The Iowa Constitution is getting a new home. Don’t worry, it will remain housed at the Iowa State Capitol, just in a new climate-controlled case.
The new case was unveiled at the Iowa State Capitol by the Secretary of State’s Office and the State Historical Society of Iowa Thursday afternoon. Not only will the new case contain Iowa’s Constitution, it also includes drawers that will store other historic documents. Two of them include official land grants marking property Abraham Lincoln owned in Iowa.
“Now with this case we can continue the efforts to maintain a well-preserved document and that will be enjoyed by Iowa citizens for many years,” Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said at the event.
What is some of the history behind Iowa’s Constitution?
Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate unveils the new climate-controlled case for the state constitution at the Iowa State Capitol on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025.
The Iowa Constitution was written in 1857 and is the eighth-oldest state constitution in the country. It is also the second-shortest state constitution in the United States, consisting of 40 pages.
The current constitution has been amended 51 times. This is minimal compared to other states that have over 100 amendments, said Valerie Van Kooten, the administrator for the State Historical Society of Iowa. The most recent amendment was passed in the 2024 election regarding the transfer of power to the lieutenant governor.
“It is a living document reflecting its times but rooted in its original virtues and beliefs,” Van Kooten said to a crowd of people in the Capitol Rotunda.
Why did the Iowa Constitution get a new case?
The Iowa Constitution, shown Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, at the Iowa State Capitol, is 40 pages long.
Every six months, curators from the Iowa State Historical Office visit the Secretary of State’s Office to check on the state constitution and flip the pages. This preserves the spine and ink of the document. The constitution was last restored in 1987. It was rebound, treated and finished. The whole process took roughly four months.
“It ensured the document was well taken care of over the last few decades,” Pate said of the restoration process. “It is because of that approach we knew we needed a new case to make sure we can protect it[…] so it will be here for generations to come.”
What makes the new case for the Iowa Constitution so special?
In addition to being climate controlled, it has UV-protected acrylic to prevent any fading. The case has temperature and humidity meters as well as moistures absorbing canisters to ensure the case is at safe levels around the clock. The case was built by local Iowa businesses. It was manufactured by Notch & Nail based out of Johnston. The acrylic was sourced from Midland Plastics out of Des Moines with help from the State Historical Museum.
Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach her at kkealey@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa Constitution to be preserved in climate-controlled case
Read the full article here
