03/12/2026
Before → After
As we celebrate the 5-year anniversary of renovating and opening Simply Nourished, we thought it would be fun to share a little flashback.
The first photo was taken in 2021, shortly after we bought this building in downtown Mason City.
At that time it had been vacant for several years. The roof was failing and parts of the structure were close to collapsing. Many people assumed it would eventually be torn down.
But this building has stood here since 1875.
For more than 150 years it has watched Mason City grow, change, and rebuild itself through different generations.
We couldn’t let it disappear.
So we got to work restoring it, repairing the structure, rebuilding sections that time had taken, restoring the stone and brick, and bringing the building back to life piece by piece.
One of the most meaningful parts of the project was converting the old upstairs office space into apartments, helping add much-needed housing in Mason City.
These historic buildings were designed to be used and reused over generations, and this was a way to give the upper floors a new purpose while keeping the character of the building intact.
The second photo shows what the building looks like today.
Historic buildings are more than just old walls. They hold the story of a community.
When one is restored instead of abandoned, it helps bring life, pride, housing, and momentum back to downtown.
Downtown revitalization rarely happens all at once.
It happens one building at a time.
We’re grateful to help preserve a small piece of Mason City history, and excited to see what the next 150 years will bring.
If you remember this building from years past, we’d love to hear your story.
