Hope After the Storm
When you visit Brucemore, you may be wondering why the grounds look so different from many of the images and videos you see on this website. Brucemore, Cedar Rapids, and other parts of Iowa were forever changed in 2020 by a storm called a derecho. Brucemore and the surrounding communities have entered an era of storm recovery.
Help us recover and preserve Brucemore’s historic Prairie Style landscape. Donate today.
An Inland Hurricane
On August 10, 2020, a powerful windstorm known as a derecho swept across the Midwest, devastating crops and property across eastern Iowa. The derecho reached hurricane-like windspeeds of up to 140 miles per hour and earned the distinction of being the most expensive thunderstorm in United States history. Much of the city was without power for more than a week.
The 26-acre Brucemore estate suffered damage to all seven historic buildings, two operational buildings, hundreds of yards of fencing, multiple gates, and several historic features. A portion of the 1915 glasshouse structure of the Lord & Burnham Greenhouse collapsed under the weight of a century-old tree. The force of the wind caused the slate of the mansion roof to scatter across the garden and the windows of an east facing porch to implode.
In 60 minutes of violent, sustained force the straight-line winds destroyed more than 70% of the estate’s tree canopy. Century old trees were uprooted from the ground and trunks were bent in half. This devastation immediately and fundamentally changed the view of the landscape.
A Multi-Year Recovery Effort
With an estimated $3 million in overall damage, experts believe this devastation is among the worst suffered by a cultural landscape in the last century. Attention immediately focused on clearing roadways, ensuring emergency access, and mitigating future risks to the historic structures. Recovery efforts through the remainder of 2020 and 2021 focused on removing debris and fallen trees, as well as repairing the buildings.
As a historic landscape, the restoration of Brucemore requires a thoughtful, patient approach to ensure its authenticity and national significance. Designed by Ossian Cole Simonds, a leading landscape architect in the early 20th century, the grounds serve as a tangible link to the past, as well as a vibrant setting for people to enjoy today. Since the days following the storm, staff have been assessing previous landscape plans, conducting original archival research, seeking outside scholarship, and working with expert assistance to develop a Historic Landscape Master Plan to guide a multi-year process to replenish the estate and improve modern day use.
The responsibility to preserve this estate offers an opportunity to restore it in a way that enhances the impact it makes in our lives. Brucemore will recover from the devastating storm and be better positioned organizationally to care for the estate when confronted with unexpected future challenges. Through resilience, courage, and community support, Brucemore will maintain its living connection to a century of history and continue to benefit Iowa residents and visitors.
2160 Linden Drive SE has been the entrance to the property since the mid-20th century. The large trees that lined the drive were felled by the straight-line winds, blocking the entrance.
The historic wrought-iron gates at Linden Drive were crushed, bent, and mangled by the tree debris. Conservation requires special expertise in metal working to restore their shape and functionality.
Irene Douglas, the second matriarch of the estate, helped to design the Formal Garden south of the mansion. The majestic tree canopy was decimated, and the copper statue called Dancing Children was hit by a falling tree and will require conservation.
The 1912 Lord & Burnham Greenhouse was hit by a falling tree which crushed the recently restored glass enclosure. In the weeks after the storm, staff carefully removed the tree so the full extent of damage could be inventoried.
The Breakfast Porch on the east side of the mansion imploded during the storm. The porch will be fully restored.
The orchard to the east of the mansion was in the direct path of the wind, causing many of the fruit trees to bend or topple. A partnership with Feed Iowa First led to new fruit tree plantings in the spring of 2021, which will provide future benefit to the community.
Landscape recovery is expected to be a multi-year effort led by a Historic Landscape Restoration Plan currently in development. Visitors can expect to see many new plantings, like these in the woodland, in the years to come.
A temporary covering was created surrounding the Lord & Burnham Greenhouse to protect the structure during the winter months. Full restoration of the glass enclosure is anticipated by end of calendar year 2021.
This oak tree was over 100 years old. The organization plans to retain this stump in memory of the majestic tree and as a reminder that although the storm decimated the estate, recovery is possible.