Posted: April 15, 2025 in City News
FOR RELEASE TIMED TO MAY 1 EVENT
Decorah Historic Preservation Commission
Contact: Mark Z. Muggli, DHPC Chair (historicpreservation@decorahia.org; 612-720-5795)
Steyer Bridge Historic Sign to be Unveiled
Decorah, IA (April 15, 2025) — The City of Decorah will celebrate a new informational sign on Thursday, May 1, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. near the historic 1875 Steyer Bridge on Twin Springs Road.
The Decorah Historic Preservation Commission developed the sign content. The City of Decorah, which has in recent years invested in the bridge’s preservation, funded the sign. Parks and Recreation Director Marc Holtey coordinated the sign production. Deb Paulson of Zelda Productions (Decorah, IA) did the layout.
A highlight of the sign celebration will be the presence of Mark Stanmeyer, great-great-grandson of bridge mason Michael Steyer. Stanmeyer provided biographical information and several photos for the Steyer sign. The bridge and the Stanmeyer connection are highlighted in a Spring 2025 cover story in the Luxembourg American Gazette.
The Steyer Bridge is one of the few remaining stone arch bridges in Iowa. Because of its distinctive design and rarity, the bridge was in 1982 included on the National Register of Historic Places.
Michael Steyer was born in Luxembourg in 1838. He visited his brother Joseph in Decorah in 1867 and decided to settle here. In his 1903 obituary Michael Steyer is credited with being the first local builder to use fossil stone, sometimes called “Decorah Marble,” for monuments and other decorative uses.
May is National Historic Preservation Month. The Steyer Bridge sign dedication is one of several May events being planned by local preservation groups.
The Decorah Historic Preservation Commission is a state-certified city board established in 2007 to promote the public’s educational and economic welfare through the recognition of historic sites. (Contact: historicpreservation@decorah.iowa.gov)


