER VIEW TEAM

A team of Jefferson artists and volunteers used the Mahanay Bell Tower as a centerpiece for an ambitious project that transformed the town square into an outdoor art gallery, complete with rooftop murals that can be seen from the tower’s observation deck.

JAVA AND JUICE

The Itty Bitty Nitty Gritty Award went to the Economic Vitality committee’s Java & Juice events where the public is invited to businesses each Friday morning to serve refreshments and tell about their business.

WE AIM HIGH INVESTMENT DRIVE

The Fantastic Fundraiser Award recognizes a local Main Street program’s efforts to raise money for the program’s operations that demonstrate a quality process, board of directors’ engagement, and positive financial impact.

GREAT AMERICAN MAIN STREET AWARD

Jefferson is one of eight communities selected as a semifinalist for the Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA). Given out by the National Main Street Center, the award recognizes communities for their excellence in comprehensive preservation-based commercial district revitalization.

This recognition certainly put Jefferson in the forefront when technology companies are looking for a place to locate and families who would like their children to have the opportunities offered here.

In 2020, the tourism team explored new ways to attract visitors to Jefferson. Ad space was purchased for Travel Iowa and Our Iowapublications which included the organization’s website, Jefferson, IA app and Facebook page. A 30-second Jefferson commercial was created and is being played on cable networks. Radio spots using the iconic voice of Jeff from Jefferson (Jeff Lamoreaux) reaches a different category of visitors.

ARCH ALLEY

Jefferson received the following state awards and special recognitions: Winner of the Placemaking Project (Small Scale): Arch Alley

JEFFERSON WANTS YOU INCENTIVE & WEBSITE

The Jefferson Wants You incentive and website were recognized with the Best Main Street Business Recruitment Project award for communities under 5,000. Led by Jefferson Matters’ Economic Vitality team, the project was made possible through partnerships with Jefferson Telecom, Home State Bank, Heartland Bank, Peoples Bank, Alliant Energy, and Grow Greene Gaming Corporation.

EXPERIENCE IOWA WEBSITE

The Experience Jefferson website was recognized by the Iowa Tourism as the outstanding website in the rural division at the Iowa Tourism Conference.

CITY VIEW ON STATE

City View on State, located at 200 E. State St., received the Best Main Street Building Rehabilitation Project award for communities with populations under 5,000. The project was a partnership between the City of Jefferson and Jefferson City View Properties, LLC.

TOWER VIEW TEAM + ART ON THE FLY

The Tower View Team and Jolene Peters, owner of Art on the Fly, were recognized with the 2024 Best Facade Improvement award for the complete renovation of the former Art on the Fly building. The project refreshed the building’s exterior while also expanding the experience into Imagination Alley, located just south of the space. Together, these improvements created a more inviting and creative area that encourages people to explore, spend time downtown, and engage with public art.

IOWA TOURISM AWARD

This recognition speaks to the collaboration of the collection of efforts from a number of entities, businesses, organizations, and volunteers across the entire community. All working together to build a community that is not just great to live within, but also a welcoming place where people travel to for the experiences we offer.

BARBIE BY THE BELLS

Jefferson earned the Iowa Tourism Award of Outstanding Marketing Collaboration for Barbie by the Bells, a project that brought together multiple partners across the community. This effort included the Greene County Historical Museum, Jefferson Matters, local businesses, the Bell Tower, and others working together to create a connected visitor experience. The collaboration helped bring more activity downtown.

GREAT AMERICAN MAIN STREET AWARD WINNER

In April 2025, Jefferson was officially named a 2025 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) Winner, a national recognition that honors the very best downtowns in the country. This prestigious award, presented by Main Street America, celebrates communities that have excelled in revitalization, community engagement, and creating vibrant, inclusive places to live, work, and visit, and Jefferson proudly earned a spot among them.

BARBIE BY THE BELLS

Jefferson was also recognized in the “Special Event” category for Barbie by the Bells, a community-wide event held in the summer of 2024. The event brought visitors to Jefferson from across the United States and internationally. The collaboration included the Barbie by the Bells ladies, Greene County Historical Museum, Jefferson Matters, local businesses, and other partners who worked together to create a connected visitor experience.

THE CENTENNIAL BLOCK BUILDING

The Centennial Building was awarded the prestigious “Building Rehabilitation” honor, recognizing a full renovation of the historic structure. The project included exterior and interior improvements as well as the addition of upper story housing, creating new opportunities for both residential living and a restaurant in the heart of downtown. Project partners in attendance included Kevin and Ian Conway of Westbrooke Construction, former City Administrator Mike Palmer, members of Why Not Us, and architect Pete Franks, all of whom played a role in bringing the project to completion.