University Park, IA

University Park is a city in Mahaska County, Iowa, just east of Oskaloosa. The 2020 census counted 487 people. The town's most distinctive landmark is the former college campus that began as Central Holiness University on a 220-acre tract east of Oskaloosa in 1906. The school moved to University Park in 1951 and took the name Vennard College in 1959, making the campus part of the city's identity for much of the twentieth century.

ATTRPopePompus / CC BY-SA 4.0

Vennard closed in 2008, but the grounds still carry a collegiate footprint: a Mahaska County park plan describes mature shade trees, maintained lawns, public basketball and tennis courts, a ball field, a pay-to-play mini-golf course, an amphitheater used for community events, and an old gym used for events, classes, and gatherings. Other campus buildings are unused and need renovation. The Oskaloosa Community School District operates local public schools. The local scoop is a small Mahaska County city whose map is shaped by a former Christian college, with the campus now serving as a mix of recreation space, event space, and a visible reminder of the town's educational past.