A building in Stuart, Iowa, once targeted by Bonnie and Clyde, is being revitalized by a local couple to preserve its historical significance.STUART, Iowa —A building in Stuart, Iowa, with a notorious past is being revitalized by local couple Wes and Abbey Duncan, who are promising a much brighter future for the site once targeted by Bonnie and Clyde.Nearly a century ago, the infamous duo made a stolen withdrawal inside the building, which was once an old bank.The Duncans own Duncan...
A building in Stuart, Iowa, once targeted by Bonnie and Clyde, is being revitalized by a local couple to preserve its historical significance.
STUART, Iowa —
A building in Stuart, Iowa, with a notorious past is being revitalized by local couple Wes and Abbey Duncan, who are promising a much brighter future for the site once targeted by Bonnie and Clyde.
Nearly a century ago, the infamous duo made a stolen withdrawal inside the building, which was once an old bank.
The Duncans own Duncan Construction and are saving the building from demolition after the previous owners decided not to move forward with their plans.
Local historian Robert Cook, who has lived in Stuart since 1957, said, "This building would have been rubble or parking lot or tragedy."
Since 1882, the building has stood on the corner of Northwest Second Street in Stuart, the main street in town, and has been a tourist destination for decades. It has served various purposes, including a bank and a law office. For the town's residents, what happens inside does not matter.
"We want it to be as active, no matter what his future life," Cook said, emphasizing the importance of maintaining active buildings in rural Iowa.
"That's where my excitement for Wes and Abbey come in here," Cook said.
The Duncans are renovating the building but are not planning to open a business inside it. They hope someone else will take over and establish a business inside.
"We're hoping that somebody would come in with cafe or pie and wine or donuts or maybe a visitor center," Wes Duncan said.
The Duncans say the space upstairs could serve as an Airbnb or an apartment for the owner downstairs.
They plan to incorporate the history of Bonnie and Clyde's visit into the building's decor, with a mural on an outside wall and the use of old checks to decorate the inside.
The project is sponsored in part by the Iowa Economic Development Authority and the city of Stuart.
The windows and brick had to be approved by the city to match the historical look of Stuart's main street. The building's exterior will be reconstructed to resemble its appearance in 1934, when the Barrow gang visited.
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