The historic P.E.O. Memorial Building on the former Iowa Wesleyan University campus in Mount Pleasant is slated for demolition. The Mount Pleasant Community School District, which purchased the campus in early 2024, determined that the building no longer fits into its long-term facilities plan.
Constructed in 1927, the building originally served as the national headquarters for the P.E.O. Sisterhood, a women’s educational philanthropic organization founded on the Wesleyan campus in 1869. After P.E.O. relocated in 1951, the building was transferred to Iowa Wesleyan and later used as an administrative center until the university’s closure in 2023.
Superintendent John Hendrickson said the building’s four-story structure, lack of accessibility, and deteriorating upper façade made repurposing impractical. Demolition is expected to cost about $350,000, with the site likely to be used for parking.
