Sea Wall placed on National Register

by Marianne Gasaway

Clear Lake’s iconic Sea Wall has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The City of Clear Lake and Clear Lake Historical Society received notice from the National Historic Landmarks Program of the National Park Service Friday, Jan. 6, that the Sea Wall, constructed in May of 1936, had been approved for placement on the prestigious list.

The process to have the Sea Wall listed on the National Register of Historic Places began in October of 2021 with the Clear Lake Historical Society working alongside Michelle Cunliffe and Scotney Fenton, from RDG Planning & Design, throughout the procedure.  

City Council minutes from 1933 - 1935 were searched to establish the timeline of discussions between the City of Clear Lake, Clear Lake Park Board, the Iowa State Conservation Commission (DNR today), Iowa Highway Commission (IDOT today) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA).  Photographs and maps were located to document that the Sea Wall was constructed by workers from the Mason City Transient Farm, a division of the Works Progress Administration and that local granite fieldstone was used to build the wall, along with local lumber and fill dirt.  Clear Lake’s Sea Wall sits on the footprint of the former White Pier, which was destroyed by a tornado in 1931.

The recent restoration and preservation project, completed in May of 2022, ensures that the seawall will be available for visitors and community members to enjoy for generations to come.  

“The City is very pleased that Clear Lake’s Sea Wall will be added to the National Register of Historic Places. Implicit to this very process is the validation of the historic significance and value of this structure, not only to our community, but to the State of Iowa and beyond,” stated City Administrator Scott Lawrence Flory.