Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.
“Adair County Free Press Building is a historic building located in Greenfield, Iowa, United States. Designed by architect John Karl, it was completed in 1903.”
Wikipedia article Adair County Free Press Building, CC BY-SA 4.0.
One of 10 National Register listings published here for Adair County · listed in 2011 · category: Building.
Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 3 fires within 5 miles of Adair County Democrat-Adair County Free Press Building between 2009 and 2020, burning about 46 acres in total. None started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 2 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 May 2020 | Debris and open burning | 40 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 6 March 2020 | Debris and open burning | 5.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 21 March 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Greenfield, the town this property stands in, in 78 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 36 thunderstorm wind, 22 hail, 13 heavy rain, 3 tornado. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | Tornado (EF2) | Greenfield | $750,000 | Emergency management recorded a path of damage from just east of Greenfield to just shy of the Adair/Madison County line north of 140th Street. The initial portion of this tornado was observed via the Doppler on Wheels (DOW) and was extended farther southwest accordingly. This tornado impacted farmsteads with damage to outbuildings and tree groves. Toward the end of the path, a large industrial wind mill was blown over southeast of the intersection of 150th street and Walnut Avenue. EF2 damage was then done with complete destruction of an outbuilding along York Avenue along with shredding of trees. The tornado then quickly weakened and dissipated as it approached the county line. |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $150,000 | Trained spotter reported a machine shed destroyed, a grain bin severely damaged, and multiple trees down. |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $100,000 | Emergency manager reported that within the towns of Greenfield and Fontanelle 8 to 10 inch diameter trees, branches, and fences down. A greenhouse was blown over at the Shopko in Greenfield. Time estimated from radar. |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $100,000 | Emergency manager reported significant wind damage in Adair County near Greenfield. Multiple trees reported down and home damage about 3 miles south of Greenfield, and a radio tower on the hospital down. |
| April 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $100,000 | Damage to several trees, along with roof damage to a building. |
| May 1996 | Flash Flood | Greenfield | $75,000 | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Tornado (F1) | Greenfield | $50,000 | Tornado touched down southwest of the town of Stuart and tracked northeast through mostly open countryside. The tornado did lift occasionally. |
| June 2007 | Flash Flood | Greenfield | $50,000 | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $50,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Flood | Greenfield | $50,000 | no account filed |
| March 2019 | Heavy Rain | Greenfield | $40,000 | A heated horse barn near the town of Greenfield experienced a partial roof collapse due to the snow and rainfall absorbed into the snow putting too much weight on the that part of the roof. Minor injuries to a couple of horses were reported. |
| September 2002 | Hail | Greenfield | $40,000 | no account filed |
| July 1999 | Hail | Greenfield | $30,000 | no account filed |
| July 1998 | Flood | Greenfield | $30,000 | no account filed |
| April 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $30,000 | no account filed |
| March 2011 | Hail | Greenfield | $25,000 | Vehicle damage reported along with some roof damage. |
| May 2001 | Hail | Greenfield | $25,000 | no account filed |
| June 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $25,000 | no account filed |
| June 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $25,000 | no account filed |
| June 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 2001 | Hail | Greenfield | $20,000 | no account filed |
| July 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $15,000 | no account filed |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $15,000 | no account filed |
| June 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $15,000 | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $10,000 | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Hail | Greenfield | $10,000 | no account filed |
| August 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $10,000 | no account filed |
| May 2001 | Hail | Greenfield | $10,000 | no account filed |
| June 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $10,000 | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $10,000 | no account filed |
| May 1995 | Hail | Greenfield | $10,000 | no account filed |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $5,000 | Local fire department in Greenfield estimated up to 70 mph winds, causing numerous tree branches down and blocking some streets. |
| August 2015 | Hail | Greenfield | $5,000 | Trained spotter reported brief quarter size hail in Greenfield. |
| August 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $5,000 | A few trees were blown down around town as well as large branches broken. |
| May 2006 | Hail | Greenfield | $5,000 | no account filed |
| May 2006 | Hail | Greenfield | $5,000 | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Hail | Greenfield | $5,000 | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $5,000 | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $5,000 | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Hail | Greenfield | $5,000 | no account filed |
| April 1994 | Hail | Greenfield | $5,000 | no account filed |
| April 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $5,000 | no account filed |
| April 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $3,000 | Damage to trees reported across much of the city. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $3,000 | Tree limbs down, 10 inches in diameter. |
| September 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $3,000 | no account filed |
| May 2006 | Hail | Greenfield | $2,000 | no account filed |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $2,000 | no account filed |
| June 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $2,000 | no account filed |
| June 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $2,000 | no account filed |
| June 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $2,000 | no account filed |
| May 1997 | Hail | Greenfield | $2,000 | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Tornado (F0) | Greenfield | $1,000 | Brief touchdown |
| June 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $1,000 | no account filed |
| July 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $1,000 | no account filed |
| April 1999 | Hail | Greenfield | $1,000 | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Hail | Greenfield | $1,000 | no account filed |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | - | Wind gusts of 70 to 75 mph, along with dime-sized hail. |
| July 2021 | Heavy Rain | Greenfield | - | A 24 hour rain total of 3.00 inches. |
No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.
Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.
| Photograph | Property | Distance | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Hotel Greenfield | under 500 feet | 2011 |
 | Warren Opera House Block and Hetherington Block | 0.4 miles | 1979 |
| Tastee-Freez Drive In and Dairy Store | 0.4 miles | 2025 | |
 | Adair County Courthouse | 0.5 miles | 1981 |
| Greenfield Public Square Historic District | 1.0 miles | 2014 | |
 | Catalpa | 7.2 miles | 1974 |
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 10001203 in Record Group 79. |
| Wikipedia article | Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA. |
| Adair County | All 10 listed properties in this county. |
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