As a result, the citizens of the town banded together and formed the New Providence Building Association.

It was established to buy land and construct buildings in which businesses would lease space.

Such a community based effort was necessary because New Providence, which had been by-passed by the Chicago and North Western Railroad, needed economic stability to stay viable.

Its brickwork and large display windows are characteristic of commercial buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

This article about a property in Hardin County, Iowa on the National Register of Historic Places is a stub.