49. The Mother Mosque of America

9^th Street NW

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

September 21, 2010 - AM

The Mother Mosque of America is the longest standing mosque in North America. Built in 1934, it is the second oldest after the 1929 mosque built in tiny Ross, North Dakota, however that mosque was torn down in the 1970s and later rebuilt in 2005, leaving the Mother Mosque as the oldest standing. Construction was completed on February 15, 1934. This small structure served as a place of worship for Muslims for nearly forty years. The Mother Mosque stands in a quiet neighborhood, flanked by houses on both sides, with a small marker off of 1st Ave pointing the way to this historical site. Due to its small size, the majority of the Muslim population in Eastern Iowa and the Cedar Rapids area worship at other mosques, but the Mother Mosque remains a prominent center for information, prayer, and community. The Mother Mosque is now listed on both the Iowa State Historical Register and the National Register of Historic Places as an "essential piece of American religious history, which symbolizes tolerance and acceptance of Islam and Muslims in the United States." It was listed on the National Register in 1996 as Moslem Temple. In June, 2008 waters flooded the mosque's basement, “where most of the books, artifacts, historic documents, old photos and filmed documentaries are stored”, “likely destroying nearly a century's worth of records, documents and artifacts.