Demolition of a long-standing mural in Jefferson is being removed from a downtown building.

Jefferson Matters Executive Director Matt Wetrich says the mural on the east side of the former Homestead Coffee and Bakery building on East Lincoln Way is being taken down. The building owner is Tim Heisterkamp, who will be moving his business, Journey Financial, from inside Home State Bank to that location. 

Wetrich points out the mural needed to be removed for safety reasons so that the integrity of the building could be saved. He explains what is happening as that project continues to develop.

“There are three layers of bricks that make that wall, which is standard for a building that size. And so they’ve taken off the outer plaster and the outer layer of brick. And they’re only going to do about a third at a time and then they’re going to start this week rebuilding the brick.”   

Wetrich states that Chad Elliott, who owns Elliott Art Studios on South Chestnut Street, told him he knew the original artist of the mural, and that the mural was that individual’s first outdoor mural and has since done hundreds of them.

“And I know everyone’s kind of sad to see the mural go away. There’s no way that you would go in and repaint that on the condition of that stucco, it just can’t happen, unfortunately. But muralist understand that too. They know that, they know murals are literally a temporary fixture of a company and that they go away eventually too. That’s just kind of life of outdoor art, it’s not a forever thing.”

The plan for the east wall is to have four long exposed windows and a door reinstalled, while addressing the front facade under the design concept with Main Street Iowa.