Central Park, recognized by WHO-TV as the best of Iowa

Let's take a moment to look around Fairfield's Central Park. For a while it was round, but in 1902 the streets were paved with brick into a square.

Before streetlights were installed it was dark in town. So in 1882 a 185-foot tower was built in the center of the square to light up the town — spectators came from miles around to see it. The six electric arc lamps had to be changed daily — kids clamored to help. Fairfield's electrical plant closely followed Thomas Edison's New York City installation of the first large central electric-power plant.

But the tower became potentially dangerous and it was dismantled in 1910. By then streetlights helped light the square. The tradition of lighting up the square continues today with the annual Christmas lighting displays.

Have a look around the square. Although many of the buildings have had their facades changed through the years, the skyline is remarkably similar to how it appeared around 1900.

A building boom in the 1890's caused all the frame buildings to be replaced by brick by 1913.

Take a moment to notice the remaining decorations on the buildings around the square — many of the pressed-tin cornices have sadly been stripped away or covered up.