SW Iowa Times

Creston's Girl Scout troop hopes to raise enough money to save its nearly 100-year-old Girl Scout cabin from being torn down this spring. 

The cabin became marked for demolition after the city council voted Dec. 7 to tear it down, citing that it had not been used for five years, the Creston News reported. During that meeting, the Parks and Recreation chairman, John Kawa, reportedly said the structure would need a new roof and windows, among other fixes that would cost approximately $50,000. 

Despite the council's decision, Parks and Recreation board member Gary Borcherding did recognize the historical significance the cabin has to the Girl Scouts. 

"It holds a lot of memories to the girls that attended Girl Scouts in Creston," Borcherding told the SW Iowa Times. "We haven't set a deadline for this as long as progress is being made on the funding and structure."

The scouts aren't fully clear about what needs to be done to save the building and have had trouble collecting donations because of the weather and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

"We need to tear out the concrete, put in new concrete the way it should be," Tara Kinkade, a Creston resident and former Girl Scout, said. "We Our Iowa reported in early January. "The structure for the southside edition needs to be redone. The cabin itself needs some maintenance." 

The cabin was built from Creston itself. Its walls were raised using old telephone poles from downtown Creston, and despite its age, the cabin was in regular use before the COVID-19 pandemic of the past two years. During this interim, the cabin has fallen into disrepair. Winter has also been an obstacle, as construction and repairs have not been undertaken due to the weather.

The project to save the cabin was anticipated to be dealt with on the council’s Jan. 18 agenda, and a Save the Girl Scout Cabin at McKinley Park was created to raise awareness and fundraise for the necessary repairs. 

The Save the Girl Scout cabin Facebook page will hold a fundraising auction March 4.