Mason City, Iowa

Mason City is a city located in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 29,172. It is the county seat of Cerro Gordo County{{GR|6}}.

Related Topics:
Cerro Gordo County, Iowa - 2000 - County seat

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Mason City is the birthplace and childhood home of composer and playwright Meredith Willson. The fictional city of River City, Iowa in his musical The Music Man is loosely based on Mason City. Willson's birthplace has been restored as a tourist attraction and is part of the Music Man Square complex that includes a plaza with a bronze statue of Willson in a band major's uniform.

Related Topics:
Meredith Willson - The Music Man

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Mason City is also known for its sizable amount of Prairie School architecture, presumed to be the largest concentration in one location anywhere in the world. The Rock Glen and Rock Crest districts along Willow Creek feature homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and Walter Burley Griffin. Wright's Stockman House has been restored and is open to the public. Also, Wright's Park Inn Hotel, the only remaining hotel in the world designed by him still standing, is in the process of being restored.

Related Topics:
Prairie School - Frank Lloyd Wright - Walter Burley Griffin

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