HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-20-2019 Planning and Zoning CommissionPLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION
June 20, 2019
Formal Meeting — 7:00 PM
Emma Harvat Hall
Iowa City City Hall
410 E. Washington Street
AGENDA:
1. Call to Order
2. Roll Call
3. Public Discussion of Any Item Not on the Agenda
(Continued from 6/6/2019)
4. Case No. SUB19-04
Applicant: Paradigm Properties LLC
Location: Southwest corner of E. 15t Street and S. Gilbert Street
An application submitted by Paradigm Properties LLC for a Preliminary Plat for a
resubdivision of Lot 6 and Outlot H of Phase 2 and a part of Lots 1 and 2 of Block 3 of Cook,
Sargent, and Downey's Addition located at the southwest corner of E. 15t Street and S.
Gilbert Street.
5. Urban Renewal Item
Discussion on Proposed Forest View Urban Renewal Plan located south of Interstate 80,
west of N. Dubuque Street, and east of Mackinaw Drive.
6. Case No. REZ19-06
Applicant: City of Iowa City
Location: 225 N. Gilbert Street
An application submitted by the City of Iowa City for a rezoning of approximately 0.1 acres
of property located at 225 N. Gilbert Street from Central Business Service District (CB-2) to
CB-2 with a Historic District Overlay (CB-2/OHD).
7. Case No. REZ19-05
Applicant: City of Iowa City
Location: 229 N. Gilbert Street
An application submitted by the City of Iowa City for a rezoning of approximately 0.09 acres
of property located at 229 N. Gilbert Street from Central Business Service District (CB-2) to
CB-2 with a Historic District Overlay (CB-2/OHD).
Planning and Zoning Commission
June 20, 2019
Formal Meeting — 7:00 PM
8. Consideration of Meeting Minutes: June 6, 2019
9. Planning & Zoning Information
10.Adjournment
If you will need disability -related accommodations to participate in this meeting, please contact Anne Russett,
Urban Planning, at 319-356-5251 or anne-russett@iowa-city.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow
sufficient time to meet your access needs.
Upcoming Planning & Zoning Commission Meetings
Formal: July 3 / July 18 / August 1
Informal: Scheduled as needed.
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NISC�nOUE�I�E MEMORANDUM
Date: June 20, 2019
To: Planning and Zoning Commission
From: Ray Heitner, Associate Planner
Re: Supplemental Memo to SUB19-04
Background
This memo is being written to provide some additional context for the scheduled continued discussion
on SUB19-04, an application for a preliminary plat for a resubdivision of Lot 6 and Outlot H of Phase 2
and a part of Lots 1 and 2 of Block 3 of Cook, Sargent, and Downey's Addition. The subject area is
located at the southwest corner of E. 1It St. and S. Gilbert St., in the Riverfront Crossings South Gilbert
Subdistrict.
At the June 6, 2019 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, a neighbor (Aero Rental) to the subject
property brought legal counsel to the meeting to bring several items to the Commission's attention.
Commissioner Baker requested that the concerns be submitted to staff in writing. Staff has not received
any written correspondence; however, the following summarizes the concerns expressed at the June 6
meeting:
- Property owner feels that the City is pushing it out of the area and the development activity in
the area has significantly damaged the property owner.
- The private alley parallel to S. Gilbert St. shown on the plat provides no connection to E. 1It
Street.
- An existing sanitary sewer easement along Ralston Creek, a portion of which is on the Aero
Rental property, has been torn up since September 2018. There are open trenches, fences
have been removed, and this activity has significantly disturbed Aero Rental's business.
- Concerns related to municipal infrastructure being able to support the intense development.
- The popularity of the area has caused parking issues. There is limited on -street parking in the
area and the property owner is concerned of others parking on its site.
Upon hearing these items, the Commission deferred the preliminary plat application to June 20, 2019.
With this memo, staff intends to outline the history of the subject property and subject development,
and highlight what items the Commission is required to consider in its evaluation of a preliminary plat
application. The memo will also outline staff's response to concerns brought up by Aero Rental's legal
counsel that are topical to staff and the Commission's evaluation of the subject preliminary plat
application.
Development and Application History
The subject area will be the third phase of The Crossings development. Incremental stages of this
development have been presented to the City since 2015. A rezoning of the balance of the
development area from Intensive Commercial (CI-1) and Neighborhood Public (P-1) to Riverfront
June 14, 2019
Page 2
Crossings South Gilbert (RFC -SG) in October 2016 (shown in blue in Figure 2) allowed for the
development area to conform to the envisioned uses and building forms detailed in the South Gilbert
Subdistrict of the Downtown and Riverfront Crossings Master Plan. This zone is intended for high
intensity mixed -use development in buildings with active ground floor uses along S. Gilbert Street
opening onto pedestrian -friendly streetscapes. The zoning allows a mix of residential and commercial
uses appropriate to an urban neighborhood, including retail, restaurant, and office uses. The maximum
height permitted without height bonuses is 6 stories. A final plat of Phase Two of The Crossings
Development was approved by the City Council in July of 2017. With the approval of the rezoning and
plat that occurred in 2017, the developer can build the lot and street network that is shown in Figure 1.
Note that the approved final plat from 2017 shows the private north -south alley terminating at the Aero
Rental Property.
A rezoning of 227 E. 11 St. (shown in orange in Figure 2), was recommended for approval by the
Planning and Zoning Commission to the City Council on May 16, 2019. The subject preliminary plat
intends to incorporate 227 E. 111 St. into The Crossings development. The applicant must rezone 227 E.
111 St. to build the intended mixed -use structure on the lot, but does not have to replat the lot to locate
the planned structure on the lot.
Figure 1
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June 14, 2019
Page 3
Figure 2
Active Preliminary Plat Application
The current preliminary plat application for Phase
Three of The Crossings development attempts to
incorporate the newly acquired lot, 227 E. 111 St.,
into the previously approved Lot 6 from Phase
Two of The Crossings development. Provided
that the rezoning application for 227 E. 1It St. is
approved by the City Council; the developer can
build a building on the lot that is in compliance
with the Riverfront Crossings zoning regulations.
Staff Analysis of Land Subdivision Code
Application to SUB19-4
As stated above, the subject preliminary plat
application involves the inclusion of a small parcel
of land (0.16 acres after right-of-way dedication)
to a much larger development that has already
been approved.
Of the concerns expressed at the June 6 public
meeting, the one item relevant to the preliminary
plat discussion is the termination of the private
alley at the Aero Rental property line. Staff finds
that the previously approved internal street
network for the development will provide sufficient
access and circulation. While staff knows that the
north -south alley cannot connect to E. 1'' St. without an access agreement in place, the inclusion of
0.16-acres of land on to the previously approved lot is not enough to require a connection from the
north -south alley on to E. 1It St.
Lastly, approval of the preliminary plat will allow for the provision of public improvements in the way of
8' wide sidewalks along the S. Gilbert St. and E. 1It St. frontages. Installation of these sidewalks will be
required at the time of construction of the planned mixed -use building on the subject lot.
Recommendation
Staff recommends approval of SUB19-04, a preliminary plat of The Crossings Phase Three, an
approximately 0.83-acre, 1 lot, mixed -use subdivision located at the southwest corner of E. 1 st St. and
S. Gilbert St.
Approved by: , I ) • sk
775—MeMe Sitzman, AICP, Development Services Coordinator
Department of Neighborhood and Development Services
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CITY OF IOWA CITY
UN`SC` MEMORANDUM
CITY OF IOWA CITY
UNESCO CITY OF LITERATURE
Date: June 10, 2019
To: Planning and Zoning Commission
From: Wendy Ford, Economic Development Coordinator
Re: Proposed Forest View Urban Renewal Area
Presented for the Planning and Zoning Commission's review is the proposed Forest View Urban
Renewal Plan. The urban renewal plan is proposed for the purpose of and the prerequisite to
establishing a tax increment financing district.
State Code requires that prior to the City Council holding a public hearing on a new urban
renewal area, the Planning and Zoning Commission must review and submit a written
recommendation about the urban renewal plan to the City Council regarding its conformity with
the Iowa City Comprehensive Plan.
Conformity with the Comprehensive Plan
As noted in the staff report submitted with the rezoning application approved on June 4, 2019,
the proposed uses appear to comply with the Comprehensive Plan policies amended and
adopted in April 2019.
Urban Renewal designation allows for tax increment financing (TIF)
TIF is a mechanism that may be used to finance projects within a designated urban renewal
area. The difference between taxes derived from the unimproved property and those derived
after is the increment of taxes which may be pledged by a City to retire loans, advances, bonds,
or other indebtedness incurred by a developer or the city in furtherance of the development.
Chapter 403 of the Code of Iowa sets forth the provision of tax increment financing. To establish
a TIF district, a city must first prepare an urban renewal plan for a specific urban renewal area.
A city may designate an urban renewal area as a "blighted," "slum," or "economic development"
area, each of which is defined in Chapter 403. The Forest View Urban Renewal Plan will be a
combination Slum, Blight and Economic Development Area.
Goals of the Urban Renewal Area
This Plan is intended to improve the community by encouraging new commercial development,
providing secondary access and improving connectivity between the Peninsula and Mackinaw
Village Neighborhoods to Dubuque Street. More specific goals for development within the
Urban Renewal Area are as follows:
1. To help finance the cost of constructing public utility and infrastructure extensions and
improvements to facilitate a second roadway access.
June 14, 2019
Page 2
2. To facilitate the redevelopment of parcels within the area for commercial uses.
3. To stimulate, through public action and commitment, private investment in new
commercial development that may be supported in part by additional residential
development in the vicinity.
4. To maintain and improve the character of the community by strengthening the tax
base.
5. To increase the availability of housing opportunities; which may in turn attract and
retain commercial enterprises that will strengthen and revitalize the economy of the
State of Iowa and the City.
6. To plan for and provide sufficient land for development in a manner that efficiently
provides municipal services.
7. To promote development utilizing any other objectives allowed by Chapter 403 of the
Code of Iowa.
8. To provide other support as allowed under Iowa Code Chapters 15, 15A and 403.
The following objectives derived from these goals are hereby established:
1. Undertake and carry out the urban renewal project set forth in Section 7 below;
2. Use any or all other powers granted to the City by the Urban Renewal Act to develop
and provide for improved economic conditions in the City and the State of Iowa;
3. Connect neighborhoods, reduce transportation time, allow greater access for
pedestrians, bikers and public transportation; and
4. Open opportunities for development of a range of uses including commercial, office,
single and multi -family residential units that will help support the commercial enterprises
consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and zoning code.
Next Steps
In addition to the Planning and Zoning Commission's review and recommendation, the City
must also hold a consultation with representatives from the county and school district to provide
the taxing entities an opportunity to comment on the use of the incremental tax revenues. This
consultation will be held early in July at City Hall.
After the consultation with the affected taxing entities the City Council will consider adoption of
the urban renewal plan at a Public Hearing tentatively scheduled for July 16.
June 14, 2019
Page 3
Subsequently, a TIF ordinance will be adopted. A TIF ordinance enables the division of
incremental tax revenues from the base tax revenues in the event the City Council approves a
development agreement for the Forest View Drive/Algonquin Road project. A development
agreement would outline specific performance requirements by the developer.
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Planning and Zoning Commission forward a written recommendation
to the City Council stating that the Forest View Urban Renewal Plan conforms to the Iowa City
Comprehensive Plan, and conforms with the general plan for the development of the City of
Iowa City.
Attachments: Forest View Urban Renewal Plan
Forest View
Urban Renewal Plan
City of Iowa City, Iowa
2019
Table of Contents
Section 1 — Introduction
Section 2 — Description of Urban Renewal Area
Section 3 — Area Designation
Section 4 — Base Value
Section 5 — Urban Renewal Plan Objectives
Section 6 — Proposed Urban Renewal Activities
Section 7 — Proposed Urban Renewal Projects
Section 8 — Conformance with Land Use Policy and Zoning Ordinance
Section 9 — Relocation
Section 10 — Financial Data
Section 11 — Urban Renewal Plan Amendments
Section 12 — Property Acquisition/Disposition
Section 13 -- Property Within an Urban Revitalization Area
Section 14 — Effective Period
Section 15- Severability Clause
Addendum No. 1 — Legal Description
Addendum No. 2 — Location Map
Section 1-Introduction
This Urban Renewal Plan ("Plan") for the Forest View Urban Renewal Area ("Urban
Renewal Area" or "Area") has been developed to help local officials promote economic
development within Iowa City, Iowa. The City has determined this area to be appropriate
for attracting and encouraging new commercial enterprises, enabling the commercial
development to serve nearby residential neighborhoods, and improving connectivity for
neighborhoods to the west and within the urban renewal area. This Plan contemplates
that tax increment financing may be used to assist in the construction of Forest View Drive
from Dubuque Street west to and connecting with Algonquin Road and other parcels
within the development to facilitate the construction of commercial, office and residential
space to meet one or more of the Plan objectives.
To achieve the primary objectives of this Plan, the City of Iowa City shall undertake the
urban renewal activities as specified in this Urban Renewal Plan, pursuant to the powers
granted to it under Chapters 15A and 403 of the 2019 Code of Iowa, as amended.
Section 2- Description of Urban Renewal Area
The legal description of this Urban Renewal Area is attached and incorporated herein as
Addendum No. 1 — Legal Description and depicted in Addendum No. 2 — Location Map.
Section 3-Area Designation
With the adoption of this Plan, Iowa City designates this Urban Renewal Area as a slum
and blighted area, as well as an economic development district that is appropriate for
residential, office and commercial development.
Section 4- Base Value
If a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Ordinance is adopted and debt is certified prior to
December 1, 2019, the taxable valuation within the area included in the TIF Ordinance
as of January 1, 2018 will be considered that area's frozen "base value." If debt is not
certified until a later date, the "base value" will be the assessed value of the taxable
property within the TIF Ordinance area as of January 1 of the calendar year preceding
the calendar year in which the City first certifies the amount of any debt on the Forest
View Urban Renewal Area.
Section 5- Urban Renewal Plan Goals and Objectives
This Plan is intended to improve the community by encouraging new commercial
development, providing secondary access and improving connectivity between the
Peninsula and Mackinaw Village Neighborhoods to Dubuque Street. More specific goals
for development within the Urban Renewal Area are as follows:
1. To help finance the cost of constructing public utility and infrastructure extensions
and improvements to facilitate a second roadway access.
2. To facilitate the redevelopment of parcels within the area for commercial uses.
3. To stimulate, through public action and commitment, private investment in new
commercial development that may be supported in part by additional residential
development in the vicinity.
4. To maintain and improve the character of the community by strengthening the tax
base.
5. To increase the availability of housing opportunities; which may in turn attract and
retain commercial enterprises that will strengthen and revitalize the economy of the
State of Iowa and the City.
6. To plan for and provide sufficient land for development in a manner that efficiently
provides municipal services.
7. To promote development utilizing any other objectives allowed by Chapter 403 of
the Code of Iowa.
8. To provide other support as allowed under Iowa Code Chapters 15, 15A and 403.
The following objectives derived from these goals are hereby established:
1. Undertake and carry out the urban renewal project set forth in Section 7 below;
2. Use any or all other powers granted to the City by the Urban Renewal Act to develop
and provide for improved economic conditions in the City and the State of Iowa;
3. Connect neighborhoods, reduce transportation time, allow greater access for
pedestrians, bikers and public transportation; and
4. Open opportunities for development of a range of uses including commercial, office,
single and multi -family residential units that will help support the commercial
enterprises consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and zoning code.
Section 6 - Proposed Urban Renewal Activities
To meet the goals objectives of this Urban Renewal Plan, the City intends to utilize the
powers conferred under Chapter 403 and Chapter 15A, Code of Iowa, including, but not
limited to, tax increment financing. Activities may include:
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1. Execute development agreements, retain the services of qualified professional
consultants and execute any other contracts and instruments necessary to achieve the
Plan Goals, Objectives and Projects.
2. Make or have made surveys and plans necessary for the implementation of the Urban
Renewal Plan or specific urban renewal projects.
3. Tax Increment Financing. To the full extent allowed by Iowa Code Chapter 403 and
Subchapter III of Chapter 384, the City may issue general obligation bonds, tax increment
revenue bonds, internal loans or such other obligations or loan agreements, and seek tax
increment reimbursement for, among other things, the costs of urban renewal projects (if
and to the extent incurred by the City), including, but not limited to:
a) Constructing public improvements, such as streets, sidewalks, sanitary sewers,
storm sewers, water mains, utilities, trails or other related facilities.
b) Providing the local matching share of state or federal grant and loan programs.
c) Making loans or grants or other incentives to private entities or persons related
to urban renewal projects.
d) Other authorized urban renewal projects.
4. To acquire property through a variety of means (purchase, lease, option, etc.) and to
hold, clear, or prepare the property for redevelopment.
5. To dispose of property so acquired.
6. To arrange for, or cause to be provided, the construction or repair of infrastructure,
including but not limited to, streets, sidewalks, water mains, sanitary sewer, storm water
drainage, gas and electric utilities, street lighting, or other public improvements in
connection with urban renewal projects.
7. To vacate, dedicate, or obtain certain public roadways, or utility easements when
deemed necessary to provide access to new and/or residential developments.
8. To provide for relocation of persons, businesses, and industries displaced by the
project, if necessary.
9. To make loans, forgivable loans, tax rebate payments, or other types of grants or
incentives to private persons, organizations, or businesses for economic development
purposes or residential projects, on such terms as may be determined by the City Council.
10. To borrow money and to provide security therefor.
11. To use any or all other powers granted by the Urban Renewal Act to develop and
provide for improved economic conditions for the City of Iowa City and the State of Iowa.
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Nothing herein shall be construed as a limitation on the power of the City to exercise any
lawful power granted to the City under Chapter 15, Chapter 15A, Chapter 403, Chapter
427B, or any other provision of the Code of Iowa in furtherance of the objectives of this
Urban Renewal Plan.
The Council's determination to undertake any of these activities shall be based upon its
economic development policy, which may be amended from time to time, as necessary
in Council's discretion, and on additional performance criteria the Council finds
appropriate on a case -by -case basis.
Section 7 — Proposed Urban Renewal Projects
The eligible urban renewal projects under this Urban Renewal Plan include:
1. Public Improvements and Related Development Agreement:
Under authority granted by the Plan, the City anticipates entering into a Development
Agreement (the "Agreement") with North Dubuque, LLC (the "Developer"). The
Agreement would obligate the Developer to construct certain Minimum Improvements (as
defined in the Agreement) on certain real property located within the Urban Renewal
Area, consisting primarily of the construction of Forest View Drive, under the terms and
following satisfaction of the conditions set forth in the Agreement. The Agreement would
further obligate Developer to construct Public Improvements supporting the project as
described below:
Project
Approximate
Date
Estimated
Cost
Rationale
Construction of Forest
2019-2021
Not to exceed
Necessary infrastructure
View Drive connecting
$12,900,000
to foster redevelopment
Dubuque Street to
projects. Supports
Algonquin Road,
transportation network
including street and
providing secondary
sidewalk pavement,
access to neighborhood
watermain extension,
and encourages walking,
sanitary sewer, trail and
biking, and public transit.
other utility
infrastructure and
landscaping
The Agreement would then obligate the City to make consecutive annual payments of
Economic Development Grants to Developer using Tax Increment pursuant to the Iowa
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Code Section 403.19 and made possible by the construction of the Minimum
Improvements and the redevelopment of lots within the area, the cumulative total for all
such payments not to $12,900,000. These Grants will not be general obligations of the
City but will be payable solely from incremental property taxes generated by the Minimum
Improvements.
The City expects to enter into a development agreement with Developer (or a related
entity or another entity) that provides detailed terms and conditions, not all of which are
included in this Plan.
2. Planning, Engineering, Attorney, and Administrative Fees, and Other Related
Costs to Support Urban Renewal Projects and Planninq:
Project
Estimated Date
Estimated Cost to be Funded with TIF
Funds
Fees and Costs
Undetermined
Not to Exceed $100,000
Section 8- Conformance with Land Use Policy and Zoning Ordinance
Comprehensive Plan/North District Plan
This Urban Renewal Area is located within the North District set forth in the adopted
IC2030 Comprehensive Plan, as amended on August 15, 2017 and subsequently on April
2, 2019, in consideration of the redevelopment plans of North Dubuque LLC.
The Comprehensive Plan notes that development in the area has been limited due to lack
of adequate streets, water and sewer service, and that when infrastructure is improved,
there may be market pressure to redevelop some of the existing properties, particularly,
the Forest View Mobile Home Park. The 2017 amendment to the plan modified the land
use map, accepted a sensitive areas inventory and added certain housing, transportation
and design goals. The April 2019 amendment allowed for higher concentration multi-
family residential development to be located central to the community and single family
residential development to be located along the western edge of the community.
The Comprehensive Plan states that development should be designed to conserve and
protect open space by clustering development away from steep slopes and
environmentally sensitive areas. While protection of environmentally sensitive areas
becomes more of a concern as infrastructure improves inviting new development, the
plan could accommodate development if it is clustered along Forest View Drive (the
extension of Laura Drive).
There were several goals adopted and incorporated into the North District Plan resulting
from the 2017 resolution. Those included two housing goals requiring the developer to
provide relocation assistance to residents, and certain design standards and woodland
buffers be met to maintain the livability of the Mackinaw Village neighborhood. There were
two commercial and institutional use goals — one, to preserve the scenic character of the
primary entrance to the City and another, that a buffer of existing trees and vegetation be
preserved between the Dubuque Street right of way and any development. There was
also a transportation goal, that upon redevelopment, access to Dubuque Street for south
bound traffic north of Foster Rd. may be allowed provided that the intersection is designed
to accommodate anticipated traffic volumes from the developing area.
In summary, the goals, objectives and projects set forth in this Plan are in conformity with
the City's Comprehensive Plan.
Current Zoning and Proposed Land Uses
Currently the Urban Renewal Area is conditionally zoned a mix of High Density Single -
Family Residential with a Planned Development Overlay (OPD/RS-12) (50.82 acres);
Highway Commercial with a Planned Development Overlay (OPD/CH-1) (20.45 acres);
and Neighborhood Public with a Planned Development Overlay (OPD/P-1) for 1.88 acres,
subject to a conditional zoning agreement that imposes certain use obligations and
limitations to meet public needs created by the rezoning.
The proposed land uses include commercial, office, public open space, and residential
which are consistent with the zoning.
Section 9- Relocation
The Urban Renewal Area currently surrounds the Forest View Mobile Home Park, a
mobile home park established in the 1940s. This park will eventually be demolished as
part of redevelopment of the Urban Renewal Area. A feasible method exists for the
location of families who will be displaced from the urban renewal area into decent, safe,
and sanitary dwellings within their means and without undue hardship to such families.
The City and the developer will negotiate and execute an Affordable Housing Agreement
or similar agreement detailing the terms of such relocation plan. The provisions of said
agreement shall be guided by the principles of the Forest View Mobile Home Park
Relocation Plan dated May of 2018 prepared and submitted by Owner and the residents
of Forest View Mobile Home Park and the Center for Worker Justice, a copy of which is
attached to the rezoning Ordinance No. , and shall include the provision (at the
residents' options) of replacement housing, financial advisory services and reasonable
moving expenses to all households residing on the above -described property upon the
effective date of the Conditional Zoning Agreement. The affordable housing agreement
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shall foster diligent communication with residents, ensure the provision of replacement
housing prior to demolition of the existing housing, and offer opportunities for
homeownership to minimize the impact of displacement and hardship on the residents.
The Owner shall offer three categories of replacement housing to ensure that residents
are relocated to affordable, decent, safe and sanitary houses which are, at a minimum,
comparable in size and features to what residents currently have in the existing Forest
View Mobile Home Park. Those three categories are: relocation to the new Forest View
Manufactured Housing Park (moving expenses and financing options available);
relocation to the new multi -family buildings constructed within the above -described
property (moving expenses and financing options available); and relocation not within the
above -described property (reasonable moving expenses available). Said affordable
housing agreement shall be approved by the City Council.
Section 10- Financial Data
Constitutional Debt Limit: $ 295,383,033
2. Current general obligation debt: $ 48,030,000
3. Proposed amount of indebtedness to be incurred: Although a specific amount of
tax increment debt to be incurred (including direct grants, loans, advances, indebtedness,
or bonds) for projects over time has not yet been determined, it is anticipated that the cost
of the Proposed Urban Renewal Activities and Proposed Projects identified in Section 6
and 7 above will be $13,000,000 million. In no event will debt be incurred that would
exceed the City's debt capacity. It is further expected that loans, advances, indebtedness
or bonds to be incurred for the Proposed Project or subsequent projects, including interest
on the same, will be financed in whole or in part with tax increment revenues from the
Urban Renewal Area. The City Council will consider each request for financial assistance
or a project proposal on a case -by -case basis to determine if it is in the City's best interest
to participate.
Section 11- Urban Renewal Plan Amendments
This Urban Renewal Plan may be amended from time to time for a number of reasons,
including, but not limited to changes in the boundary; to modify goals, objectives, or types
of activities; or to amend property acquisition and disposition provisions.
If the City of Iowa City desires to amend this Urban Renewal Plan, it shall do so in
conformance with applicable state and local laws.
Section 12 - Property Acquisition/Disposition
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If property acquisition/disposition by the City becomes necessary to accomplish the
objectives of the Plan, such acquisition/disposition will be carried out, without limitation,
in accordance with the Iowa Code.
Section 13- Property Within an Urban Revitalization Area
The Urban Renewal Area, as amended, may (now or in the future) also be located within
an Urban Revitalization Area. The City Council, at its sole discretion, shall determine
which incentives are available through either: (a) this Plan, for urban renewal incentives,
if any urban renewal incentives are offered by the City; or (b) tax abatement incentives
under the Urban Revitalization Plan; or (c) some combination of the two incentives as
determined by the City in its sole discretion.
Section 14 - Effective Period
This Urban Renewal Plan will become effective upon its adoption by the City Council of
Iowa City and will remain in effect as a plan until it is repealed by the City Council.
With respect to the property included within the Forest View Urban Renewal Area, which
is also included in an ordinance which designates that property as a tax increment area,
the use of incremental property tax revenues or the "division of revenue," as those words
are used in Chapter 403 of the Code of Iowa, beginning with the second fiscal year after
the year in which the municipality first certifies to the county auditor the amount of debt
which qualifies for payment from the division of the revenue in connection with any such
project.
The division of revenues may continue in the Urban Renewal Area for the maximum
period allowed by law. It is also anticipated that separate TIF ordinances for separate
parcel(s) may be adopted as development in the Area warrants. In that case, each
separate TIF ordinance may have a separate base and separate sunset or expiration
date.
At all times, the use of tax increment financing revenues (including the amount of loans,
advances, indebtedness or bonds which qualify for payment from the division of revenue
provided in Section 403.19 of the Code of Iowa) by the City for activities carried out in the
Forest View Urban Renewal Area shall be limited as deemed appropriate by the City
Council and consistent with all applicable provisions of law.
Section 15: Severability Clause
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If any part of this Plan is determined to be invalid or unconstitutional, such invalidity or
unconstitutionality shall not affect the validity of the Plan as a whole or any part of the
Plan not determined to be invalid or unconstitutional.
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Addendum No. 1
Legal Description of the
Urban Renewal Area
Commencing at the north quarter corner of Section 4, Township 79, Range 6 west of the
fifth principle meridian; thence S 030 07' 46" E, a distance of 311.18 feet to the northeast
corner of Lot 104 of mackinaw village part five as recorded in book 57, page 241 of the
records of Johnson county, Iowa Recorder's office, said point being the point of beginning;
thence S 86050'44" E along the southerly right-of-way line of U.S. Highway Interstate 80,
a distance of 140.15 feet, thence N 86023'32" E along said southerly line, a distance of
718.54 feet, thence N 75035'49" E along said southerly line, a distance of 463.42 feet;
thence N 80027'46" E along said southerly line, a distance of 294.70 feet; thence N
87003'11" E along said southerly line, a distance of 428.87 feet; thence S 81004'24"E
along said southerly line, a distance of 105.39; thence S 79011'57" E along said southerly
line, a distance of 504.56 feet; said point being on the west line of the northwest quarter
of the northwest quarter of Section 3, Township 79, Range 6 west; thence S 01 045'29" E,
a distance of 425.26 feet; thence S 88054'57" W, a distance of 562.46 feet; thence S
88056'09" W, a distance of 102.69 feet; thence S 01011'07" E, a distance of 654.95 feet;
thence S 88009'37" W, a distance of 640.01 feet; thence S 88039'49 W, a distance of
152.49 feet; thence S 49042'42" W, a distance of 111.02 feet; thence S 26026'43'41" E, a
distance of 158.46 feet; thence S 44043'52" W, a distance of 337.66 feet; thence S
02040'38" E a distance of 41.04 feet; thence S 87004'33" W, a distance of 181.81 feet;
thence S 00001'08" E, a distance of 328.80 feet; thence S 87058'50" W, a distance of
33.02 feet; thence N 00001'08" W, a distance of 814.67 feet; thence S 88041'48" W, a
distance of 674.33 feet; N 03005'12" W, a distance of 1039.43 feet, to the point of
beginning. Said parcel of land containing 61.14 acres, more or less, and subject to
easement and restrictions of record.
And all of the northwest quarter, of the northwest quarter of Section 3, Township 79,
Range 6 west of the fifth principle meridian. Said area containing 39.56 acres, and subject
to easements and restrictions of record.
Approximately 100.7 acres in total.
Addendum No. 2
Location Map: Forest View Urban Renewal Area
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®I, CITY OF I O WA CITY
MEMORANDUM
Date: June 14, 2019
To: Planning and Zoning Commission
From: Jade Pederson, Planning Intern
Re: Designation of the Hohenschuh-Hervert House, 225 North Gilbert Street, as a
Historic Landmark (REZ19-06)
Background: City staff has requested that the Hohenschuh-Hervert House, located at 225
North Gilbert Street, be designated as an Iowa City Historic Landmark. The house was built in a
vernacular design with Folk Victorian detailing in 1904 by Charles Mentzer, a socially
recognized carpenter, for Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh, prominent figures in Iowa
City society and owners of 229 North Gilbert Street. In 1936, Katie Hervert, and later her
husband Frank Henry Hervert, gained ownership and made significant alterations to the house.
Frank Hervert was a member of the design -build carpentry industry in Iowa City which
influenced the stylistic designation of the house.
Historic Preservation Commission Review: The Historic Preservation Commission met on
June 13, 2019 and conducted a public hearing at which they reviewed and evaluated the
historic significance of the Hohenschuh-Hervert House. The Commission determined that the
property meets the requirements for a landmark and voted to recommend approval of the
designation of 225 North Gilbert Street as an Iowa City Historic Landmark. The building is
significant because of its relationship to second -generation immigrant families in the Northside
of Iowa City, the local tradition of architectural salvage and reuse, and being a well-preserved
example of local design -builder craftsmanship.
Planning and Zoning Commission Review: Landmark designation is a zoning overlay and
therefore requires a recommendation from the Planning and Zoning Commission to the City
Council. The Commission's role is to review the proposed designation based on its relation to
the Comprehensive Plan and the proposed public improvements and plans for the renewal of
the area involved.
There are two specific areas of the Comprehensive Plan that appear to apply to this proposal:
1). the Central District Plan and 2). the Historic Preservation Plan.
The property falls within the Northside Marketplace Commercial Area of the Central District. The
historic character of the Northside Marketplace is maintained by its distinct identity and scale.
The preservation of historic resources is encouraged to aid in maintaining culture, history, and
identity in Iowa City. Furthermore, Goal 1b. for the Northside Marketplace calls for the protection
of historic buildings.
The Historic Preservation element of the Comprehensive Plan has two goals that relates to this
proposal. Goal 1: Identify historic resources significant to Iowa City's past and Goal 10: Adopt
strategies that preserve historic neighborhoods, and in particular, the Gilbert -Linn Street
neighborhood. Specifically, Objective 5 of Goal 1 is satisfied by means of the nomination and
pursuit of Local Landmark designation. The information provided by the Iowa Site Inventory
form, and the Intensive Historical and Architectural History Survey and Evaluation of 225 N
Gilbert Street and 229 N Gilbert Street done by Tim Weitzel confirms the property is significant
to Iowa City's history, architecture, archaeology, and culture; that it possesses integrity of
location, design, setting, materials, and workmanship; is associated with events that have made
June 14, 2019
Page 2
a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history; and is associated with the lives of
persons significant in our past.
Preservation of 225 North Gilbert Street would not be in conflict with the future redevelopment of
the area but would actively promote the preservation of historic resources. Furthermore,
modifications to the exterior of the Hohenschuh-Hervert House will be able to be made with the
review and approval of either the Historic Preservation Planner or the Historic Preservation
Commission.
Staff Recommendations: Staff recommends the approval of REZ19-06, an application to
designate 225 North Gilbert Street as an Iowa City Historic Landmark and rezone from
Community Business Service (CB-2) to Community Business Service with a Historic District
Overlay (CB-2/OHD).
Attachments:
1. Location Map
2. Zoning Map
3. Historic Preservation Commission Memo, 05/31/2019 (refer to staff report for 229 N. Gilbert
Street rezoning (REZ19-05))
Approved by:
Danielle Sitzman, AICP, Development Services Coordinator
Department of Neighborhood and Development Services
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MEMORANDUM
Date: June 14, 2019
To: Planning and Zoning Commission
From: Jade Pederson, Planning Intern
Re: Designation of the Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House, 229 North Gilbert
Street, as a Historic Landmark (REZ19-05)
Background: City staff has requested that the Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House,
located at 229 North Gilbert Street, be designated as an Iowa City Historic Landmark. The
house was first addressed as 231 N Gilbert Street but has since appeared as 229 N Gilbert St.
It was built in 1897 as a Free Classic Queen Anne by Jacob J. Hotz, a broadly known,
successful carpenter and businessman. With the design direction of his son, Charles Hotz, the
two -and -a -half -story house was given a central hipped roof and lower cross gabled wings. This
property, with its asymmetrical design and elaborate porch, was one of the few high -style
houses built in the 1890s to survive from the Phase II Area.
Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh, the original owners of this property, were prominent
figures of Iowa City society. The Hohenschuh's were part of the Northside Neighborhood
immigrant communities as second -generation immigrants. Jacob J. Hotz was also a second -
generation immigrant and interacted with the Northside German Immigrant Community. The
house has relationships with other notable Iowa Citians, the most prominent being Mary
Keating, a second -generation Irish immigrant, who was important in the history of the Veterans
Administration Hospital.
Historic Preservation Commission Review: The Historic Preservation Commission met on
June 13, 2019 and conducted a public hearing at which they reviewed and evaluated the
historic significance of the Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House. The Commission
determined that the property meets the requirements for a landmark and voted to recommend
approval of the designation of 229 North Gilbert Street as an Iowa City Historic Landmark. The
building is significant because of its relationship to second -generation immigrant families in the
Northside of Iowa City.
Planning and Zoning Commission Review: Landmark designation is a zoning overlay and
therefore requires a recommendation from the Planning and Zoning Commission to the City
Council. The Commission's role is to review the proposed designation based on its relation to
the Comprehensive Plan and the proposed public improvements and plans for the renewal of
the area involved.
There are two specific areas of the Comprehensive Plan that apply to this proposal: 1). the
Central District Plan and 2). the Historic Preservation Plan.
The property falls within the Northside Marketplace Commercial Area of the Central District. The
historic character of the Northside Marketplace is maintained by its distinct identity and scale.
The preservation of historic resources is encouraged to aid in maintaining culture, history, and
identity in Iowa City. Furthermore, Goal 1b. for the Northside Marketplace calls for the protection
of historic buildings.
The Historic Preservation element of the Comprehensive Plan has two goals that relate to this
proposal. Goal 1: Identify historic resources significant to Iowa City's past and Goal 10: Adopt
June 14, 2019
Page 2
strategies that preserve historic neighborhoods, and in particular, the Gilbert -Linn Street
neighborhood. Specifically, Objective 5 of Goal 1 is satisfied by means of the nomination and
pursuit of Local Landmark designation. The information provided by the Iowa Site Inventory
form, and the Intensive Historical and Architectural History Survey and Evaluation of 225 N
Gilbert Street and 229 N Gilbert Street done by Tim Weitzel confirms the property is significant
to Iowa City's history, architecture, archaeology, and culture; that it possesses integrity of
location, design, setting, materials, and workmanship; and is associated with events that have
made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history.
Preservation of 229 North Gilbert Street would not be in conflict with the future redevelopment of
the area but would actively promote the preservation of historic resources. Furthermore,
modifications to the exterior of the Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House will be able to
be made with the review and approval of either the Historic Preservation Planner or the Historic
Preservation Commission.
Staff Recommendations: Staff recommends the approval of REZ19-05, an application to
designate 229 North Gilbert Street as an Iowa City Historic Landmark and rezone from
Community Business Service (CB-2) to Community Business Service with a Historic District
Overlay (CB-2/OHD).
Attachments:
1. Location Map
2. Zoning Map
3. Historic Preservation Commission Memo, 05/31/2019
Approved by:.
Danielle Sitzman, AICP, Development Services Coordinator
Department of Neighborhood and Development Services
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Historic Preservation Commission
^i'y Ha:, 610 t VV:shirO C.n Street, Icwa Cl y. A. 52240
Memorandum
Date: May 31, 2019
To: Historic Preservation Commission
From: Jessica Bristow, Historic Preservation Planner
Re: Hohenschuh-Hervert House, 225 North Gilbert Street and
Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House, 229 North Gilbert Street
In 2018, at the request of the City Manager, City Staff sent out a Request for Quotes seeking a
consultant to perform an intensive survey of the properties at 225 and 229 North Gilbert Street. The
City had purchased the properties and intended to designate them as local landmarks, pending
eligibility, in order to preserve them from demolition and to help stabilize the historic character of the
neighborhood. As a result of the proposals, the City hired consultant Tim Weitzel to perform the study
and provide a written report overview. This report and the two intensive survey forms (as attachments
to the report) are included with this memorandum. In addition, the City has been working with potential
new owners for their future use, potentially as commercial properties.
Weitzel's report begins with an Executive Summary listing the results of the study. The body of the
report then includes an introduction that discusses landmark eligibility and the relationship between the
National Register and local requirements. Weitzel outlines his methodology and provides a history of
past investigations and land use of the neighborhood. The bulk of the report is the establishment of
historic contexts for evaluation and discussion of the properties' histories. Both houses are tied to the
strong influence of 191h-century immigrant communities and the history of building construction and
design in Iowa City. A thorough history of each property is included in the attached site inventory forms.
The site inventory forms are in a State -required format and also include a discussion and evaluation of
the architecture. Finally, Weitzel includes statements on his findings and recommendations.
Based on the results of Weitzel's study and the findings in the report, the City seeks local landmark
designation for both properties. At the June 13, 2019 Historic Preservation Commission meeting public
hearings will be held for each property individually in order to discuss local landmark eligibility.
Hohenschuh-Hervert House, 225 North Gilbert Street
City Staff has requested that the Hohenschuh-Hervert House, 225 North Gilbert Street, be designated
as an Iowa City Historic Landmark. Designation of the property as an Iowa City Historic Landmark will
require Commission approval of any significant changes to the exterior of the building. Landmark status
will make the property eligible for special exceptions that would allow the Board of Adjustment to waive
or modify certain zoning requirements and for State Tax Credit funding of rehabilitation. It is not
intended that the City will retain ownership of the property.
low;: City
H;stor o Preservation Comr,
r;::y Hall, 410 = Washing on S.roet, lows City. IA. G2240
The house was built in 1904 by Charles Mentzer for Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh, prominent
in Iowa City society, who had originally lived next door at 229 Gilbert Street and built the house upon
their return to town. The house was built in a vernacular design with Folk Victorian detailing. Following
Christian's death in 1918, Clara returned to 229 Gilbert and rented the property at 225 Gilbert until she
sold it in 1936. The history of the Hohenschuh's is also linked to the widespread Spanish Flu epidemic
of 1918. The history of the house is also tied to Katie and Frank Hervert who owned 225 Gilbert through
the middle of the 201 century. The history of the changes to the house is tied to a local
builder/craftsman tradition in Iowa City.
The Hohenschuh-Hervert House was found to be individually eligible for listing in the National Register
of Historic places under Criterion A, because of its relationship to second generation immigrant families
in the Northside of Iowa City and the local tradition of architectural salvage and reuse and C,
Design/Construction, as a well-preserved example of local design -builder craftsmanship, especially
architectural salvage and remodeling work. For local landmark designation, the Commission should
determine if the property meets criterion a. and b. and at least one of the criteria c., d., e., or f. for local
designation listed below:
a. Significant to American and/or Iowa City history, architecture, archaeology and culture;
b. Possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship;
c. Associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our
history;
d. Associated with the lives of persons significant in our past;
e. Embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction; or
represents the work of a master; or possesses high artistic values; or represents a
significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction;
f. Has yielded or may likely yield information important in prehistory or history.
Based on the information provided in the report and the Site Inventory Form, staff finds that the
property meets criteria a, b, c and d and therefore qualifies as an Iowa City Historic Landmark.
Recommended Motion:
Move to approve the designation of the Hohenschuh-Hervert House, 225 North Gilbert Street, as an
Iowa City Historic Landmark based on the following criteria for local designation: criteria a, b, c and d.
2
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2
:::vva City
Historic Preservation CommissIion
Cii; Hall, M E Wash!nry CG -. Stm.ei, Iowa City. IA.:52240
Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House 229 North Gilbert Street
City Staff has requested that the Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House, 229 North Gilbert
Street, be designated as an Iowa City Historic Landmark. Designation of the property as an Iowa City
Historic Landmark will require Commission approval of any significant changes to the exterior of the
building. Landmark status will make the property eligible for special exceptions that would allow the
Board of Adjustment to waive or modify certain zoning requirements and for State Tax Credit funding of
rehabilitation. It is not intended that the City will retain ownership of the property.
The house was built in 1897 by Jacob J. Hotz, a well-known and successful carpenter, for Christian and
Clara Dostal Hohenschuh, prominent in Iowa City society. The house was built in as a Free Classic
Queen Anne. In addition to its relationship to the Hohenschuh's several other notable Iowa Citians were
also residents of the home through its history.
The Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House was found to be individually eligible for listing in the
National Register of Historic places under Criterion A, because of its relationship to second generation
immigrant families in the Northside of Iowa City. While the existing vinyl siding prevents an evaluation
for Criterion C it is expected to be eligible under this criterion as well and could be evaluated once the
vinyl is removed. For local landmark designation, the Commission should determine if the property
meets criterion a. and b. and at least one of the criteria c., d., e., or f. for local designation listed below:
a. Significant to American and/or Iowa City history, architecture, archaeology and culture;
b. Possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship;
c. Associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our
history;
d. Associated with the lives of persons significant in our past;
e. Embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction; or
represents the work of a master; or possesses high artistic values; or represents a
significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction;
f. Has yielded or may likely yield information important in prehistory or history.
Based on the information provided in the report and the Site Inventory Form, staff finds that the
property meets criteria a, b, and c and therefore qualifies as an Iowa City Historic Landmark.
Recommended Motion:
Move to approve the designation of the Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House, 229 North
Gilbert Street, as an Iowa City Historic Landmark based on the following criteria for local designation:
criteria a, b, and c.
3
Intensive Historical and Architectural History Survey and Evaluation of
225 N Gilbert Street and 229 N Gilbert Street
Iowa City, Iowa
HAOB No.: 32-00131
Prepared for the Historic Preservation Commission
City of Iowa City, Iowa
Tim Weitzel
Historian, Architectural Historian,
and Archaeologist
April 2019
Executive Summary
An intensive historical and architectural history survey and evaluation of the Hohenschuh-Hervert
house, 225 N Gilbert Street (ISIN 52-03267) and the Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenshcuh
house, 229 N Gilbert Street (ISIN 52-03267) was conducted in January through March of 2019.
The two subject properties are located in the Northside neighborhood of Iowa City, specifically in
the Northside Commercial District. They were purchased by the City of Iowa City in the fall of
2018. The City of Iowa City indicated an interest in potentially preserving the properties for
historic preservation as well as land use planning purposes. The properties were previously
identified as potential historic properties in 1981 and 1999 but no further action was taken on
those recommendations. The 2019 intensive level investigation of the properties for their
historical and architectural significance returns a recommendation to the Historic Preservation
Commission that these properties possess historic merit and recommends that they are eligible
to be nominated for the National Register of Historic Places and are also eligible for consideration
for local landmark status. The Hohenschuh-Hervert house is eligible for Criteria A: Associations
with patterns of history and Criteria C: Type, period, and method of construction. The Christian
and Clara Dostal Hohenshcuh house is eligible for Criteria A: Associations with patterns of history.
This project meets preservation and planning goals for the CLG program as well as identification
goals called for in Iowa City ordinance and the Historic Preservation Plan, in particular Goal 1:
Identify historic resources significant to Iowa City's past as well as Objective 4 of that plan for the
Downtown Planning District, which calls for designation of individually eligible properties as local
historic landmarks.
Introduction
The City of Iowa City issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) in October of 2018 for an evaluation of two
potentially historic properties-225 N Gilbert Street (ISIN 52-03267) and 229 N Gilbert Street (ISIN 52-
03267), the subject properties of this study! The RFQ called for an intensive survey report that includes
information found in a Multiple Property Documentation form (but not on the MPD form) including a site
inventory forms and photographic documentation.
This report provides the information found on an MPD document, including the methodology used in the
study (page 3), provides the history of investigations on the two subject properties (page 4), provides the
historic contexts used to evaluate the properties (page 7), and summarizes the results of the information
on the two site inventory forms along with recommendations for eligibility to the National Register of
Historic Places (page 15). However, as the results of this survey did not find that there is a multiple
property to document, the report does not include a statement of significance or narrative for a multiple
property. As would be required with an MPD, the documentation of the survey work and the
1 The State Historic Preservation Office maintains a register and database of all reviewed properties in Iowa. Each
property is assigned a unique Iowa Site Inventory Number, designated here as ISIN.
documentation for the recommendations made is provided on Iowa Site Inventory froms, which are
provided in Appendix A.
The subject properties are located on the north side of downtown Iowa City in the Northside Commercial
District and are in a broad way part of the Northside neighborhood of Iowa City. They were acquired by
the City of Iowa City in the fall of 2018. The properties are located within a popular commercial area but
remained until recently in residential use. The buildings were inhabited at the time of the purchase by the
City. Both properties are well over 50 years of age and had been looked at previously for eligibility for the
National Register of Historic Places as part of historic preservation survey work in the Northside
Neighborhood. Both properties had been identified as potentially eligible in two previous reviews, which if
this were a compliance triggered report would be sufficient to determine them potentially eligible for the
National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).
However, it was also clear by preliminary work done by staff that there were important potential
discrepancies in what had been reported. It was therefore judged necessary to revisit the previous work
and at the same time evaluate the current condition of the buildings, which well could have changed in
the 20 years since the last recommendations were made. It was further noted that the State Historic
Preservation Office has increased its reliance on guidance and authorities provided by the National Park
Service for the implementation of identification and evaluation efforts for nomination and management of
historic properties through the Certified Local Government Program (CLG) program and this could affect
the recommendations for the properties in that regard.
To be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, a property must meet one or more of the four
Criteria for Evaluation and it must possess Historic Integrity. The Criteria for Evaluation state the quality of
significance in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering, and culture is present in districts,
sites, buildings, structures, and objects that possess integrity of location, design, setting, materials.
workmanship, feeling, and association, and:
A. That are associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad
patterns of our history; or
B. That are associated with the lives of significant persons in our past; or
C. That embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction,
or that represent the work of a master, or that possess high artistic values, or that
represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual
distinction; or
D. That have yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in history or prehistory.
There are specific methods to evaluate these criteria. Evaluating the historic integrity of the property is an
admittedly subjective process, but there are set criteria for their application. A full discussion of evaluation
of historic properties is provided in National Register Bulletin 15: How to Apply the National Register
Criteria for Evaluation. It is noted that Criteria D almost always applies to archaeological sites and no
attempt to systematically identify archaeological sites was made in the course of this investigation, though
recommendations for their preservation, if they are present, are included in this report.
The results of this survey and evaluation —the case for eligibility —is made on an Iowa Site Inventory form.
Each form inventories the current conditions, historic materials and other aspects of the building and
provides a narrative description of the property and provides a narrative statement of significance.
In addition to the national criteria, Iowa law delegates the authority to create local historic property
designations based on far less stringent criteria. In effect, a local government can designate historic
properties of any type, size, and shape of contiguous property for any legitimate purpose.' However, as a
participant in the Certified Local Government (CLG) Program, Iowa City has indicated its commitment to
follow the requirements of the national CLG as administered by State of Iowa. The CLG Program is
described here as follows:
'Through the certification process, local governments make a commitment to historic
preservation by passing local legislation and establishing a historic preservation commission.
The commission advises the local elected officials on matters related to historic preservation
and undertakes special projects in the community.... A local government must provide ongoing
support for the program and the historic preservation commission. This support includes
assigning a staff member to the commission. The staff member sees that the commission gets
clerical assistance, prepares an annual budget and coordinates with other local commissions
and agencies. In addition, the commission will need a meeting space and centralized storage
space for commission files....
'The local government also provides financial support for the historic preservation program
and commission. This includes a budget for office supplies, postage, telephone, printing, and
photography and annual training. While grant programs help local governments defray the
expense of historic preservation activities, all require a local commitment in the form of cash
and/or in -kind match. The local government is the official applicant for the grant and provides
the required match x3
Local governments in Iowa use the program to revitalize downtowns and stabilize historic neighborhoods
by taking advantage of a federal pass -through funding to support local historic preservation efforts along
with expert technical assistance. The State Historic Preservation Office administers and provides the
guidance on the CLG Program. As part of the CLG agreement, the Historic Preservation Commission
reviews all nominations within their jurisdiction and follows the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and
Guidelines for Archaeology and Historic Preservation as administered by the National Park Service in
developing and administering their local historic preservation program
Therefore, it is generally in the best interest of the city and its commissions to consider applications for
local designations that comply with the process of identification, evaluations, and preservation for state
and national historic. Similarly, while the local ordinance does not regulate the interiors of buildings locally
designated, the process of identification by the State Historic Preservation Office does consider the
building interiors. Therefore, it is recommended such procedure be followed even though a local
Z IC §414.2 and §303.20
3 Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs website, Certified Local Governments.
https://iowaculture.gov/history/preservation/ certified -local -governments
Mohr, Paula. Program Guide for Iowa's Certified Local Government Program: How to Apply and Maintain Status
https:Hiowaculture.gov/sites/default/files/History%20-%20Grants%20-%2DCertified%20Local%20Govern ment%20-
%20Grantee%20Handbook%20%28PDF%29.pdf; Secretary of the Interior standards
https://www.nps.gov/history/local-law/arch—standards.htm
designation would not ultimately regulate that aspect of the property. Doing so preserves not only the
integrity of the historic property, but also the ability for a future owner to apply for federal historic
preservation tax credits, should the properties later be determined to be historic. A local designation
could allow an applicant to apply for state tax credits as well.
This project meets preservation and planning goals for the CLG program as well as identification goals
called for in Iowa City ordinance and the Historic Preservation Plan, a part of the Iowa City Comprehensive
Plan, in particular Goal 1: Identify historic resources significant to Iowa City's past as well as Objective 4 of
that plan for the Downtown Planning District, which calls for designation of individually eligible properties
as local historic landmarks.
Methodology
This investigation began with review of previous work and compared those results to initial background
work done by or for staff that suggested discrepancies existed between what could be found in 2018
about the properties and what was reported in earlier work. Investigation then proceeded with a review
of available literature on the history of the Northside neighborhood of Iowa City. Site inventory forms
were obtained from the State Historic Preservation Office as well as an inventory report for Iowa City. In
addition to a number of historic preservation surveys for districts in the vicinity of the two subject
properties, previous survey work included work by Baxter (1978), Jacobsen (1981), and Svendsen (1999).
The Historic Preservation Plan for Iowa City was consulted as well (Svendsen Tyler and Clarion Associates
2008).5 Other works consulted included architectural histories of the United States, state of Iowa, and
Iowa City including Gelernter (1999), Gottfried and Jennings (2009), Keyes (1966, 1993), LaFore (1979),
McAlester (2018), Plymat (1997), Roth (1993), Shank (1999), Svendsen (1992, 1999), and including
scholarly theses and dissertations such as Margaret Keyes' Student Ann Schurtz (1967) and Magnuson
(1980). Sources of history of Iowa City and the Northside were consulted as well, including the 1883
History of Johnson County, Aurner (1912), Mansheim (1989), Slonnegar (1999), Svendsen (1992, 1999),
and Weber (1976-1979), as well as student project papers, dissertations and thesis work, including
Jacobsen (1982), Ellis (1947).6 Other works, such as those available from Annals of Iowa, University of Iowa
Libraries Special Collections and general collection, and related websites—Iowa Research Online, Iowa
Digital Library, and Special Collections finders aids were consulted. Digital collections from the Library of
Congress were consulted. Collections from the closed stacks at the State Historical Society proved to be
useful. Additional sources are cited when used. Primary sources for research included newspapers from
1880 to 1970, city directories for 1857 through 1970, census data for individuals associated with the
properties, maps of the properties, and property information and transfer records for sales through the
first sale after 1970. Repositories for these data sources included the State Historical Society of Iowa,
Johnson County Assessor's Office, The University of Iowa Libraries, Iowa City Public Library, Internet
Archive, Hathi Trust, Google Books, and Google Scholar, all supplemented as necessary with general web
search application.
5 This investigator contributed review and comments on that report.
6 Ellis was an attempt to conduct architectural history, but it is most useful as an art history of Iowa City.
A dataset of historic builders and projects compiled from Iowa City newspapers and maintained by Richard
Carlson of the Highway Archaeology Program at the Office of the State Archaeologist, University of Iowa
was most helpful as were staff at the three libraries and the State Historic Preservation office. This report
and its conclusions are solely the work of the author.
History of Investigations
Following a series of demolitions in the north side neighborhood during the 1960s and 1970s and resulting
public concern over the potential for demolition of historic properties, potential or designated, the City of
Iowa City undertook a major planning study at that time of the Northside Neighborhood. That effort lead
to a sixteen -volume report that covered many topics, including policy shortfalls to control unwanted
demolition that were then allowed by then current land use polity. This paper has not examined the
resulting land use policy that was directly applied after that report, but it is clear this work had long lasting
influence on how historic preservation policy and land use policy progressed from that time. That paper
provided recommendations for the properties that are the subject of this report. The historic
recommendations were at best a reconnaissance review of the properties examined. Those
recommendations were close in time to a number of demolitions that had occurred in the area and
understandably were colored by that fact. Further, the alterations to the properties were also much closer
in time to those evaluations and not yet 50 years in age.' The recommendation in that assessment, which
was a map of presence or absence of historic properties based on exterior appearance alone, was "Not
Historic" for 225 N Gilbert Street and "'Historic" for 229 N. Gilbert Street.
The 1978 report went on to make land use recommendations and as a result all of Block 58 of the original
town plat, the area bounded by Gilbert, Market, Linn, and Bloomington Streets was recommended to be
considered for rezoning to commercial, something that subsequently did occur. Four years prior to this the
Jacob Wentz House (ISIN 52-01684) was nominated to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and
listed in 1974.
In 1981, James Jacobsen, working for the City of Iowa City, conducted an in-house survey of the Northside
Neighborhood. The site inventory forms completed for 225 N Gilbert Street and 229 N Gilbert Street
recorded that both buildings were in good condition and he effectively recommended them eligible for
the NRHP. The form used in this in-house effort provided three options for eligibility recommendations
that don't directly conform with current procedure, but SHPO has operationalized the 1981
recommendation as "contributing in a historic district" for 225 N Gilbert Street, and "individually eligible
for 229 N Gilbert Street. A review of the Iowa Site Inventory for properties in the vicinity of the two
subject properties indicates that the 1981 survey has a high level of agreement with the properties
eventually nominated to the national register.
It should be noted that allowance must be made in reading the site inventory report for a given locality
when an earlier consultant recommends a property not individually eligible and a subsequent consultant
later is recommends the property is eligible, either individually or as a contributing property in a district.
' The National Register Criteria for Evaluation exclude properties that achieved significance in the past fifty years
unless they are of exceptional importance. Fifty years is a general estimate of the time needed to develop historical
perspective and to evaluate significance under the NRHP.
A
Further, the standard for contributing properties is different than that of individual properties and each
have their own aspects for how they qualify as historic. A contributing property must retain aspects of
setting and context regarding to its relationships to other buildings in the district, while an individually
eligible property is less reliant on surrounding properties for its eligibility.
In 1998, survey work was undertaken using survey methodology and evaluation methods that conformed
broadly with the National Register procedures outlined in National Register Bulletin 15, 16, and 39. This
survey work was part of the survey and evaluation of the Original Town Plat, Phase II conducted by Marlys
Svendsen in 1998, with the report issued the following year. The recommendations were that both 225 N
Gilbert Street and 229 N Gilbert Street were individually eligible for the NRHP. The current evaluation
proceeded under this assumption, but sought to review potential changes to the condition of the building
since 1998 and to review discrepant information reported among the three earlier forms as well as in-
house investigations since.
Additional considerations are made today for national register nominations regarding interior condition as
well as a much more thorough review of the history of the building to examine all four eligibility criteria."
Further, the alterations to 225 N Gilbert Street were not yet 50 years old at the time of the previous three
investigations but are today.
Land Use History
The original town plat for Iowa City was under an approval, in 1839, by the territorial legislature for the
location of a permanent capitol of the Iowa Territory? Survey, mapping, and sales of the first lots followed
that same year. Blocks were laid out in a regular grid oriented to the cardinal directions. Blocks measuring
320 feet square were divided into eight lots, each lot measuring a generous 150 feet by 80 feet. The alleys
were 20 feet wide and ran east to west
through each block.10 Many of those
lots were later subdivided to allow
higher density.
In 1847, Jacob Wentz, a German
immigrant, had a building built at the
south end of Lot 1, Block 58 facing
Gilbert Street (Figure 1)." This is the
National Register listed building at 219
N Gilbert Street, otherwise known as
the Wentz-Stach House. This set the
orientation for the remaining two
houses on the lot when the lot was
eventually subdivided at two later
Figure 1. The Wentz -Stack House, 219 N Gilbert Street on A. Rutger, Bird's
Eye View of Iowa City, Johnson Co., Iowa. Arrow faces north. Chicago
Lithograph. Co. 1868.
e However intensive archaeological evaluation for this report was beyond the scope of this report.
s Keyes, 1993.
10 L. Judson, Map of Iowa City Situated in Township 79 N. R. 6 W. of the 5`" Prime Meridian, 1839.
11 Lafore, 1974.
dates. The later houses, in order of construction, are 229 N Gilbert Street and 225 N Gilbert Street (Figure
2). Property transfer records indicate the parcel then passed through a number of hands but most of the
owners were affiliated with the nearby and growing brewing industry along the south side of the block on
Market Street (Table 1, Appendix A). It appears they sought out property to either expand into or
otherwise invest in.
In 1897, Clara and Chris Hohenschuh contracted with Jacob J. Hotz to build the
house at 229 N Gilbert Street, subdividing Lot 1, Block 58 to create the parcel for
the building on the northern third of the lot. This location was across the street
from 318 E Bloomington Street, the former location of the second Frank and
Theresa Hohenschuh family residence where Chris grew up, and due north of the
location of the Great Western Brewery, where Clara's father worked, was located
at the northwest corner of Market Street and Gilbert Street. For reasons of Chris'
health, the family relocated temporarily to Denver but retained ownership of the
house.
When they returned they built a new house on the middle parcel of Lot 1. The
parcel was obtained from Nanna G. Wieder, who had owned the south 85 feet of
Lot 1, Block 58 at the time. This property acquisition would be the final subdivision
of the lot. At various points, quit claim deeds indicate corrections and clarification
of who owned which parts of Lot 1 and small sections of adjoining Lot 2. In 1904,
Figure 2. The subject
Properties in relation to tot
1, Blodr 58 Original Town
Plat. Arrow faces north.
Johnson County Assessor.
The Hohenschuhs hired Charles Mentzer to build the new house at 225 N Gilbert Street where they
resided until Chris' death in 1918. In 1911, Chris bought the Jacob Wentz house from "William Englert and
Wife" and used it for rental property. Following Chris' death in 1918, Clara returned to 229 N Gilbert
Street. She appears to have rented 225 N Gilbert Street and 219 N Gilbert Street from that point until she
sold the property to her daughter Mary. She then moved to Muscatine with Loretta, her other daughter,
and her son-in-law Guy O. Hoover.
Statement of Historic Contexts
Initial contexts were reviewed from the Multiple Property Document form Historic Resources of Iowa City,
Iowa (ISIN 52-028).11Four contexts were found to be applicable to this study:
Railroad Era (1856-1900)
Town & Gown Era (1900-1940)
The Development of the University of Iowa (1855-1940)
Iowa City Neighborhoods: Town and Country (1840-1940)
These contexts are described in full at the source and will not be repeated here. In addition to contexts
detailed in the Iowa City MPD, the following two further contexts have been developed:
Iowa City Northside Nineteenth Century Immigrant Communities (1840-1900)
Building Construction and Design Industry of Iowa City (1840-1960)
12 Svendsen, 1992.
Iowa City Northside Nineteenth Century Immigrant Communities (1840-1900)
This study found numerous associations among residents and owners of the buildings with the immigrant
communities of Iowa City in the nineteenth century. Iowa City once had a remarkable first and second
generation German and Czech ethnic immigrant community located in the Northside that was noted for its
sense of distinctiveness and sense of community, if not absolute size of the total population compared to
other locations in Iowa. For the purposes of this context, ethnicity is defined as: The fact or state of
belonging to a social group that has a common national or cultural tradition. Culture is defined here as:
ideas, customs, and social behavior of a particular group or society. Society has three possible meanings in
use in this study: 1) A group of individuals involved in persistent interaction and sharing the same
geographical space; 2) of or belonging to a particular social group, such as a club or organization; or 3)
high level status in a community.
A general sense of the past foreign language speaking immigrant communities has remained within the
common knowledge of Iowa City residents due to place names that convey this sense of history. St.
Wenceslas, for example, immediately calls attention to the Bohemian (Czech) immigrants to Iowa City. A
considerable amount of credit, however, necessarily goes to local historic preservation efforts from local
historians, such as Irving Weber and Mary Beth Slonnegar, as well as the county histories that lauded new
comers who came to the area.13 Recent scholarly and popular presentations have called attention to
nineteenth century immigrant communities and the German American community in particular with
regard to prohibition.14
Historic preservation efforts have called attention to immigrant aspects of Iowa City history since the
1970s. In her historic structures inventory for the 1977 Northside Neighborhood report, Elaine Baxter
called attention to buildings as a record of the way of life of immigrants.15 Baxter also called attention to
the European immigrants from Britain, but of particular interest here are those who emigrated from
Germany, Ireland, and Bohemia (today's Czech Republic). The Irish in Iowa City apparently spoke English
rather than Gaelic for the majority and therefore are less of a distinct ethnicity as a result.16 Predicting the
current interest in German immigrants in particular, Baxter discussed the prominence of German
American run breweries on Market Street in shaping the Northside Neighborhood. This is somewhat
remarkable as even today many tend to shy away from issues of discriminatory treatment toward
immigrants, even those from Europe, and especially those events surrounding state prohibition of
alcoholic beverages coming to open conflict in 1884.17
Following Baxter's study, a University of Iowa Urban and Regional Planning student first undertook a
systematic historical survey of the Northside as part of the City of Iowa City's inventory efforts for historic
properties in the Northside Neighborhood.18 He next took on a large and systematic comparison of federal
census data to reveal aspects of residential patterns related to the three primary ethnic groups of Iowa
13 Aurner, 1912; 1883 County History.
14 Hennigan, 2014; Ehrstine, 2016; Ehrstine and Gibbs, 2019.
is Baxter, 1978.
16 Pfeifer, 2017.
11 Ehrstine, 2016; Ehrstine and Gibbs 2019; Hennigan, 2014.
18 Jacobsen,1981
0
City.19 The findings of that paper can be found wanting at times and certainly a re-examination of the
findings and follow-up of the recommendations of that work is in order. For instance, despite the location
of the St. Wenceslas, CSPS Hall, and the Sleazak Hall (later Holub Hall and apartments), being located west
of North Dodge Street, conventional wisdom places Goosetown firmly east of that street. That notion is
not upheld in the data that Jacobsen used. In fact, Czech Americans, German Americans, and American
born people actually can be found throughout the Northside, suggesting the Northside enclave of Czech
immigrants was more of perception than fact.
Jacobsen's data were probably less demonstrative of a northeast Iowa City enclave than he chose to
interpret, though Tank Town or Deweyville did Interestingly seem to be a preferred place for some Czech
Americans to live as well as American born people. But as with the entire north side of Iowa City,
American born residents always were in the majority Iowa City. While Jacobsen reported a "peninsula" of
higher densities of Czechs extending toward Sleazak Hall/Holub Hall on Bloomington Street (the current
location of Pagliai's Pizza), the differences between "high density" areas and other areas was a matter of
single digit percentages in difference from lower density areas. There were similarly reported high
densities of German and American Born Citizens. Again, American born residents lived throughout the
areas identified as potential "enclaves" in that work. This was a graduate student paper, and not a thesis
as sometimes reported. All due credit is given for a difficult and complex study taken at a time when the
data had to be entered onto punch cards as well as later interpreted.
Still, working with others, Jacobsen was able to identify some illuminating facts, especially with regard to
general population statistics, occupations held by the various ethnicities of Iowa City, and rates of home
ownership among the four largest population groups. From 1880-1900, the Northside population grew by
9,000
8,000
7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
1870 1875 1880 1885 1890 1895 1900 1905
Total Iowa City
First Generation
Immigrant
First and Second
Generation
Figure 3. Iowa City total population over time compared to Immigrant population, as
reported in Jacobsen 1982
19 Jacobsen, 1982
20 Jacobsen, 1982.
21 Ehrstine, 2019
22 Jacobsen,1982.
close to 50% and more than
61% of immigrant residents
lived in this section of town
while housing units
increased just 7% over a
similar time period20. This
was during the peak years
of immigration to Iowa,
which occurred in 1890.21
Jacobsen calculated the
peak dates in Iowa City to
be 1880 for Irish
immigrants, 1885 for
Germans, and 1895 for
Czechs 22 In 1895, the first
and second generation
immigrant population peaked at 63% of Iowa City population. The population of Iowa City was 7,526 in
,895.21
Jacobsen also found that Iowa City first and second generation immigrants population was approaching
50% of the total population in the period of 1890 to 1905 (Figure 3). This total primarily includes people of
German, Czech, and to a lesser extent Irish ancestry. This is remarkable for any immigrant community in
Iowa at any point in time and provides a deeper understanding for the potential for cohesiveness among
immigrant groups but also conflicts with the American born population.
For the years 1880 to 1900, American born individuals lead the number of professional occupations and
mercantile based on percentage of their subgroup, while 48% of working Germans tended to be skilled
artisans and another 26%were involved in mercantile in 1880 with similar numbers in 1900.24 Czechs
similarly had a high percentage of skilled artisans, 38% in 1880, but remarkably 51% were involved in labor
jobs. The numbers again were similar in 1900. A further illuminating discovery was that Germans as well as
Czechs were more likely to own their homes while only 20% of American born residents owned property
and more than 44% rented, which has broad implications for potential resentment that was expressed
toward immigrants in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Jacobsen also reported a high likelihood
for assimilation to be slow with German and Czech children being more likely to marry within their ethnic
groups, which could exacerbate these differences and goes some length to explaining the success of the
foreign language press in Iowa City.
Along with ethnicity, a strong feeling of the Northside community is the common Catholic religion shared
by the top three immigrant communities to Iowa City. The shared religion, and indeed for many years,
shared church, put the three immigrant groups on a common footing and encouraged interaction to some
degree. Some attribute the rapid growth of the immigrant community in Iowa City to a call put out by
Bishop Loras in newspapers in Germany, Austria, and Ireland, to move to his Bishopric.26 Since the
Austrian Empire (1804-1867) made German a common, probably even compulsory, language for
government and education in its Bohemian territory, the Loras announcements could have reached all
three Iowa City immigrant groups in their countries of origin. Indeed, German was later compulsory for
the Austro-Hungarian Empire so the likelihood that many Czech immigrants could at least read German is
high.26
The origins of St. Mary's Parish in Iowa City began with Father Mazzuchelli, who came to Iowa City in 1840
just a year after its founding, and purchased two lots in one of the several church reserves set out by the
Iowa territorial legislature. The first St. Marys church that was constructed on these lots was begun in
1841.27 Growth of the Catholic population was slow, however. Since the number of church members
determines how many churches are built in a community, the catholic population was too small to create
23 Jacobsen, 1982
24Jacobsen 1982.
25 Pfeifer 2017.
26 Hone 2010.
27 Bowers, 1980.
10
separate parishes for each immigrant group with three separate churches.28 A single church would have to
suffice.
Figure 4. Northside Immigrant Communities Map. Select cultural features overlain on 1888 Sanborn
Index map, partially based on Jacobsen 1982.
Regardless, there also was conflict within the church. The Irish didn't agree with the liturgy of the
Germans for theological reasons and eventually the Germans and Czechs built a separate church at the
corner of Brown and Johnson Streets, naming this church St. Francis Xavier after the cleric who
encouraged the separation of the cultural groups due to differences in worship.29 Eventually the Czechs
left this church as well. The reasons for this separation are likely rooted in the antagonistic relationship
that first generation Czech immigrants would have had toward Germans and German Language services
resulting from cultural conflict in Europe .30 Suffice it to say the ruling Germanic Habsburg family sought
policies that streamlined the administration of the empire, but suppressed Czech cultural traditions. This
in turn led to reprisal with a rise in Czech nationalism that may well have echoed in Iowa City. The strong
sense of otherness the Czech population had and choices to cluster, even if loosely, to the east of Dodge
Street, may have been a result.
The current St. Mary's was built in 1867, and the high alter was built with statues of St. Patrick, Patron
Saint of Ireland, and St. Boniface, Patron saint of Germany, brewers, and tailors. There was similarfigure
for the Czech parishioners on the high alter.31 This didn't do much to solve differences and meanwhile the
29 Pfeifer, 2017.
29 Pfeifer, 2017.
30 Hone 2010.
31 Bowers,1980.
11
population of Iowa City, including parishioners, was growing. During the last third of the nineteenth
century the ethnic groups were formally separated with the Irish St. Patrick's church being constructed in
the near south side in 1879 and the Czech St. Wenceslas in constructed in Goosetown in 1893.32 Despite
that, and in contrast to the Jacobsen report, this study has found there are indications at least some
second and third generation immigrants were not as likely to be as fervently separate in relations across
ethnicities and, as was demonstrated in the results of this study as well, cultural assimilation potentially
was the rule rather than the exception in Iowa City.
Some researchers have found German immigrant groups in particular were separated by religion and
place of origin and likely kept to themselves in terms of immigrating to different communities, such as
Swabians in Burlington, Holstein -Schleswig in Davenport, or Jewish Germans in Keokuk .33 Iowa City seems
to be different in this aspect. Census data indicate a broad group of Germans moved to Iowa City and had
different faiths.
It goes without saying that there were also immigrant Jewish and Protestant residents in the Northside.
While there was no house of worship for Jewish people until 1916 and even then, that building was
constructed in the near south side. In contrast the German Lutherans had their own church, located at
Market and Dubuque streets and there was a German Methodist Episcopal church as well. For the
Protestant Czech Americans, there was a Czech Congregational chapel (Figure 4).
Local proprietor, J.G. Fink, who owned Fink's Bizarre, was a Zion Lutheran. This is interesting because it
was he who stocked the foreign language papers published in Iowa City and these papers feature
prominently in the immigrant experience of Iowa 34 After Fink died, Henry Weineke managed the store for
Fink's widow, but continued to sell foreign language papers. The foreign language papers truly only ended
with the Babel Ad in 1918 that outlawed their publication, suggesting assimilation was a slow process.
Given other factors, such as the desire to teach their children in German and the commonalities of the
German social hall and the Sunday afternoon gatherings popular among German Americans, it seems
these groups probably knew each other fairly well even if they did not worship together. 35 Certainly
immigrant groups voted together, especially each time the topic of prohibition came up in the state
legislature. Both the 1860 elections and the elections through the 1880s to 1890s were influenced by
German Americans voting as Democrats in response to
legislative policy to prohibit alcoholic beverages36 Presumably,
the commonalities of socialization habits and common language
helped solidify these voting blocs. Most importantly, the
common language and culture appears to have transcended
religion, which was not a barrier to interaction.
In contrast to the narrative of the Catholic Church as grower of
populations, others have demonstrated that the State of Iowa
32 Pfiefer, 2017.
33 Research cited at Ehrstine, n.d.
34 Ehrstine, 2016
35 Ehrstine 2016.
36 Emry 1940; Jensen 2008.
12
Figure 4. A social gathering in the Northside. J.
Hotz, L. Englert, J. Holub, and Friends. Hotz, 2002
was likely responsible for the growth of the immigrant population of Iowa in the late nineteenth century.
The immigrant population of Iowa City peaked during the height of state efforts to encourage immigrants
to move to Iowa 37 The publication Iowa: Home for Immigrants was published in several European
countries in native languages38There were Iowa agents stationed in several of the countries to help
immigrants make their way to Iowa to settle.31 Iowa City had three German language newspapers and one
Czech language Daoer. Both groups had a social hall in the Northside as well as their religious buildings.
The unity of Czech immigrants is well established in Iowa City by other historians 40 A key factor in
maintenance of German unity in Iowa City was the social habits of this ethnic group. Germans tended to
gather on Sunday afternoons with family, friends, and neighbors to socially drink beer and discuss politics,
goings on, and make arrangements.41 American born citizens in favor of temperance appearto have
viewed the weekly social gatherings over beer with a jaundiced eye. The goals of the Temperance
movement struck not just at the economic heart of the German American community by curtailing
brewery sales, but also the societal and cultural aspects. It is hard to look at this as absent of cultural
animus, given the tendency of the immigrant groups, especially the German Americans and Czech
Americans, to maintain a foreign language as well as being more successful in terms of home ownership, a
population that was approaching a majority of Iowa City residents, and forming a unified presence at
election time, at least among the German Americans.
What this research has found supports much of what Jacobsen reported, but contradicts other aspects.
The residents of 225 N Gilbert Street and 229 N Gilbert Street were certainly second generation
immigrants. Some of the residents of the two properties, namely the Hohenschuhs second and third
generations, did intermarry between Czech and German communities, in contrast to other resident -
owners of the subject properties —the Hervert and Keating families. The Hohenschuhs appear to have
assimilated within the second generation, which contrasts with Jacobsen's findings. William advertised in
the English papers as did Christian, but both remained involved in social functions of the Church. Christian
and Clara further chose not only one of the more experienced building companies for their first house, but
also chose the company run by a second generation German immigrant. Christian Hohenschuh, a member
of St. Mary's, also appears in events showing ties across ethnicity with his wife and in-laws by marching in
the procession to lay the cornerstone at St. Wenceslaus.
Building Construction and Design Industry of Iowa City (1840-19601
This current research identified associations with aspects of the local building and design industry of Iowa
City. These associations are part the finding of eligibility for Criteria A of both subject properties. Builders
in the initial period (ca. 1840-1860) in Iowa City were predominantly whoever was available. They built in
the traditional styles that were primarily learned in the eastern half of the United States before coming
west42 The styles were necessarily in the vernacular of whoever was doing the construction. Design
37 Erhstine and Gibbs, 2019; Jacobsen 1982.
3 Iowa Board of Immigration 1870.
39 Ehrstine, 2016.
40Jacobsen 1982, Slonnegar 1999, Webber 1976
91 Ehrstine, 2016.
42 Shank, 1999, p.2.
13
choices were pragmatic and not heavily influenced by artistic pursuits. Therefore, Iowa City design styles
largely originated elsewhere and followed the trends of the rest of the United States41 Many initial
buildings were cabins, which were constructed in this first half of this time period and occasionally
remnants of these buildings have been found in other buildings. Cabins have little in the way of a
definable style, though different types are found regionally. Of the buildings with stylistic intent, the
designs were simple in Iowa City, following much less elaborate versions of late Colonial styles, such as
Federal style, and as this suggests, though simple they were of a recognizable style and not. The surviving
stock of buildings was constructed in brick or stone. Wood clad buildings are known to have existed, but
did not survive to be recorded in detail. More likely than not, early Iowa City carpenters and masons had
learned their trade from other carpenters or masons, usually in the East. Things then began to change.
As carpenters became established and the second generation took over, the middle phase of Iowa building
design (ca. 1860-1960) was completed by designer -builders largely following pattern books but working
out solutions as needed. Most designer -builders worked their way up in their respective trades, usually as
a carpenter but sometimes as masons, picking up design skills through repetition. They have been termed
in some sources as builder-architects.4° A designer -builder often had drafting skills or hired someone with
those skills and could provide design solutions unique to each client. However, this group of skilled
workers also had a large body of design advice they could follow for exterior and interior design as well as
technical advice on methods of construction and products. The initial period of carpenters working in the
vernacular of oral tradition gave way to the paper world of the picturesque movement, which spread
across the United States by treatise books on architectural theory and practice. In this genera, there are
the ancient treatises, such as those by Vitruvius or Renaissance and Early Modern writings of Palladio and
Wren. John Ruskin published The Seven Lamps of Architecture in 1849. The treatises included drawings of
sample building elements and suggested how they should be used. Eventually complete floor plans and
elevations would be published. The American Architect and Building News began publication in 1869. In
1885, the publication Scientific American Architects and Builders began. In 1887, the Palliser Brothers
published New Cottage Homes. The first George F. Barber plans became available in 1888. In 1895, The
American Homes Magazine began to publish designs. Builders could work off of the rough outlines in the
publication or they could purchase full sets of blueprints. They could also mix and match part of plans to
fit their clients' needs or follow their own inspiration.
It is not clear pattern book sources ever sold materials; however, it appears that some form of centralized
material manufacture was going on, due to the common elements of these houses across the United
States 45 For example, the Lindsay House at 935 E College Street appears with identical materials in
Calvert, Texas46 Indeed, by 1903, a firm was in business in Chicago selling wholesale doors, sashes, blinds,
mouldings, stairs, art glass, mantles and so on.47 With rail access, Iowa City was well positioned to bring in
pre -made materials48 At the same time, local millwork was available to builders. Iowa City had at least
93 Keyes, 1966.
"Shank, 1999, p. 2; Reiff, 2000.
95 Plymatt, 1997.
46 Walker, 2002.
47 Reiff, 2000.
48 Johnson, 1978.
14
two planing mills to make trim, mouldings, and other millwork locally. These mills were operated by
Sheets & Company and John Metzinger.49 While local saw mills had long since stopped to be a major
source of materials, raw dimensional lumber to feed the local millwork makers could be sourced in
Muscatine, especially, but also Clinton and Dubuque.50 In addition to factory work, Charles Mentzer, the
designer -builder of 225 N Gilbert Street, is known to have built his own doors and sashes 51 It is possible
others did this as well, but the newspapers felt it notable enough to comment on. Planing mills also
existed in Dubuque and some materials could have reached Iowa City from there by road, though the bulk
shipment by rail or locally made goods are more likely to have dominated the market.
In the twentieth century, designs and ideas spread through new publications, such as the Ladles Home
Journal, House Beautiful, Low Cost Suburban Homes (1926), Homes of Character (1923), Planning the Little
House (1939). Local papers ran articles on updating and modernizing homes. These publications often
provided ideas for "updating" existing houses to contemporary design trends as well as new construction
ideas, while the full -service mail order catalog housing companies began to make not just plans but entire
houses for order. Sears may have had the widest popularity, utilizing their famous shipping program to
distribute entire houses, piece by piece, by rail but Gordon Van Tine of Davenport and Aladdin of Bay City,
Michigan were others. A number of houses have been identified within the Northside of Iowa City that
were designed and kitted from the Gordon Van Tine Company."
From the late nineteenth century through the twentieth century, but especially after 1927, the third phase
began with some design work being performed by licensed architects.53 This phase overlapped the second
phase and both continue to the present. Government buildings in particular, but several commercial
buildings and a few residences were early commissioned works from trained architects who either had
apprenticed or attended design school. In 1927, architectural licensure began in Iowa.
The first formally trained architect in Iowa City was O.H. Carpenters` Others who are considered early
architects include designer -builders Sheets & Freyder, Bernard A. Wickham, John W. Metzinger, and
George F. Kranz 55A number of builders in Iowa City also listed services as an architect, which until 1927
was an unregulated term despite the fact the first formal school of architecture was founded at MIT in
1868. Initially much of the work in the state of Iowa came from out of state architects.56 For example, the
territorial state house was designed by John F. Rague of Illinois and the current Johnson County
Courthouse was designed by the Michigan firm Rush, Bowman & Rush.
As a whole, the bulk of historic architect designed buildings in Iowa City occurred on the campus of the
University of Iowa. Much of that work was from Proudfoot and various associates in Des Moines, Iowa. It
was not until the first third of the twentieth century that the university had its own architect and even
49 Magnson, 1980; Svendsen, 1999
50Johnson,1978.
51 Iowa City Republican, April 13,1903, for house of Will Mathews.
52 Svendsen 1999.
59 Shank, 1999.
54 Carlson and Ingalls, 2015
55 Carlson and Ingalls, 2015
56 Shank 1999, p3.
15
then much work was supplied by architects from elsewhere in the state 57 However, the bulk of surviving
work still appears to have been completed by designer -builder firms sa
Identifying all possible contractors in Iowa City would be an enormous task. However, some work toward
this has already been completed. Nearly fifty contractors have been identified to date from newspaper
articles in the period of 1897 to 1917 59 Among the top contractors in this time period were Jacob J. Hotz,
B.A. Wickham, Sheets & Freyder, J.H. Huntzinger, Boarts & Bright, F.X. Freyder, A. Drews, Siever and
Swanser, and Charles Burger. A few projects are attributable to Rawson & Son. For many city directories,
there are roughly a half dozen contracting firms listed for those years. During the Second World War there
were just a handful of builders in Iowa City. Smith and Burger and Wagner Builders were the main
competition with Herbert Miller and Frederick Miller as the only others advertising general contractors 60
Eight carpenters were listed in 1942 and years surrounding.
Further research could be carried out that builds upon the work of Magnuson with the history of
contractor and millwork manufacturers, Sheets and Company.61 Her listing of contractors and carpenters
found in city directories is a solid start in that direction and more could be done there. Further work
should also tabulate carpenters in the federal and state census as well. An ancillary project would be to
find the earliest or last dates of various trades, such as masons, wrights, concrete contractors, plumbers,
and electricians.
Results
The basis for these results is provided in Appendix A: Iowa Site Inventory Forms. Readers are encouraged
to delve deeper into the extensive results of this survey there.
225 N Gilbert Street The Hohenschuh-Hervert house at 225 N Gilbert Street (ISIN 52-03267). The building
was home to many individuals over the years and many of them worked in the downtown or for the
University of Iowa and lived in the Northside neighborhood. However the primary significance is derived
from the associations with second generation immigrants who had the house built and for the significant,
historically contributing, alterations made by a member of the design -build carpentry industry in Iowa City
whose skills and tastes were influenced by those he worked for.
Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh were prominent individuals in Iowa City society who were part of
the Northside and Business districts of Iowa City. The building derives significance in the form of patterns
of history from their association with them. Their tastes and preferences are reflected in the historic fabric
of their home. The location of the store where Chris worked was in the heart of the growing city and he
had many opportunities to be seen and converse with the people of the town and campus as a result.
Similarly, Clara had been the subject of the society news columns in the newspapers from her later
teenage years going forward. There were many notices discussing her recitals and later visits back to Iowa
City to see Kate Hohenschuh. Additionally there were frequent news updates on Chris' health, the many
57 Scott and Lehnertz, 2006.
58 Svendsen, 1992, 1999; Shurtz, 1967; Keyes, 1966, 1993.
59 Carlson, 2018.
6D City Directories
61 Magnuson 1980
16
trips for vacation or visits to the John P. Dostal family in Denver, the notices when the Dostals returned for
visits to Iowa City and the prominence in society of Christian's father and brother and Clara's father. Their
visibility in the historic record indicates Chris and Clara were well known in town. Additionally, Chris and
Clara were part of a well -established social network that existed with Northside immigrant families.
The Hohenschuhs picked a busy and socially recognized carpenterto build their second house. Charles
Mentzer was recorded in the local press as a skilled mechanic. Local history also records him as a charter
member of the City of Hills, Iowa.
Frank Henry Hervert was a carpenter who worked fortwo prolific construction businesses in Iowa City.
Given the stylistic choices of changes made to 225 N Gilbert Street, that they appear to have been in the
middle of the 20th century, it is likely he made the alterations. His tastes and preferences were shaped by
his experiences as a carpenter working for building firms in the first half of the twentieth century in Iowa
City. Those firms concentrated on contemporary tastes and construction methods that focused on
modernity and as a result, salvage inevitably would become available. It appears Frank was able to make
use of at least some of those materials. As a result, the house is a good example of historic modernization
techniques (changes in doorways, additions of aluminum awnings) common to the period from the first
third to middle of the twentieth century (1930-1960) but also represents the tradition of architectural
salvage in Iowa City.
229 N Gilbert Street. The Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House at 229 N Gilbert Street IISIN 52-
03268 . As second generation immigrants, Christian and Clara Hohenschuh were part of the Northside
Neighborhood immigrant communities. Christian was a German Catholic and Clara's family were Czech
Catholics. Their daughter Mary also married a member of the Northside Czech American community while
daughter Loretta married an American born man from Cedar Rapids. Chris and Clara were frequently
subjects of the society columns and other items in the newspaper. Chris worked in the St. James Hotel on
Clinton Street. They entertained visitors to their home and appear to have been well known and well liked.
Both the Hohenschuh and Dostal families appear to have been fairly wealthy. Chris grew up in a
merchant's home across the street from his adult home at 229 N Gilbert Street and Clara was the
daughter of skilled artisan and merchant in the Brewery business. Clara and Chris had held other property
prior to purchasing the north third of Lot 1, Block 58 in 1898 when they hired the firm of Jacob J. Hotz, a
well known and successful carpenter who turned business man, to construct a house at what is now 229 N
Gilbert Street. Hotz, who was invested in numerous businesses as well as being an Alderman and County
Clerk also circulated in the Northside German Immigrant Community. Though he was from New York, he
was a second generation German American like many residents of the Northside. His family had
immigrated from Germany before he was born. It is lijkely that his influence helped to get the house
published with several other buildings built by Hotz's company around 1898 in a promotial publication
touting the virtues of Iowa City businesses.
Following an early retirement due to Chris' health, the Hohenschuhs left their home for Denver. When
they returned they built a second home adjacent to their first home, but one that was all on one level.
When Chris died in the Influenza outbreak of 1918, Clara returned to 229 N Gilbert Street and lived there
with Mary for many years. She eventually sold the house to Mary, who fairly quickly divested of it to a
17
long term tenant, Mary Keating, who was a second generation Irish Immigrant, prominent in the history of
the Veterans Administration Hospital.
Discussion
In considering the two properties, the potential for them to be linked as a multiple property was
considered. This was due to the treatment as such in previous site forms as well as in popular histories,
such as the Irving Weber article on the history of the Jacob Wentz house.62 However, despite the linkage
of families across the three properties, the Wentz house is already listed individually and there are other
potential associations within the vicinity, such as the Hervert properties, which at one point were located
at 402 E Market Street and 204 N Gilbert Street, at the south end of the opposite side of the street.
Therefore there is potential for a historic district or other multiple property nomination of undetermined
size in this general area.
Recommendations
Full discussion and rational for these results in provided in Appendix A: Site Inventory Forms.
225 N Gilbert Street.
The Hohenschuh-Hervert house at 225 N Gilbert Street (ISIN 52-03267) retains historic integrity and
possess historic significance. It derives significance from association with patterns of events and trends in
local history including second generation immigrant families in the Northside of Iowa City and the local
tradition of architectural salvage and reuse, meeting Criterion A. Associations are also present with events
surrounding the Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918. The building represents two distinct periods of time in
construction trends in Iowa City, Iowa, and despite historic alterations, now serves as a well-preserved
example of local designer -builder craftsmanship, especially for architectural salvage and remodeling work,
meeting Criterion C.
229 N Gilbert Street.
The Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House at 229 N Gilbert Street ([SIN 52-03268) retains historic
integrity and possess historic significance under Criteria A for association with events related to broad
patterns of our history. At this time it is not possible to make a recommendation regarding Criteria C for a
historic building that embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type and period but it is thought the
building has potential to be eligible under Criteria C. At such point as the synthetic siding is removed, this
property could be re-evaluated for eligibility under Criteria C. At this time only Criteria A can be
recommended, despite the very good condition of the interior.
General Recommendations
The Historic Preservation Commission should next make determinations for each property as to individual
eligibility and decide whether to recommend one or both for local landmarks, for a local district and also
whether or not to pursue listing on the National Register. Local protection at the landmark level will open
62 Iowa City Press Citizen, June 7, 1986.
18
state tax credits, but not federal tax credits for use on preserving the properties, ideally as single family
housing.
The commission could approve of the recommendations of this report and adopt it as their
recommendations to Planning and Zoning and ultimately City Council. The commission might seek a
reassessment of this report for specific reasons, for example, to wait on these recommendations until a
district is fully explored. The commission may also reject the findings of the report in making their
determination.
If the Historic Preservation Commission feels the properties are not eligible individually, the concept of a
multiple property nomination could be revisited. Given the preference for City Council to prefer land
owner approval prior to historic designations, a review of current views of landowners in the area would
be necessary. Consideration should also be made for the changing economic factors of the potential
district, given Mercy Hospital has been divesting of housing surrounding their campus.
Should the Historic Preservation Commission determine the buildings to be eligible, a building
maintenance and preservation plan should be developed that follows the Secretary of the Interior's
Standards for Rehabilitation. Retention of character defining aspects of the buildings should be retained,
including built-in cabinetry, millwork, flooring and so on. However it is noted that these guidelines
generally do not require strict preservation of materials and fixtures in lavatories, bathing areas, and food
preparation areas.
Additionally, archaeological features or sites may be present, but currently are not known. Attempts to
find the date of sewer construction and residential sewer taps were unsuccessful, so a firm date for indoor
plumbing couldn't be established. Archaeological features might include privies and cisterns and evidence
of building construction from earlier periods. Extensive ground disturbance should take this into account
and appropriate investigations be made in the event of extensive ground disturbance.
Bibliography
History of Johnson County, Iowa, Containing a History of the County, and its Townships, Cities and Villages
from 1836 to 1882. Iowa City: The Publishers, 1883.
The Commercial Magazine. Chicago, III: Levytype Co, 1898.
Aurner, Clarence Ray. Leading Events in Johnson County, Iowa, History. Cedar Rapids, IA: Western
Historical Press, 1912.
Baxter, Elaine. Historic Structures Inventory, report no. 4 in Douglass Lee et al., Northside Neighborhood
Preservations Study, HUD Innovative Projects Grant. Iowa City: Department of Community
Development, City of Iowa City, 1978.
Bowers, M. St. Marys Church and Rectory Nomination Form, 1979.
Carlson, Richard Database of houses, architects and contractors who worked in Iowa City, Iowa, 1897-
1916, compiled from newspapers. Richard Carlson, Highway Archaeology Program, University of
Iowa, 2018.
Carlson, Richard and Marlin Ingalls. Phase I Intensive Historic Architectural Survey of the Sabin School and
Southside Iowa City Neighborhood, Johnson County, Iowa. Technical Report 121. Iowa City: Office
of the State Archaeologist, University of Iowa, 2015.
Ehrstine, Glenn. Beer Politics in Iowa. Hawkeye Lunch & Learn lecture, 2016. https://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=Xo2vXb1B2Bc
Germans in Iowa and the Global Midwest Exhibit, n.d.
http://germansiniowa.lib.ulowa.edu/exhibits.
Ehrstine, Glenn and Lucas Gibbs. Iowa's Prohibition Plague: Joseph Eiboeck's Account of the Battle over
Prohibition, 1846-1900. Annals of Iowa, vol. 78, 2019.
Ellis, Edwin. Certain Stylistic Trends in Architecture in Iowa City. MA (Master of Arts) thesis, State
University of Iowa, 1947. https:Hdoi.org/10.17077/etd.gOlzekt2
Emery, Charles. The Iowa Germans in the Election of 1860. The Annals of Iowa, vol. 22. 1940.
https:Hdoi.org/10.17077/0003-4827.6108
Gelernter, Mark. A History of American Architecture: Buildings in Their Cultural and Technological Context.
Hanover: University Press of New England, 1999.
Gottfried, Herbert and Jan Jennings. American Vernacular Buildings and Interiors: 1870-1960. New York:
W.W. Norton,2009.
Hennigan, Gregg. Beer Riots of 1884 brought 'Violence and Bloosdhed' to Iowa City. The Gazette, Aug. 10,
2014. https://www.thegazette.com/subject/life/beer-riots-of-1884-brought-violence-and-
b loods h ed-to-iowa-city-20140810
Hone, C. Brandon, Smoldering Embers: Czech -German Cultural Competition, 1848-1948, MA (Master of
Arts) Thesis, University of Utah, 2010. https:Hdigitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/666
Hotz, Jack. The Hotz Family of Iowa City, 2002. www.00cities.org/hotzic/index.htm].
Iowa Board of Immigration. Iowa: The Home for Immigrants. Des Moines: Mills & Co.1870. https://babel.
hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433081920039;view=lup;seq=7
Jacobsen, James. National Northside Neighborhood: Iowa City, Iowa. Seven volumes. Division of Historic
Preservation, Iowa City, Iowa, [1981?]
The Use of Computer -assisted Census Data Analysis In the Study of Historic Ethnicity and
Assimilation; The North Side Neighborhood of Iowa City, Iowa 1880-1900. Sectoral Paper
20
Submitted In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the M.A. Degree in Urban and Regional
Planning, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 1982.
Jensen, Richard. Iowa: Wet or Dry? Iowa History Reader. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press. 2008.
Johnson, Keach. Iowa's Industrial Roots, 1890-1910. The Annals of Iowa 44, 163-190, 1978.
https:Hdoi.org/10.17077/0003-4827.11351
Keyes, Margaret. Nineteenth Century Home Architecture of Iowa City. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press,
1993.
Nineteenth Century Home Architecture of Iowa City. PhD (Doctorate of Philosophy) dissertation,
Florida State University, 1966.
Lafore, Laurence. Jacob Wentz House National Register Form, 1974.
American Classic. Iowa City: Iowa State Historical Department, Division of the State Historical
Society, 1979.
Magnuson, Linda Wescott. Sheets and Company: an Iowa City builder/architect Firm, 1870-1905. MA
(Master of Arts) thesis, University of Iowa, 1980. https:Hdol.org/10.17077/etd.xsel2k8z
Mansheim, Gerald. Iowa City: an Illustrated History. Iowa City: Friends of History Preservation, 1989.
McAlester, Virginia Savage. A Field Guide to American Houses. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2018.
Pfeifer, Michael. The Making of a Midwestern Catholicism: Identities, Ethnicity, and Catholic Culture in
Iowa City, 1840-1940, pp 290-315 in The Annals of Iowa vol. 76. 2017. https:Hdoi.org/.10
17077/0003-4827.12402
Plymatt, William, Jr. Victorian Architecture of Iowa. Des Moines: Palladian Publishing, 1997.
Reiff, Daniel. Houses from Books —Treatises, Pattern Books, and Catalogs in American Architecture, 1738-
1950: A History and Guide, University Park: Pennsylvania State Universtiy Press. 2000.
Roth, Leland. Understanding Architecture: It's Elements, History, and Meaning. Boulder, CO: Westview
Press, 1993.
Scott, John Beldon and Rodney Lehnertz. The University of Iowa Guide to Campus Architecture, Iowa City:
University of Iowa Press, 2006.
Shank, Wesley. Iowa's Historic Architects: A Biographical Dictionary. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press,
1999,
Shurtz, Ann. Home Architecture in Iowa City, Iowa: 1900-1940. MA (Master of Arts) thesis, University of
Iowa, 1967.
Slonnegar, Mary Beth. Small but Ours. Iowa City: Hand Press, 1999.
Svendsen, Marlys. Historic Resources of Iowa City, Iowa. National Register of Historic Places Multiple
Property Document form, 1992.
Architectural and Historical Resources of Original Town Plat Neighborhood (Phase II), 1845 —1945,
amendment to Historic Resources of Iowa City, Iowa. National Register of Historic Places Multiple
Property Document form,1999.
Svendsen Tyler, Inc. and Clarion Associates, I.I.C. Iowa City Historic Preservation Plan, 2008.
Walker, Lester. American Homes: An Encyclopedia of Domestic Architecture, New York: Black Dog &
Levanthal, 2002.
Weber, Irving. Historical Stories About Iowa City. Iowa City, Iowa: Iowa City Lions Club, 1976.
41
Appendix A: Site Inventory Forms
STATE HISTORIC
PRESERVATION
OFFICE OF IOWA
mUEPARIN mOFC RTUMMMits
State Inventory Number: 53-03267
9-DigitSHPO Review and Compliance (R&C) Number:
IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM
❑ New 0 Supplemental
❑ Non -Extant Year:
STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE
IOWA SITE INVENTORY
600 East Locust Street j Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 281-8742 1 Fax: (515) 282-0502
iowaculture.gov/history/preservation
Read the Iowa Site Inventory Form Instructions carefully, to ensure accuracy and completeness before completing this form. The instructions are available at
Basic Information
Historic Building Name: Hohenschuh-Hervert House
Street Address: 225 INGilbert Street
City: Iowa City ❑ Vicinity
LEGAL DESCRIPTION
Rural
Township Name:
Township No.:
Range No.:
Section:
Quarter:
Classification
Johnson
State: is ZIP: 52240
Urban
gAdkkinn• Original Town
ai�,4mr• 58 _
Lot(s): N 55' of S 100' Lot 1 & E 10' of N 15' of S 60' Lot 2
A. PROPERTY CATEGORY: B. NUMBER OF RESOURCES (WITHIN PROPERTY):
0 Building(s) If eligible property, enter number of:
❑ District Contributing Noncontributing
❑ Site 1 Buildings
❑ Structure Sites
❑ Object Structures
Objects
Total
If non -eligible property, enter number of:
Buildings
Sites
Structures
Objects
Total
C. STATUS OF PROPERTIES LISTED ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES ❑ Listed ❑ De -listed ❑ NHL ❑ NPS DOE
D. FOR PROPERTIES WITHIN A HISTORIC DISTRICT
❑ Property contributes to a National Register or local certified historic district.
❑ Property contributes to a potential historic district, based on professional historic/architectural survey and evaluation.
❑ Property does not contribute to the historic district in which it is located.
Historic District Name:
Historic District Site Number:
E. NAME OF RELATED PROJECT REPORT OR MULTIPLE PROPERTY STUDY (if applicable)
MPD Title:
JULY 1, 2014 V 1.0
Historical Architectural Database No.
IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM
Address:
City.
Site Number:
Function or Use
Enter categories (codes and terms) from the Iowa Site Inventory Form Instructions
A. HISTORIC FUNCTIONS
01A01 Residence
Description
A. ARCHITECTURAL CLASSIFICATION
09A09 Cross -gabled Roof
County:
District Number:
B. CURRENT FUNCTIONS
01A01 Residence
B. MATERIALS
Foundation (visible exterior): 04 STONE
Walls (visible exterior): 02A Weatherboard
Roof: 08A Shingle/Composition Tile
Other:
C. NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION Q See continuation sheets which must be completed.
Statement of
A. APPLICABLE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CRITERIA (mark your opinion of eligibility after applying relevant National Register criteria)
Criterion A: Property is associated with significant events.
0 Yes ❑ No ❑ More research recommended
Criterion B: Property is associated with the lives ofsigni icant persons.
❑ Yes ❑ No ❑ More research recommended
Criterion C: Property has distinctive architectural characteristics.
E Yes ❑ No ❑ More research recommended
Criterion D: Propertyyields significant information in archaeology/history.
❑ Yes ❑ No ❑ More research recommended
B. SPECIAL CRITERIA CONSIDERATIONS (mark any special considerations; leave blank if none)
❑ A. Owned by a religious institution or used for religious purposes.
❑ B. Removed from its original location.
❑ C. A birthplace or grave.
❑ D. A cemetery
C. AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE (enter categories from instructions)
29 SOCIAL HISTORY
02 ARCHITECTURE
E. SIGNIFICANT DATES
Construction Date: 1904
Other Dates (including renovations): ca. 1944
G. CULTURAL AFFILIATION (complete If Criterion D is marked above)
❑ E. A reconstructed building, object, or structure.
❑ F. A commemorative property.
❑ G. Property less than 50 years of page or achieved significance within the past 50 years.
D. PERIOD(S) OF SIGNIFICANCE
1904 to 1960
F. SIGNIFICANT PERSON (complete if Criterion B is marked above)
H. ARCHITECT/BUILDER
Architect:
Builder/Contractor: Mentzer; Hervert
I. NARRATIVE STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Q See continuation sheets which must be completed.
JULY 1, 2014 V 1.0 IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM 2
Address: 225 N Gilbert Street
City: Iowa City
Site Number: 52-03267
0 See continuation sheets to list research sources used in preparing this form.
Geographic Data
OPTIONAL UTM REFERENCES
❑ See continuation sheet for additional UTM or comments
Zone
1.
2.
3.
4.
Form
Fasting
Name and Title: Tim Weitzel, M.A. Historic Preservation Consultant
Organization/Firm:
StreetAddress: _
City: Iowa City
Northing
County: Johnson
District Number:
NAD
Date: March 14, 2019
State: IA ZIP: 52240
Email: histodcconsulting@gmail.com Telephone:
Additional Documentation
A. FOR ALL PROPERTIES, ATTACH THE FOLLOWING, AS SPECIFIED IN THE IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM INSTRUCTIONS
1. Map of property's location within the community.
2. Glossy color 4x6 photos labeled on back with property/building name, address, date taken, view shown, and unique photo number.
3. Photo key showing each photo number on a map and/orfloor plan, using arrows next top each photo number to indicate the location and directional view of each photograph.
4. Site plan of buildings/structures on site, identifying boundaries, public roads, and building/structure footprints.
B. FOR ALL STATE HISTORIC TAX CREDIT PART 1 APPLICATIONS, HISTORIC DISTRICTS AND FARMSTEADS, AND BARNS
See lists of special requirements and attachments in the Iowa Site Inventory Form Instructions.
State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) Use Only
The SHPO has reviewed the Site Inventory and concurs with above survey opinion on National Register eligibility:
❑ Yes ❑ No ❑ More research recommended
❑ This is a locally designated property or part of a locally designated district.
Comments:
SHPO Authorized
JULY 1, 2014 V 1.0 IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM 3
STATE HISTORIC
PRESERVATION
OFFICE OF IOWA
MOUMIT" OF MIJIM1FFMMs
IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM - CONTINUATION SHEET
Name of Rropenf Hohenschuh•Hervert House
STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFlCE
IOWA SITE INVENTORY
600 East locust Street i Des Molnes, IA 50319
(515) 281.8742 1 Far (515) 282-OS02
lowaculture.goy/Nstory/preservation
Site Number..52-03267
Address 225 N Gilbert St Related District Number.
Of..lowa City coumy.lahnson
NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION
The Hohenschuh-Hervert House is a one -and -a -half -story building with a central hipped roof and lower cross gabled
wings.
Exterior
Foundation. The foundation appears as rock -faced quarry stone for all but the some of the south half of the front
elevation. The balance is composed of smooth faced stone. The front stairs are a pre -cast concrete stoop. The back stairs
are wood. The north foundation wall extends to support the bay window above it.
Ground floor. There are two entries to the building. The front entry is protected by an aluminum awning. The front
elevation is comprised of two bays, the north two-thirds in a modestly projecting wing that stands proud of the main
mass of the building by twelve Inches. A paired window —two window units, each a one -over one double -hung window,
separated by a mullion —is located in the center of the wing. On the south third there is a single window unit. The south
elevation has four windows. The space between the eastern most window and the western three is wider than between
the west three windows. The rear elevation has two windows, one on each side of a utilitarian rear porch. The window
to the north of the porch is a double unit and is shorter than the other windows in the house, consistent with more
recent (post-1920) kitchen design. This window is protected by an aluminum awning. The north elevation is dominated
by the bay window, part of a two -and -a -half story bay -and -gable. A single window unit is in the north wall of the bay and
on each canted side. A single window is on either side of the bay.
Upper Level. The upper portion of the house has a central hipped roof with four projecting gables. The front facing gable
has a roofline that meets the eaves at the base. It has a single window in it. The south gable takes the form of a large
wall dormer with knee walls extending above the roofline and has a single window breaking the line of the pediment
formed by the gable roof and the bed mould extending across the base of its triangle. The west facing gable has a single
pane window in the center. The north gable extends up from the bay below. Like the south gable, the north gable takes
the form of a large wall dormer and has a single window breaking the line of the pediment formed by the gable and the
bed mould extending across the base of its triangle.
Decorative treatments.
The exterior trim and millwork consists of typical cottage treatment of the period in Iowa City
with wall units covered in weatherboard framed in band boards and corner boards, with
quarter round pieces in the angle between the two corner boards. The lower band board is
capped in a watertable. The upper band board has a bed mould at the top. The fenestration
trim is an architrave type. The gable soffits terminate in a decorative piece illustrated at Figure
1 and visible in the photos. Brackets are located under the cantalevered portions of the gable
of the bay -and -gable with floral motif as shown I.. Figure 2.
Figure 1. Soffit cap
JULY 1, 2014 V 1.0 IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM
STATE HISTORIC
PRESERVATION
OFFICE OF IOWA
STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE
IOWA SITE INVENTORY
600 East Locust Street I Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 281-8742 1 Fax (515) 282.0502
lowaEulture.gov/history/preservation
IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM - CONTINUATION SHEET
Name of Property: Hohenschuh-Herven House Site Number. 52.03267
Address: 225 N Gilbert St Related District Number
Car. Iowa City County. Johnson
Alterations. The primary alteration on the exterior is the removal of the original front porch, seen in fire insurance maps
and remnants that are visible in the termination of the water table and the smooth
foundation block on the front of the house. The house outline is odd at the southwest
corner in later fire insurance maps but no indication of what was being indicated in the
post-1933 fire insurance maps is present in the house. Foundation and wall materials "
indicate no alterations here. The rear porch has been partially enclosed. The aluminum
awnings were clearly added sometime after the original period of construction. Those
r•
changes to the exterior are more than fifty years old based on previous site inventory
work as well as the materials used. Jim Jacobsen reported the date of the porch removal
was in the early 1940s on the earlier site inventory work for this building. The shutters on
the front elevation did not appear in the 1981 site inventory form but were present in Figure 2. Bracket detail
the 1998 site form.
Interior
Ground floor. The primary entrance is located on the east of the building. The doorway enters into a small vestibule, with
a second door, providing an air lock. The second door opens onto a hallway extending the remaining depth of the front
rooms. Three doorways are located at the west end of the hallway. The west door enters on the large room. The right
doorway is an uncased round arch doorway that is an entry to the northeast room. The door to the left enters the
southeast room. The southeast room has a second door entering the center -east room. The center -east room has a
doorway opening onto the large roam. The center -west room is now the lavatory. It is unclear if this was its original
purpose. It enters onto the back hallway. The back hallway also provides access to the southwest room, the unfinished
attic, and a small cupboard or pantry, the northwest room serving as a kitchen and the large room, which appears to be
a living room. The northwest room has a door to the unfinished basement and the back door. It has long served as the
kitchen, if not indeed being designed for this originally. Assignment of that use to the room is confused by a massive
projection from the east wall of the room appears to contain what was original a fireplace, but is completely enclosed
without a trace of the opening and there is no indication of a hole for venting a wood or coal range. A fourth door enters
the north side of the large room. The large room has five doorways, including the entry hall, the east -central room, the
back hall, the kitchen and a double French door to the northeast room, which possibly was a parlor. The north wall has
the bay window. The west wall may have once had a fireplace, but there is no sign of this due to a smooth, unbroken
plaster wall and baseboard trim. The presence of the fireplace is surmised from the brick foundation that would support
it in the basement and the large projection into the northwest room. The room is of the scale that could have had a
fireplace and its absence is puzzling.
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600 East Locust Street I Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 281-8742 1 Fax (515) 282-0502
lowaculture,pthistory/preservation
Name of Pmperly. Hohenschuh-Hervert House Site Number 52-03267
Address: 225 N Gilbert St Related District Number.
Gty: Iowa ci OI LIFAV Inhnsnn
Decorative treatments.
Interior doors are generally five -panel, but for a pair of French doors. The front door is a two -panel door with upper
section glazed, with a pediment shelf below the glazing. The vestibule door has four panels and glazing in the upper
section. The rear door is a five -panel door with the upper two section glazed. The door and window trim is flat board,
with the edges eased by milling. The upper piece forms an architrave. The base blocks at the doors are elaborate with a
carved foliate motif that evokes laurel branches. The base blocks are two to three inches taller than the already very tall
and elaborate baseboard. Finials the height of the doorway base blocks join each interior corner. The trim regime
continues through the closets and through the uncased, round arched doorway of the northeast room. Corner beads line
the edges of the fireplace in the northwest room, which are the only exposed outside corners in the house.
Alterations.
Alterations to the interior are surmised from known residential building trends documented architectural histories and
past experience. The round arched doorway is incongruous with a house built in 1904, the date forthis house, which was
determined by newspaper accounts and property transfer records. The style of an uncased arch, a modern treatment
from the middle third of the 20'h century, fits; the time period the porch was removed, which occurred within a range of
year on either side of 1944.
Stylistic Interpretation
The building was constructed in vemacular design with Folk Victorian (ca. 1870-1910) elements, such as flat wood foliate
scroll work. Interior changes appear to have followed in a vernacular fashion using salvaged wood work but introducing a
new uncased round arch doorway of modern aesthetic and filling -in or removal of the fireplace and stove exhaust
following installation of central heat furnace. While both builders responsible for the work on the house were
experienced, their training does not indicate a background in architectural design work.
NARRATIVE STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
The Hohenschuh-Hervert house at 225 N Gilbert Street retains historic integrity and possess historic significance. It
derives significance from association with patterns of events and trends In local history including second generation
immigrant families in the Northside of Iowa City and the local tradition of architectural salvage and reuse, meeting
Criterion A. Associations are also present with events surrounding the Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918. The building
represents two distinct periods of time in construction trends in Iowa City, Iowa, and despite historic alterations, now
serves as a well-preserved example of local design -builder craftsmanship, especially for architectural salvage and
remodeling work, meeting Criterion C.
Christian and Clara Dosta( Hohenschuh were prominent individuals in Iowa City society who were part of the Northside
and Business districts of Iowa City. The building derives significance in the form of patterns of history from their
association with them. Their tastes and preferences are reflected in the historic fabric of the buildings. The location of
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600 East locust Street I Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 281.8742 1 Fax: (515) 282-0502
iowaculture.gov/history/preservation
Name of Property: Hohenschuh•Herved House Site Number. 52-03267
Address:225 N Gilbert St Related District Number.
City: Iowa City County. Johnson
the store where Chris worked was in the heart of the growing city and he had many opportunities to be seen and
converse with the people of the town and campus as a result. Similarly, Clara had been the subject of the social news
columns in the newspapers from her later teenage years going forward. This visibility is conveyed in the frequent news
updates on Chris' health, the many trips for vacation or visits to the John P. Dostal family in Denver, the notices when the
Dostals returned for visits to Iowa City and the prominence in society of Christian's father and brother and Clara's father
all indicate Chris and Clara were well known in town. Additionally, Chris and Clara were part of a well -established social
network that existed with Northside Immigrant families.
The Hohenschuhs picked a busy and socially recognized carpenter to build their second house. Charles Mentzer was
recorded in the local press as a skilled mechanic. Local history also records him as a charter member of the City of Hills,
Iowa.
Frank Henry Hervert was a carpenter who worked fortwo prolific construction businesses in Iowa City. Given the stylistic
choices of changes made to 225 N Gilbert Street, that they appear to have been in the middle of the 20th century, it is
likely he made the alterations. His tastes and preferences were shaped by his experiences as a carpenter working for
building firms in the first half of the twentieth century in Iowa City. Those firms concentrated on contemporary tastes
and construction methods that focused on modernity and were common at that time and as a result, salvage inevitably
would become available, it appear Frank was able to make use of at least some of those materials. As a result, the house
is a good example of historic modernization techniques (changes in doorways, additions of aluminum awnings) common
to the period from the first third to middle of the twentieth century (1930-1960) but also represents the tradition of
architectural salvage in Iowa City.
The property was home to many individuals over the years and many of them worked in the downtown or for the
University of Iowa and lived in the Northside neighborhood. However the primary significance is derived from the
associations with second generation immigrants who had the house built and forthe significant alterations made by a
member of the design -build carpentry industry in Iowa City whose skills and tastes were influenced by those he worked
for.
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500 East locust Street I Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 281-8742 1 Far (515) 282.0502
lowaculture.gor/history/preservatlon
Name of Property Hohenschuh-HervenHouse Site Number 52-03267
Address: 225 N Gilbert St Related District Number
City Iowa City ----_County. Johnson
Statement of Historic Contexts
Initial contexts were reviewed from the Multiple Property Document form Historic Resources of Iowa City, Iowa (ISIN 52-
028).' Six contexts were found to be applicable to this building:
Railroad Era, (1856-1900)
Town & Gown Era (1900-1940)
The Development of the University of Iowa (1855-1940)
Iowa City Neighborhoods: Town and Country (1840-1940)
These contexts are described at the previously reviewed source. The additional two are:
Iowa City Northside Nineteenth Century Immigrant Communities (1840-1900)
Building Construction and Design Industry of Iowa City (1840-1960)
These contexts are described in the related report: Intensive Historical and Architectural History Survey and Evaluation
of 225 N Gilbert Street and 229 N Gilbert Street Iowa City, Iowa. Historical Architectural Data Base (HADB) number 52-
00131 to which this site form is appended.
Criteria A Eligibility
Christian S. Hohenschuh (1865-1918)
Christian Samuel Hohenschuh, familiarly known as Chris, C.S., and Christ, was a bookstore clerk and for a time a co-
owner in a book and stationary store who died of Spanish Flu in the 1918 pandemic.z
Chris was the son of Francis A. (Frank) Hohenschuh (1824-1876), a first generation German immigrant who was a
cabinet and furniture maker. As part of the furniture business, he took on coffin making and preparation of bodies for
burial. Early mortuary practice, called undertaking, was carried out by furniture makers in Iowa City as one of the main
things to be done to prepare a body for burial was to make a coffin. Business listings in Iowa City through the nineteenth
century indicate that furniture makers commonly also made coffins and they advertised for undertaking as well.3' The
Goosetown records indicate Frank Hohenschuh moved to Iowa City before 1862.4It was Chris' brother William P.
Hohenschuh who took over the family furniture and undertaking business. William became a significant individual in the
areas of local, state, and national significance for advances in mortuary science.
' Svendsen,1992.
t Iowa City Citizen, Oct 22, 1918. Similarly Iowa City Daily Press, Oct 22,1918.
3 For Frank Hohenschuh, Iowa City Daily Press, Sep 24th,1873. For others, John Schnieder, Iowa City Republican, Jul 19th,1876 and
Nixon & Brainerd, Iowa City Daily Republican, Nov 5,1881; Similar advertisements were run by William Hohenschuh and his business
cards stated the same. Frank Hohenschuh advertised these services for several years in the early 1870s. Other businesses were
diversified similarly, such as the Palace Livery, which also advertised undertaking services, Iowa City Daily Press, Dec loth, 1904.
4 Slonnegar, 1999.
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Name of Property Hohenschuh-HervertHouse Site Number 52.03267
Address 225 N Gilbert St Related District Number,
Ciry:lowa City counry.Johnson
Chris occasionally assisted in running the furniture store and preparing bodies for funeral.' He rose as far as being
appointed Deputy Corner by his brother, the elected County Coroner, in 1892.6 The family home where Chris grew up
was at 318 E Bloomington Street (demolished ca. 1974). This is the home he shared with his mother Theresia (Theresa)
Stoertzer (Statzer) Hohenschuh, brothers William P. (1860-1920) and Frank A. (1875-1937), and sisters, Mary Huen
(Hine) (1861-1890) and Cathryn A. (Kate) (1862-1909). Chris resided in the same few blocks of Iowa City for most of the
rest of his life, living across the street at 229 N Gilbert Street and later owning a house next door at 225 N Gilbert Street
and its neighbor 219 N Gilbert Street. Christian and Clara had two daughters, Mary Helen Hohenschuh Harvat (b.1894)
and Loretta Clara Hohenschuh Hoover (1897-1965). Clara Hohenschuh (1865-1951), his wife, held the deed to 229 N
Gilbert until she transferred ownership to her daughter Mary in 1936 (Table 1). Though Chris and family made many long
visits to Denver, Colorado, they retained ownership of their building.
From the age of nineteen, Chris reported his occupation as book seller or book store clerk on the federal and state
census and in city directories. At some unknown point, but likely prior to life as a store clerk, Chris spent three years as a
park ranger in Yellowstone National Park.' Back in Iowa City, he worked as a clerk at a local bookstore known as Lee &
Ries, which traded under the business name Pioneer Bookstore 8 Chris bought out Lee's interest in the store in 1892,
known then colloquially as the "University Book Store."s .
At this same time, Henry J. Wieneke (1838-1923) also had a bookstore that was located in the St. James Hotel block,
formerly located on the southeast corner of Clinton Street and Iowa Avenue. Wieneke managed the store for the widow
of J.G. Fink. It was known as Fink's Bizarre and had been in operation since 1857.10 The store was the news stand for the
local foreign language press 11 Henry Wieneke divested of his interest in the store in the early 1890s, selling it to a
partnership of his daughter Carrie L. Wieneke (b. 1860) and Chris, while opening a new location for his cigar business.
Carrie and Chris continued to run the store as Fink's Bizarre at first and then as Hohenschuh & Wieneke by 189412. They
offered diverse sundries of interest to students and downtown professionals such as stationary, memory books, photo
albums, and greeting cards, fountain pens, and fresh cut flowers, as well as small food items, such as chocolates, apples
and even hair tonic and hammocks." The store also sold stationary items to the City of Iowa City.14 In 1899, Chris retired
' Ad in Iowa City Weekly Republican, Jul 6, 1898. Also Iowa Citizen, Feb 12, 1892, "Chris Hohenschuh will have charge of his brother's
business for a short time and will give his personal attention to undertaking and embalming He has had experience in the past and
he will certainly make a success in this line."
6 Iowa City Weekly Republican, Sep 3,1892.
7 Iowa City Daily Press, Oct 22, 1918.
a The Iowa Historical Record, Volumes 4-6: 196, 1890.
' Daily Citizen, Jun 28,1892. Lee was taking up a position with an advertising firm in Chicago.
10 The Commercial Magazine,1898.
11 Ehrstine, 2016.
12 City Directory, Iowa City Weekly Republican, Jun 17, 1896; Daily Iowan, Mar 8, 1902; Iowa City Herald, Nov 3, 1894. The
Commercial Magazine,1898.
"The Iowa Alumnus, Volume 18, for example; Vidette-Reporter, Jan 21, 1897 and Feb 2,1896, as examples; Apples, Iowa Citizen, Sep
28,1904; Hair Tonic, Iowa Citizen, Dec 23rd,1808; Hammocks, Iowa City Weekly Republican, Jun 7,1896.
14 Iowa City Weekly Republican, May 6,1896; Jul 6,1898.
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Name of Property: Hohenschuh-Herw:rt House Site Number. 52-03267
Related District Number.
Cq.Iowa CIN countylohnson
from his share of the partnership citing reasons of his health. The family eventually made plans to move to Denver,
where Clara's parents had moved when they left lowa.'s
Chris and family relocated to Denver while retaining ownership of their home as a rental property (Table 1, Table 2).
However, by fall the family had moved back.36 In 1904, they built a house on the lot south of their larger home". The
new house in the middle parcel was all on one level, possibly due to Christian's poor health. Chris' health was a common
topic of short notices through the time period of 1898 to his death. It is possible it was due to a problem with his lungs,
such as asthma, but the actual causes remain unknown. News reports frequently referred to his health being improved
or that he had again taken ill. He was said to have been "stricken down" in one case, "confined to his room" in another
and in yet another that he had recovered from a "dangerous siege.x 18 Chris resumed his work as a clerk in Carrie
Wieneke's shop, operating as Wienekle's Arcade Bookstore, which Carrie advertised as Wieneke's St. James Arcade, from
1899 on.19 Chris continued to work for Carrie until his death 20 Fire completely destroyed the hotel block in 1916.21 Carrie
W)eneke relocated to Washington Street.22
In social affairs, Chris was a member of the Marquette Council of the Knights of Columbus, being a charter member and
treasurer.73 He marched in the procession representing the Men's Sodality of St. Mary's Church that walked from St.
Mary's of the Visitation Church to the building site of St. Wenceslas Church the day the cornerstone was laid.24
Clara Dostal Hohenschuh (1865-1951)
Clara J. Dostal Hohenschuh was born in 1865 to John P. Dostal (1841-1912) and Genevieve (Jennie) Cerny (b.1843) in
Rock Island, Illinois25 John Dostal features prominently in the nineteenth Century history of Iowa City. Dostal, originally a
miller, bought the Great Western Brewery of Iowa City in 1873. He expanded it with an ice house and malt house, a sign
of vertical integration in the business. He operated the brewery until it was closed by state prohibition in 1888.26 DostaI's
sons reopened the facility under the name Dostal Brothers Brewery in 1897. The brothers sold the brewery in 1902 to
Fred Kemmerle and Andrew Feely, who changed its name to the Iowa Brewing Company.27 Later businesses eventually
is Retirement and move to Denver, Colorado Iowa City Weekly Republican, Sep 6, 1899. Other announcement of a move to Denver,
Iowa City Press Citizen, Oct 5,1908.
"Iowa City Weekly Republican, Aug 11,1897.
11 Property Transfer Records; Iowa Citizen, Jun 6,1904, p. S.
isForexample, Iowa City Weekly Republican, Feb 16,1898; Aug 17,1898; Daily Iowa State Press, Jul 21,1903; Sep 18,1903; Iowa City
Daily Press, Aug 3, 1905; Dec 30, 1908; Aug 10,1910.
19 City Directories, Daily Iowa State Press Dec 22,1899, p 9
20 City Directory
21 A historic commercial block Is a building with a unified facade; Daily Iowan, Apr 29,1916.
221owa City Daily Press, Apr 16,1920.
29 Iowa City Citizen, Feb 24,1904; Daily Iowa State Press, Feb 26,1904; Daily Iowa State Press, Feb 26,1904; Iowa City Republican
Aug 6,1908
24 Iowa Cit Daily Citizen, Jun 26th,1893
25 Marriage Certificate; John P. Dostal in entry for Charles M. Mccadden and Matilda Dostal, 13 Feb 1888; citing Kane, Illinois, United
States, county offices, Illinois; FHL microfilm 1,481,109
261870 Federal Census; Johnson County History,1883; Glenn Ehrstine, n.d.
27 Property Transfer Records;
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Name of Property: Hohenschuh•Hervert House She Number 52-03267
Address: 225 N Gilbert St Related District Number.
CRY.. Iowa City CoumyJohnson
took over the building but did not make or sell beer.28 The adaptively reused building was destroyed by fire in 1955.21
Dostal was an immigrant from Bohemia, the current Czech Republic. At the time of his upbringing the Austrian Empire,
or Kaisertum Osterreich, of the Habsburg -Lorraine lineage autocratically controlled Bohemia and German was the
common language of the empire, despite the fact that by numbers the Austrians were outnumbered in the various
regions of their control outside of Austria proper.3o Likely knowing both languages and certainly being within a mixed -
language market, Dostal therefore unsurprisingly advertised in German and Czech language newspapers as well as
English language papers in Iowa City.31
Local newspapers chronicled Clara's society debut in Iowa City. From the late 1870s, she attended St. Agatha's Academy
and gave annual public piano recitals for many years. 2 Clara continued to give public recitals into the next decade. 33 The
papers also chronicled her lasting friendship with Kate Hohenschuh, Chris' sister and a fellow student at the academy.34
The papers would notify their readers when Clara was back to visit Kate after the Dostals had moved to Denver .3' In
1893, it was announced that Clara was attending the Columbia Exposition in Chicago36
Clara and Chris were married on October 11, 1892 at St. Mary's Church, again to much public fanfare both in the press
coverage of the announcement and the ceremony. Kate Hohenschuh was the bridesmaid.31 Chris and Clara had two
children, Mary Helen Hohenschuh Harvat (b. 1894) and Loretta Clara Hohenschuh Hoover (1897-1965).
In 1897, Clara and Chris contracted with Jacob J. Hotz to build a house at 229 N Gilbert Street, subdividing Lot 1, Block 58
of the Original Town Plat to create the parcel for the building (Table 1). The south parcel of the parent lot is the site of an
early Iowa City home built by Jacob Wentz, a German immigrant. Lot 1, Block 58 is located across the Street from 319 E
Bloomington Street, the second Frank and Theresa Hohenschuh family residence, and is just across the alley from the
location of the Great Western Brewery, where Clara's father worked. For reasons of Chris' health, the family relocated
temporarily to Denver, but they retained ownership of the home, renting it out (Table 1, Table 2). When they returned
they built a new house on the middle parcel of Lot 1. That parcel was obtained from Nanna G. Wieder, who had owned
the entire south 85 feet of Lot 1, Block 58 at the time. The Hohenschuhs hired Charles Mentzer to build the new house at
225 N Gilbert Street in 1904. They resided there until Chris' death in 1918. The Hohenschuhs purchased the Jacob Wentz
house located on the south 45 feet of Lot 1, Block 58 in 1911(Table 1).
At the time of Chris' death, both Clara and Mary were seriously 111.38 The severity of the health effects reflects the
widespread effects of the 1918 Influenza Pandemic, known at the time as the Spanish Flu. There is a good chance that
caring for Chris through his long period of poor health fell to Clara and Mary, especially regarding the flu, which was
28 Svendsen, 1999.
29 Svendsen,1999.
30 Hone, 2010.
31 Slovan Amerikonsky, Feb 15, 1882; Iowa City Volksfreund, Dec 18, 1874 cited in John P Dostal, "ad for Great Western Brewery,
Iowa City," Ehrstine, n.d. Dostal also advertised in the English language papers as well.
32 Daily Press, Jun 29, 1878; Iowa City Daily Republican, Jun 30, 1880; Jun 30, 1882.
33 Iowa City Weekly Republican, Feb 3, 1892.
34 Iowa City Citizen June 30, 1880.
35 Iowa Citizen, Jun 19, 1891; Jul 3, 1891; Iowa City Weekly Republican Jun 17, 1891.
36Iowa Citizen, Oct 20,1893.
32 Iowa Citizen, Sep 30, 1892; Iowa City Weekly Republican, Oct 5, 1892;iowa State Press, Oct 12th, 1892; See note 19.
33 Iowa City Daily Citizen, Oct 24, 1918.
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Address: 225 N Gilbert St Related Dirtrid Number.
Cty: Iowa clt tounty.Johnson
severe enough to incapacitate its victims. Those caring for the flu, which claimed more than twelve times the lives of
World War I, tended to also fall 111.39
Christian Hohenschuh died in 1918 and Clara returned her residence to 229 N Gilbert Street. She appears to have rented
225 N Gilbert Street from that point until she sold the property in 1936. The daughters remained close to home for many
years. Mary attended the State University and worked as a clerk there. She resided at home with Clara until around the
time of her marriage in 1935. She stayed in the tradition of her family, marrying another fourth generation immigrant,
Edwin John Harvat, the nephew of Emma J. Harvat. Emma Harvat was the first female mayor of Iowa City and real estate
investor with her partner Mary (May) Stach. Edwin's grandmother was Mary Cerny Harvat. Mary Cerney Harvat was
potentially a relative of Clara Dostars mother but this is unknown. However, there were just two Cerny households
recorded in the Goosetown record —Joseph Cerny and Clara Cerny. 40 Mary Hohenschuh Harvat moved to Montana by
1937.91 Loretta married Guy O. Hoover, a Cedar Rapids letter carrier in 1919 and they lived at 229 N Gilbert Street and
225 N Gilbert Street as well as other locations in Iowa City and rural Johnson County for a few years at each location
before moving to Muscatine by 1940.42 Clara's listings and ownership with both properties on Gilbert Street ended in
1936, selling her residence to her daughter, Mary Helen Harvat, and the two southern rental properties to ., corporate
firm. Clara then lived with Loretta and Guy in Muscatine. 43 She was buried in Iowa City in 1951.
Charles Mentzer (1874-1908)
Charles Mentzer was a builder and charter commission member for the incorporation of Hills Siding in 1906, now Hills,
Iowa. He was born to George Albert Mentzer and Caroline Feldman, a farming couple in Liberty Township. He was killed
while working on a house in November 1908.06 His wife received a $1,000 benefit from the Modern Woodmen of
America, a fraternal benefit society.45
Mentzer is associated with several buildings in Johnson County and Iowa City including residences for George W. Koontz,
Lem Hunter, Albert Wiese, Nellie Mingus, D.A. Munger, Mike Mentzer, and Christian Hohenschuh.46 He also worked on
the house of Ed McCollister and made sashes and doors for Will Mathews.47 He built what one account termed the
"finest house" in Hills for Leo Hart on Brady Street.98 He was working on the house of Professor F.E. Bolton at the time of
39 Onion, 2019.
4D Slonnegar,1999.
41 Mary Hohenschuh is listed at 229 N Gilbert in the 1936 City Directory but both she and Clara are absent from that address in the
next available directory,1938; Regarding Montana, Find A Grave, memorial page for Edwin Joseph "Ed" Harvat (9 Oct 1893-27Jun
1970), Find A Grave Memorial no. 60268098, citing Calvary Cemetery, Livingston, Park County, Montana and 1940 Federal Census.
42 City Directories; Federal Census.
43 City Directories, beginning with 1936 directory for Muscatine along with Loretta and Guy Hoover.
44 Charles Mentzer, 07 Nov 1908; citing Death, Iowa City, Johnson, Iowa, United States, page 8, offices of county clerk from various
counties; FHL microfilm 1,738,604; Iowa City Daily Press, Nov 11, 1908.
45 Iowa City Republican, Nov 28,1908.
46 Carlson, 2018. Iowa Citizen, Oct 18,1901; Oct 25,1901.
47 Iowa City Republican, Aug 13, 1903.
46 Aurner,1912, vol. 2, p.471
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Name of Property: Hohenschuh-Hervert House Site Number..52-03267
Address 225 N Gilbert St Related District Number.
City. Iowa CIt Coumy.Johnson
his fatal accident 49 Other houses are mentioned by raw counts only, such as "two buildings underway.i50 He built a barn
for Charles Gross51His buildings were featured in a photo series titled "New Residences Built in Iowa City in 1908.i52 He
was described as "A Good Mechanic," a term for builders at that time, and was skilled enough to be able to construct
window sashes and doors "
Katie Hervert (1879-1970)
Katie Musil Hervert (variously also Catherine, Kathryn, Cath, and Kate) was barn in Washington, Iowa to parents from
Bohemia. Her mother was Rose Fiala Musil.50 Her father, Emil, widowed early, was a farmer from Liberty Township,
Johnson County. Her three siblings included James, Mary Slaby, and Lezzy 55 Frank and Katie had five children,
Marguerite (b. 1901), Helen (b. 1902) Irene (b. 1903), Raymond (b. 1906), and William (b. 1913), who indicated his
profession was a painter and was living with his parents at 225 N Gilbert Street on the 1940 Federal Census. Raymond
died young due to a diving accident at Lake Okoboji. His airlift to Iowa City received statewide attention in the press.16
Frank and Katie Hervert owned 225 N Gilbert Street through the middle of the 20'h century. Katie initially purchased the
property from Fidelity Finance Company of Iowa City on the same day Clara Hohenschuh sold the property to the local
investment firm in December 1936.17 Subsequent transactions are recorded in the property transfer book as Katie
Hervert and Husband, until Katie and Frank added Irene to the title in 1953. They gave Irene outright ownership in 1960.
She had lived with them since the death of her husband, Sherman (Red) Campbell, in a two -car collision at Funk's
speedway track in Westchester, Indiana, on May 30, 1937.58 Irene was a 1930 graduate of Irish's Business College.59 She
worked as a salesperson, for a time at Willard's Apparel Shop, and then at Hand's Jewelers for much of her life fi0 Beyond
the tragedy of her husband's death, which had reports across the nation, Irene's youth and adulthood were documented
in social announcements in the local press.61 She appears to have enjoyed traveling."
49 Iowa City Citizen, Nov 9, 1908; Iowa City Daily Press, Nov 9, 1908.
50 Iowa Citizen, Apr 13, 1903.
51 Iowa Citizen, Jul 22, 1904.
52 Iowa City Citizen, Jan 27, 1909;Feb 12, 1909.
531owa Citizen, Apr 13, 1903; Iowa City Republican, Aug 13,1908.
54 Obituary, Iowa City Press Citizen, Feb 12, 1970.
ss Federal Census, "Iowa, County Marriages, 1838-1934, James A. Slaby and Mary Musil, 01 Sep 1897, Iowa City, Johnson, Iowa,
United States; citing reference, county courthouses, Iowa; FHL microfilm 986,012.
56 Ottumwa Daily Courier Aug. 16,1934; Spirit Lake Beacon, Aug. 16, 1934; Daily Iowan, Aug. B. 1934.
57 Property Transfer Records, Book 1, P. 148.
561owa City Press Citizen, May 31, 1937. San Bernardino Sun, May 31, 1937. Three people died that weekend at Indianapolis as well,
Sarasota Herald, May 29, 1937 and Milwaukee Journal. May 28,1937.
ss Daily Iowan, May 25,1930.
60 City Directories.
61 Iowa City Daily Press, Aug 17th, 1914; Aug 30th, 1920; Iowa City Daily Citizen, Feb 2, 1917; Sep 8, 1919; Iowa City Press Citizen, Jul
31st,1923.
V Iowa City Press Citizen, Jan 11th, 1922; Sep 18th, 1923; Mar 7, 1938. Daily Iowan, Jun 16, 1939.
JULY 1, 2014 V 1.0 IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM U OF
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Noe of property: Hohenschuh-Hervert House Site Number..52-03267
Address: 225 N Gilbert St Related Distrid Number
r., w,,, rih, Counly.Johnson _
Frank Hervert (1873-1960)
Frank was the son of Joseph (1842-1918) and Barbara Shradel Hervert (1846-1923), a Bohemian couple from Iowa
City.63 Frank's father, Joseph, was known as a musician in town.' He operated a saloon at 402 E Market St, abutting the
property he owned at 204 N Gilbert Street. The family home appears to have been at 716 E Bloomington St.65 However,
in 1918, they were listed at 520 N Gilbert Street.fi6 It is known that Frank and Katie lived for a number of years as 716 E
Bloomington Street.67
Frank became a business owner after finishing school, listing himself as both a merchant and grocer.68 In the newspaper
announcement of their marriage, it was stated Frank was associated with Slaby & Hervert Grocers.69 Slaby was Frank's
brother-in-Iaw.70 The firm was founded in 1896 when the partners bought out H.P. Stouffer.'' Their business was
successful enough that they donated goods to the Johnson County Poor Farm. 72Disaster struck when the Dubuque Street
grocery was destroyed in a Hire in March, 1901.73 The building was insured to the owner, but they rented their store
front. The loss appears to have ended their business.
By 1905, Frank was listing his occupation as carpenter, which he continued to do until he retired around 1950.74 He was a
member of the Modern Woodmen of America.'$ Frank worked for two entities, George Kranz and later Smith &
Burger/Burger Construction Co., who had extensive reach in Iowa City and without a doubt contributed to the
architectural social environment of Iowa City during his years of work.71
68 Federal Census.
64As member of the Union Band, Johnson County History,1883; As business manager of the National Orchestra, Vidette-Reporter,
Feb 11, 1897; As well-known musician, see note 37.
65Svendsen,1999.
66 John Hervert was killed in a farming accident. John was the Son of Joseph Hervert and brother to Frank among others of 520 N
Gilbert Street, Iowa City Daily Press, Jul 20, 1918.
67 Their address was provided in several newspaper accounts, for example Daily Iowan, May 16,1937; Daily Iowan, Thursday, Jul 9,
1925; and in 1934 when their son Raymond was flown by plane to Iowa City from Arnold's Park for treatment for a broken cervical
vertebra, Daily Iowan, Aug 16, 1934 and Spirit Lake Beacon. The incident was reported across the state on Aug 17,1934 in The
Spencer Herald, Dubuque Telegraph -Herald, Ottumwa Daily Courier.
88 The marriage certificate of Frank Hervert and Katie Musil he indicated he was a merchant. In the 1900 Census, he Indicated he was
a grocer.
69Iowa Citizen, Jul 20,1899.
10 Note 48; Iowa City Daily Citizen, Jun 14th,1919.
71 Iowa City Weekly Republican Jun 3,1896.
12Iowa Citizen, Jan 22,1897. Similar in Iowa City Press.
13 Iowa City Daily Republican, Mar 18,1901; Iowa Citizen, Mar 22,1901; Daily Iowa State Press, Mar 18,1901. The Daily Iowa State
Press ran a second article on Mar 20 praising the efforts of the fire department. Damage was limited to just the ground floor unit that
the grocery was located in.
74 State and Federal Census, City Directories.
15 Iowa City Press Citizen May 30,1960.
76 WWI Registration Card; City Directories.
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Name of Property: Hohenschuh•Hervert House SHe Number.52-03267
Address:225 N Gilbert St Related District Number
city:lowaCity CourdyJohnson
Frank Hervert does not appear to have ever listed himself independently as either a carpenter or contractor in the
advertising section of directories or in newspapers. The first contractor that Frank was known to work for was George F.
Kranz (1873-1957). Kranz was the builder for the Koser Brothers in the time period around 1913 to 1915.77 Koser
Brothers, Inc. in turn was a prolific real estate development firm in Johnson County in the first half of the twentieth
century. They developed properties throughout the many new land additions to Iowa City as well as infill development in
Iowa City, and in Coralville They also are associated with platting the land addition that would later become incorporated
as University Heights.78 Their development strategy was to predict future growth areas in and around the community
and develop houses there. They frequently would develop a series of houses with shared floor plans.'9 Kranz also
appears to have been involved in real estate himself. In particular, he was listed as a "well known purchaser" in the much
publicized minimum lot purchase in the Rundell Addition. The minimum lot purchase event was a publicity stunt that the
Rundell Land Improvement Company sponsored. They set a minimum number of lot purchases as a requirement in order
to finance the first street car line in Iowa City.80 That Kranz was involved in real estate in the Rundell addition makes
sense. His address was recorded as 1117 E Court Street in 1910 and 1036 E Court Street in 1925.81 As part of the Kranz
construction team, Frank Hervert would have been exposed to the tastes of modern design, as the Kosers were known
to use kit houses from Gordon van Tine 82 Modernity was part of their sales pitch. 8
George Kranz later worked for William F. Burger, a competing developer to the Kosers8" It's probable that Frank Hervert
also worked for Burger projects while in the employment of Kranz because Hervert later listed himself as employed with
the successor firm, Smith and Burger. William F. Burger appears to have been an insurance assessor and salesmen, who's
brother was the local builder Charles (Chas.) Burger. The Burger brothers were featured in a local newspaper for a home
of "Yellow pine with hot air heat" that was "modern throughout."8s By 1932, Frank listed his employer as Smith &
Burger.
Smith & Burger (co.1930-1942), Burger Construction Company (1943-1987)
Herman W. Smith and Frank E Burger formed a construction company around 1930 and was owned by the partners until
1942. Herman William Smith, also known as William Herman Smith, was born Kansas in 1884. By 1901, he was listed as
an engineer in Iowa City. At some point later he moved to Portland, Oregon and practiced drafting and architecture. In
n Iowa City Citizen, Apr 16th, 1913; Iowa City Citizen, Mar 25, 1915 and Nov 12, 1915.
78 Iowa City Press Citizen, May 10, 2010.
79 Iowa City Citizen, Apr 16th, 1913 ; Christopher Picket, M.A. Thesis, p. 3; Svendsen,1999.
8o Iowa City Weekly Republican, Jul 26th, 1899. Iowa City Daily Press, Mar 4th, 1910.
81 State and Federal Census; sale of house in 1919, Iowa City Daily Citizen, Feb 3rd,1919.
82 Svendsen, 1999.
as Iowa City Citizen, Apr 16th, 1913.
84 State Census, 1915; Iowa City Citizen, Jan 11th, 1909.
8s Iowa City Citizen, Jan 11, 1901.
86 City Directory
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600 East Locust Street I Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 281.8742 1 Fax (515) 282.OSD2
lowaculture.gov/Idstory/preservation
Name of Property Hohenschuh-Hervert House Site Number. 52-03267
Address: 225 N Gilbert St Related Distnd Number.
CifyaChv County. Johnson
1912, he was married to Luella Sidwell in West Branch.87 He listed his profession as architect at that time, but during
World War I he worked as a carpenter.BB Following the armistice, Smith returned to Iowa City, working as a draftsman
and was working for J.H. Hunzinger & Company, Inc. around 1924.89 Frank E Burger was born in Iowa City in 1893 to
Charles (Chas) R. and Elizabeth (Lizzie) Klinger Burger, formerly of Missouri. Frank was the nephew of William F. Burger.90
Frank Burger worked as a foreman for J.H. Hunzinger & Company, Inc. Then Smith and Burger teamed up around 1930 to
form their own construction company.
In addition to the design work for the firm, Smith appears to have been largely the publicity person, writing a column in
the Daily Iowan in 1934 that was part of 32 ads they ran that year. That column described "...how homes can be done
easily, reasonably."91 Echoing a general trend of the time, the column went on to describe ways to modernize older
buildings. For instance, Smith recommended "Just the removal of gables, useless additions, and bric a brac from many
homes will mostly improve their appearance." He went on to recommend the addition of shutters and window boxes.
Advertising slogans of Smith & Burger were considerably catchier than otherfirms and included "Better Builders " and
"HOME --Honest values, Obliging service, Modern methods, Efficient workmen, Satisfied Customers.x92 They advertised
as general contractors and remodelers.93 After 1942, the company was Burger Construction Company, run by Frank
Burger on his own. Following Frank Burger's death the firm was run by his wife lulu and their two sons, Warren F. and
Richard. For 1949, Lulu was the president, but afterward she then became the Secretary -Treasurer. Warren generally
was listed as president and Richard was listed as Vice President. That configuration continued into the 1970s.
During the Second World War there were just a handful of builders in Iowa City. Wagner Builders were the main
competition with Herbert Miller and Frederick Miller as the only others advertising general contractors.94 Eight
carpenters were listed that year.
Criteria C Eligibility
The arched doorway is enigmatic but also illuminating in the fad the trim found throughout the house, including the
closets, runs continuously through the doorway. The same trim is continuous on both sides of the deduced location for
the fireplace. It is helpful to know the owner in the 1940s was Frank Hervert, a carpenter working for firms who
advertised to "modernize" or "update" housing in Iowa City. Those firms also built new housing, including infill lots. Both
activities could have resulted in architectural salvage, and the trim could have come from such an endeavor. Given the
87 Marriage Certificate
88 WWI Draft Registration
e9 City Directory
9D Federal Census
91 Daily Iowan, Jun 27, 1934.
92 City Directory for 1942.
93 City Directories; Daily Iowan, Feb 2, 1934.
94 City Directories
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IOWA SITE INVENTORY
600 East locust Street I Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 281-8742 1 Far (515) 282-0502
lowaculture.gov/history/preservation
Site Number. 52-03267
Address:225 N Gilbert St Related District Number
City: Iowa City County. Johnson
age of Hervert he would have lived through the Great Depression and simply discarding useful material was probably not
something he would do.
The proximal reason for the loss of the porch is unknown, but updates for modernity are surmised. Building permit
information was not available for the time period for this house. Also unknown are when water and sewer taps were
made for the house. An aging porch might, for instance, be removed if the trench for water connections was made by
machinery to facilitate the installation. The location of the water supply does connect through the base of the wall
where the porch was located. Therefore, modernization is again suggested, but in a utilitarian manner. Regardless, the
interior of the building and the remaining intact exterior still favor Criteria C eligibility.
JULY 1, 2014 V 1.0 IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM 17 OF 33
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lomswlture.gov/hlstory/preservation
Name of Property: Hohenschuh-Hervert House Ste Number 52-03267
Address: 225 N Gilbert St Retried District Number.
City Iowa City Coura Johnson
Table 1. Property Transfer Records
Date
Grantor
Grantee
Simplified Description
Book
Page
Type
1881-07-18
F. Messner
J.P. Dostai
Lot 1 and part of Lot 2
1
146
unknown
George Williams
1893-12-28
and others
Barbara Hotz
Lot 1 and part of lot 2
1
146
unknown
Barbara Hotz,
1893-12-18
guardian
Ella M. Ries
Lot 1 and part of Lot 2
1
146
Guardian
Sold to S. Hotz
n.d.'s
and C. Graf
Lot 1 and part of Lot 2
1
146
unknown
Lot 1, south half and 10 x 60 foot
1898-12-09
Barbara Hotz
John P. Dostal
strip of SE corner Lot 2
1
146
Warranty
Nanna G.
Lot 1, north 40 feet of south 85 ft and
1904-01-19
Wieder, single
C.S. Hohenschuh
Lot 2, 10 x 15 ft section
1
146
Warranty
Nanna G.
1906-11-06
Wieder, single
C.S. Hohenschuh
Lot 2, 45 x 10 foot strip in SE Corner
1
146
Warranty
C.S.
Clara
Lot 1, south 85 feet and Lot 2, SE
1918-10-26
Hohenschuh
Hohenschuh
Corner
1
147
Warranty
Clara
Hohenschuh,
Fidelity Finance
1936-12-15
widow
Co.
Lot 1, north 50 feet of south 100 ft
1
148
Warranty
Fidelity Finance
Lot 1, north 50 feet of south 100 ft
Corporate
1936-12-15
Co.
Katie Hervert
and Lot 2, SE Strip
1
148
Grant
Katie Hervert &
Emma J. Harvat
1937-10-18
Husband
and others
Lot 2, SE Strip
1
148
Quit Claim
Emma J. Harvat
1937-10-18
Katie Hervert
and others
Lot 1, north 5 feet of south 50 feet
1
148
Quit Claim
Katie & Frank H.
Katie Hervert &
Hervert+ Irene
Lot 1, north 55 feet of south 100 ft
1953-11-16
Husband
H. Campbell
and Lot 2, SE Strip
3
58
Warranty
Frank H. & Katie Irene H. Lot 1, north 55 feet of south 100 ft
1960-05-26 Hervert Campbell and Lot 2, SE Strip 3 58 Quit Claim
Irene H. Thomas E Lot 1, north 55 feet of south 200 ft Court
1978-05-23 Campbell estate Conway and Lot 2, SE Corner 3 58 Order
95 Entry appeared as a hand-written annotation below the previous entry on the same line of the record
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Site Number 52-03267
Address: 225 N Gilbert St Related District Number
City:lowa City County.Johnson
Table 2. City Directory and Census Listings
Year' Listed Residents
1905 Christian S. Hohenschuh, book clerk, Clara J.; Mary H.
1907 Chris Hohenschuh, clerk; Clara, wife Chris; Mary
1908 Chris Hohenschuh, clerk; Mrs. Clara; Mary
1910 Chris Hohenschuh, salesman books stationary; Clara; Mary; Loretta
1911 Chris Hohenschuh, clerk; Clara J
1912 Chris Hohenschuh, clerk, Clara J; Mary
1914 Chris S. Hohenschuh, clerk; Clara J; Mray [sic]; Lotetta [sic]
1915 Christian S., Hohenschuh, clerk; Clara J.; Mary H., assists Dr. J.G. Miller; Loretta C, student
1918 Christion [sic] Hohenschuh, clerk; Clara J; Mary H.
1919 Dionysius Speidel, Speidel Brothers; Dora Speidel; Frank C. Speidel
1922 Guy O. Hoover, letter carrier; Loretta C.
1925 Mrs. Francis A. Hotz, wid Jacob J.
1925 Mrs. Francis A. Hotz; wid Jacob J.; Henry J. Hotz
1928 Guy O. Hoover, rural mail carrier; Loretta
1934 Edgar H. Rushfeldt, assistant tech SUI; Amelia E Rushfeldt
1936 Harry B. Wharton, custodian; Edna F. Wharton
1938 Frank H. Hervert, carpenter; Katie Hervert
1942 Frank H. Hervert, carpenter; Katie Hervert; Irene C. Campbell (wid. Sherman)
1943 Frank H. Hervert, carpenter, Cath Hervert
1961 Irene H. Campbell, sales Hands Jewelers
1970 Irene H. Campbell
96 Not all years are available, duplicative information between years was suppressed.
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IOWASITE INVENTORY
600 East Locust Street I Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 281.8742 1 Fax (515) 282-OS02
iowaculture.gov/tistory/preservation
Site Number..52-03267
Address 225 N Gilbert St Related Distrid Number
City. Iowa City
Bibliography
History of Johnson County, Iowa, Containing a History of the County, and its Townships, Cities and Villages from 1836 to
1882. Iowa City: The Publishers, 1883.
The Commercial Magazine. Chicago, III: Levytype Co, 1898.
Carlson, Richard Database of houses, architects and contractors who worked in Iowa City, Iowa, 1897-1916, compiled
from newspapers. Richard Carlson, Highway Archaeology Program, University of Iowa, 2018.
Ehrstine, Glenn. Beer Politics in Iowa. Hawkeye Lunch & Learn lecture, 2016. https://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=Xo2vXblB2Bc
Germans in Iowa and the Global Midwest Exhibit, n.d. https//germansiniowa.lib.uiowa.edu/exhibits.
Hone, C. Brandon, Smoldering Embers: Czech -German Cultural Competition, 1848-1948, MA (Master of Arts) Thesis,
University of Utah, 2010. https-.//digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/666
Iowa City Property Records. Iowa City, Iowa, Assessor's Office, 2019. https:// iowac(ty.iowaassessors.com.
Johnson County, Iowa, Assessor. Property Transfer Records for Lot 1, Block 58, Book 1 and Book 3.
Onion, Rebecca. Did We Forget to Memorialize Spanish Flu because Women Were the Heroes? Slate Feb 18, 2019.
https://slate .com/technology/2019/02/Spanish-flu-women-nurses-heroism.htmI
Sanborn Map Company. Iowa City, Iowa. New York: Sanborn Map Company,1883, 1888, 1892, 1906,1912, 1926, 1933,
1933 updated through 1948, and 1933 updated through 1947.
Sanborn -Perris Map Company. Iowa City, Iowa. New York: Sanborn -Perris Map Company, 1892 and 1899.
Slonnegar, Mary Beth. Small but Ours. Iowa City: Hand Press, 1999.
Svendsen, Marlys. Historic Resources of Iowa City, Iowa, National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Document
form, 1992.
Architectural and Historical Resources of Original Town Plat Neighborhood (Phase 11), 1845 —1945, amendment
to Historic Resources of Iowa City, Iowa. National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Document form,
1999.
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600 East locust Street I Des Moines, IA 50319
(515)281-8742 1 Fax (515) 282-OSD2
lowaalWre.gov/history/ preservation
Re Number 52.03267
Address 225 N Gilbert St Related District Number.
City: Iowa City Coumy. Johnson
Location Map
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Project Location, 225 N Gilbert Street, shown at arrow. Source: Project Information Viewer, Geographic Information System
Division of Johnson County, Iowa.
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mazworrwcula W.IIFBIRs
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Name of Property Hohenschuh-Hetvert House
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IOWASTTE INVENTORY
600 East locust Street I Des Molnes, IA 50319
(515)281-8742 1 Fax (515)282.0502
lowaculture.gov/history/pfematlon
She Number..52-03267
Address: 225 N Gilbert St Related Mtrict Number.
Crty Iowa Ciri CoudyJohnson
Site Plan
E BLOOMINGTON ST
cinch=37feet
Site Plan, 225 N Gilbert Street. Lot 1 boundary shown as dashed line. Source: Project Information Viewer, Geolpraphic
Information System Division of Johnson County, Iowa.
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lowaculturegov/histoy/preservation
Name of Property: Hohenschuh-Hervert House Site Number. 52-03267
Address: 225 N Gilbert St Related District Number.
Gty: Iowa City County Johnson
Building Plan
IS FR EP
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Building outline plan, 225 N Gilbert Street. Numerals indicate dimensions, bracketed
numerals area. Source: Johnson County Assessor's office
.ate
I
s
i�
o Yi
N. a
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, Iowa City, April 1906, Sheet 7
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mDEBRRBw orCiR1UlW.mmn
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Name of Properly Hohenschuh-Hervert House Site Number. 52-03267
AddoE 225 N Gilbert St Related District Number
ay. Iowa City County.lohnson
Photo 1. 52-03267-001 Exterior, View Southwest 2018-12-19. Tim Weitzel, Photographer.
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Name of Property: Hohenschuh-Hervert House Site Number 52-03267
Address:225 N Gilbert St Related District Number.
city Iowa City County Johnson
Photo 2. 52-03267-002 Exterior, View Northwest 2018-12-19. Tim Weitzel, Photographer.
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lowawlture.gov/history/preservation
Site Number.52-03267
Address: 225 N Gilbert St Rehted Wdct Number
LAy.Iowa Lity Lounty.lohnson
Photo 3. 52-03267-M Exterior, View Northeast 2018-12-19. Tim Weitzel, Photographer.
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Name of Property: Hohenschuh-Hervert House Site Number 52-03267
Address: 225 N Gilbert St Related District Number.
Coy. Iowa City county.Johnson
Photo 4. 52-03267-004 Exterior, View Southeast 2019-12-19. Tim Weitzel, Photographer.
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Name of Propertf Hohenschuh-Hervert House SRe Number.52-03267
Address. 225 N Gilbert St Related District Number.
CdY: Iowa City CountY.Johnson
Photo S. 52-03267-005 Southeast Room, View North 2029-01-23.
Tim Weitzel, Photographer.
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Name of Property: Hohenschuh-Hervert House
STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE
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(515) 281-8742 1 Fax (515) 282-0502
lowacultureZov/hlstory/preservation
Site Number 52-03267
Address: 225 N Gilbert St Related District Number
Oty: Iowa Citv County. Johnson
Photo 6. 52-03267-006 Large Room, View East 2019-01-23.
Tim Weitzel, Photographer.
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IBM SITE INVENTORY
600 East Locusl Street I Des hi IA 50319
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iowaalture.gw/listory/preservation
Site Number 52-03267
Address 225 N Gilbert St Related District Number
city. Iowa City county.Johnson
Photo 7. 52-032674007 Large Room, View West. 2019-01-23. Tim Weitzel, Photographer
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Name of Property: Hohenschuh-Hervert House She Number. 52-03267
Addrew 225 N Gilbert St Related District Number.
City. Iowa City County. Johnson
Photo R. 52-03267-006 Northeast Room, View West. 2019-01-23. Tim Weitzel, Photographer
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Name ofPrapertY Hohenschuh-HervertHouse
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IOWA SITE INVENTORY
600 East Locust Street l Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 281-9742 1 Fax (515) 282-0502
iowaculturegov/history/preservation
Site Number 52-03267
Address: 225 N Gilbert St ReGted District Number.
W.Iowa Citv Caurdy.lohnson
Photo 9. 52-03267-009 Northwest Room, View Southeast 2019-01-23.
Tam Weitzel, Photographer.
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Name of Property: Hohenschuh•Hervert House
STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE
IOWA SITE INVENTORY
600 East Locust Street I Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 281-8742 1 Fax: (515) 282-0502
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Site Number.52-03267
Address:225 N Gilbert St Related Dlatdct Number.
r;«, iM.q rih, rmmW Inhncnn
Photo 10. 52-03267-010 Base Block Detail, Northeast Room View West. 2019-01-23. Tim Weitzel, Photographer
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Iowaculture.gDv/Nstory/preservation
Name of Property. Hohenschuh-Hervert House Site Number 52-03267
Address: 225 N Gilbert St Related District Number
raw low, rihf
rnimh, Johnson
Photo 11. 52-03267-011 House in Sensing, View imonammasc. 2018-12-19. Tim Weitzel, Photographer
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State Inventory Number: 53-03268
9-DigRSHPO Review and Compliance (R&C) Number:
IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM
❑ New ❑ Supplemental
❑ Nan -Extant Year:
STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE
IOWA SITE INVENTORY
600 East Locust Street I Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 281-8742 j Fax: (515) 282-0502
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Read the Iowa Site Inventory Form Instructions carefully, to ensure accuracy and completeness before completing this form. The instructions are available at
hap://www.Iowa histo ry.org/historic-preservation/statewide-invento ry-and-collections/iowa-site-inventory-form. html.
Basic Information
Historic Building Name: Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House
Other Names:
Street Address' 229 N Gilbert Street
City. Iowa City ❑ Vicinity County: Johnson
LEGAL DESCRIPTION
Rural
Township Name:
Township No.:
Range No.:
Section:
Quarter:
Classification
A. PROPERTY CATEGORY:
❑� Building(s)
❑ District
❑ Site
❑ Structure
❑ Object
r
Urban
Subdivision: Origins
Block(s): 58
Lot(s): N 50' Lot 1
B. NUMBER OF RESOURCES (WITHIN PROPERTY):
If eligible property, enter number of:
Contributing Noncontributing
1. Buildings
Sites
Structures
Objects
Total
State: is ZIP: 52240
Town
If non -eligible property, enter number of:
Buildings
Sites
Structures
Objects
Total
C. STATUS OF PROPERTIES LISTED ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES ❑ Listed ❑ De -listed ❑ NHL ❑ NPS DOE
D. FOR PROPERTIES WITHIN A HISTORIC DISTRICT
❑ Property contributes to a National Register or local certified historic district.
❑ Property contributes to a potential historic district, based on professional historic/architectural survey and evaluation.
❑ Property does not contribute to the historic district in which it is located.
Historic District Name:
Historic District Site Number:
E. NAME OF RELATED PROJECT REPORT OR MULTIPLE PROPERTY STUDY (if applicable)
M PD Title: Historical Architectural Database No
JULY 1, 2014 V 1.0 IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM
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Address: 229 N Gilbert Street
City: Iowa City
Site Number: 52-03268
Function or Use
Enter categories (codes and from the Iowa Site Inventory Form Instructions
A. HISTORIC FUNCTIONS
01AO1 Residence
A. ARCHITECTURAL CLASSIFICATION
O9AO9 Cross -gabled Roof
County: Johnson
District Number:
B. CURRENT FUNCTIONS
O1AO1 Residence
B. MATERIALS
Foundation (visible exterior): 04 STONE
Walls (visible exterior): 15B Vinyl
Roof: 08A Shingle/Composition Tile
Other:
C. NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION 0 See continuation sheets which must be completed.
Statement of Significance
A. APPLICABLE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CRITERIA (mark your opinion of eligibility after applying relevant National Register criteria)
Criterion A: Property is associated with significant everts. E (es ❑ No ❑ More research recommended
Criterion B: Property is associated with the lives of significant persons. ❑ Yes ❑ No ❑ More research recommended
Criterion C: Property has distinctive architectural characteristics. ❑ Yes ❑ No ❑ More research recommended
Criterion D: Propertyyields significant information in archaeology/history. ❑ Yes ❑ No ❑ More research recommended
B. SPECIAL CRITERIA CONSIDERATIONS (mark any special considerations; leave blank if none)
❑ A. Owned by a religious institution or used for religious purposes. ❑ E. A reconstructed building object, or structure.
❑ B. Removed from its original location. ❑ F. A commemorative property.
❑ C. A birthplace or grave. ❑ G. Property less than 50 years of page or achieved significance within the past 50 years.
❑ D. A cemetery
C. AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE (enter categories from instructions)
29 SOCIAL HISTORY
02 ARCHITECTURE
E. SIGNIFICANT DATES
Construction Date: 1897
Other Dates (including renovations):
G. CULTURAL AFFILIATION (complete if Criterion D is marked above)
D. PERIOD(S) OF SIGNIFICANCE
1987 to 1970
F. SIGNIFICANT PERSON (corrolete if Criterion B is marked above)
H.ARCHITECT/BUILDER
Architect:
Builder/Contractor: Jacob J. Hotz
I. NARRATIVE STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE 0 See continuation sheets which must be completed.
JULY 1, 2014 V 1.0 IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM 2
Address: 229 N Gilbert Street
City: Iowa City
Site Number: 52-03268
Bibliography
R) See continuation sheets to list research sources used in preparing this form.
Data
OPTIONAL UTM REFERENCES
❑ See continuation sheet for additional UTM or comments
Zone
9.
2.
3. _
4.
Form Pr
Easting
Name and Title: Tim Weitzel, M.A. Historic Preservation Consultant
Organization/Firm:
Street Address:
rim 10Wa City
Email: historicconsulting@gmail.com
Additional Documentation
Northing
County: Johnson
District Number:
State: IA
Telephone:
NAD
Date: March 14, 2019
52240
A. FOR ALL PROPERTIES, ATTACH THE FOLLOWING, AS SPECIFIED IN THE IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM INSTRUCTIONS
1. Map of property's location within the community.
2. Glossy color4x6 photos labeled on back with property/building name, address, date taken, view shown, and unique photo number.
3. Photo key showing each photo number on a map and/or floor plan, using arrows next top each photo numberto indicate the location and directional view of each photograph.
4. Site plan of buildings/structures on site, identifying boundaries, public roads, and building/structure footprints.
B. FOR ALL STATE HISTORIC TAX CREDIT PART 1 APPLICATIONS, HISTORIC DISTRICTS AND FARMSTEADS, AND BARNS
See lists of special requirements and attachments in the Iowa Site Inventory Form Instructions.
State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) Use Only
The SHPO has reviewed the Site Inventoryand concurs with above survey opinion on National Register eligibility:
❑ Yes ❑ No ❑ More research recommended
❑ This is a locally designated property or part of a locally designated district.
Comments:
SH PO Authorized
JULY 1, 2014 V 1.0 IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM 3
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600 East Locust Street I Des Moines, IA 50319
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lowamlturegoWhistory/preservation
NameofPropeq: Christian and Clara DostalHohenschuhHouse SNeNumber 52-03268
Address: 229 N Gilbert St Related Distdo Number.
CV. Iowa City Cou*Johnson
NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION
The House is a two-and-a-haIf-story building with a central hipped roof and lower cross gabled wings. There is a two-
story bay window that defines the north elevation. Although the building is vernacular in design origin, the building can
be classified as an Organic Cottage as well as being within the Free Classic subtype of Queen Anne architectural style.'
Within the range of Organic Cottages, this example is fairly conservative in elaborateness of the floor plan.
Exterior
Foundation. The exposed foundation appears as rough cut limestone. A utility entrance is located on the south side of
the building at the southwest corner. The front stairs are concrete that were cast in place. The rear porch stairs are
precast concrete.
Ground Floor. On the front elevation, a front porch extends the full width of the front fagade. The porch is supported by
piers that match the exposed foundation masonry. The porch roof is supported by paired Tuscan columns on dados with
recessed panels. Viewed from a corner angle, the column pairs form triplets. There are pilasters at the front wall of the
building. The balustrade is filled forming a low wall and is clad in synthetic siding. The front wing projects into the porch
space and contains a large single pane cottage window with a transom window above. The front door is recessed as a
result of the front wing. A single window is arranged at the front room with a pair of windows at the back room. The
south fagade on the ground (eve( has three windows with asymmetric spacing. The rear porch is enclosed and has an
elaborate architrave door casing. On the porch, a pair of windows faces south while the west elevation of the porch has
a single window. The rear wing also has a single window at the south side of the elevation. On the north elevation, the
rear wing has two windows. There are three windows in the bay window, one per side. Forward of the bay window,
there are no windows on the north elevation of the ground floor.
Second Floor. The porch roof is asymmetrical with a pediment gable over the stairs and a wreath and festoon ornament
in the tympanum. Above the porch roof, a single window is located above the entry in the main mass of the building and
a paired window is located in the front of the front wing, providing asymmetry with the single, large window below. The
windows of the south elevation, second floor align with those of the first floor. A single window is present above the rear
porch. On the rear elevation there are two windows aligned at the header with the one to the north being around four
inches smaller in height. On the north elevation, the second story of the rear wing has a single window, placed at about
the center of the wall. It matches the height of the one on the west elevation. The bay has three windows of similar size
and spacing to the first floor. A stepped window is present forward of the bay on the north elevation. It matches the
incline of the stairway inside with the west of the two lower windows being shorter by about six inches and a transom
runs the width of the two.
Uooer half floor and roof. The upper half floor consists of three gables projecting from, and lower than, the peak of a
central hipped roof. The front wing has a pedimented gable with raking boxed cornice forming a pent roof and a
Palladian style window configured with a central round arched window that is flanked by two smaller rectangular
windows. The window is set back from the wall plane with an overhang formed from the dormer wall above. The walls of
the third floor of the wing curve inward at this window. The south elevation has a gable with knee walls and cornice
returns at the roofline. A semi -circular window is in the south wall. The rear elevation has no gables but is only the
' Gottfried and Jennings, 2009; McAlester, 2018.
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600 East locust Street I Des Molnes, IA 50319
(515) 281-8742 1 Fax (515) 282.0502
lowaculturegov/hlstory/ preservation
Name of Property: Christian and Clara DostalHohenschuhHouse Site Number.52.03268
Address:229 N Gilbert St Related District Number.
City Iowa MY County. Johnson
hipped roof of the rear wing. The north elevation has a gable above the two-story bay window, which has a low-pitched
hipped roof. The closed gable forms a pediment with cornice returns. A square window is present.
Alterations. The primary alterations visible on the exterior are the synthetic siding and possible changes to the front
porch balustrade. Exterior millwork and casings are not currently exposed, but are covered by synthetic materials,
provided that they were not actually removed when the building was re -sided. An artist's sketch of the building showed
a spindle rail balustrade on the porch as well as on top of the two-story bay window. The building at one point had a tern
metal roof, however the recommendations in the survey and evaluation of the original town plat, Phase II, recommend
that roof material alterations should not count against a building's eligibility.' A secondary alteration is the concrete
stairs at both entries, which likely were wood originally. A final visible alteration is the apparent less than careful
retucking of the now painted foundation masonry. The general footprint of the building is unaltered and some of the
original construction details are visible on the exterior of the building.
Interior
Ground Floor. The building has two entry points and is oriented on an east -to -west axis. The main entryway enters onto
a grand entry hall. The stair case has an open string construction with projecting treads and an elaborate balustrade with
turned spindles that leads to the upper story. It is located on the north of the main entryway with the stairs near the
front entrance. The newel post has a carved shell motif. Below the open newel stair the spandrel is finished in wood
panels. A long bench with hidden storage runs below the stair case. A doorway on the west enters into the northwest
room. The doorway has a single four -panel door. To the left of the entry is a double French door. Circulation is provided
through to the northwest room via two more double French doors in the southeast and southwest rooms. The
southwest room has two windows, the single large window facing the porch with a leaded -glass transom and a single
double -hung window. The south west room has a pair of windows facing south. The northwest room has a closet on the
east wall built under the stairway. The door is a four panel door. The south entrance is a double French door. A fireplace
is located in the south east corner of the room. It has an elaborate console of wood with an architrave casing for a mirror
and a deep mantle. The woodwork bears carved festoons. Inside the casing of the fireplace surround, the front of the
fireplace and floor are tiled. An elaborate metal ventilating grate is present. The north wall of the room is punctuated
with the bay window. A curious alcove is recessed on the west side of the room with the back wall curving up to meet
the main plane of the west wall, a feature more characteristic of, say, a mid -twentieth century house. A four panel bi-
swing door exits to the kitchen via a small pantry with built in cabinetry. A small lavatory is located off the pantry. To the
west, the kitchen occupies the entire width of the rear wing. From the Kitchen, the rear entrance exits onto a small
enclosed porch and a third door provides access to the unfinished basement. The basement appears unaltered and
contains a separate service entrance to the exterior. A fourth door provides access to a utility or servant's stair way.
Second Floor. The stairway from the Kitchen is a steep winding stair and arrives on the second floor just outside the
smallest room of the second floor, which is located above the kitchen in the rear wing. A lavatory is present in the
remainder of the rear wing. Three rooms occupy the remainder of the second floor. They are arranged similarly to the
ground floor, including the double French doors providing complete circulation among the southern two rooms and
hallway. A large closet or small room that provides access to the front window above the front door is located off the
southeast room. In the main stairway, the transom over the paired, stepped window is leaded and stained glass. The
door and stair to the attic are located on the west end of the central hall. The attic is unfinished.
2Svendsen,1999.
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600 East locust Street I Des Moines, p 50319
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iowaculturegovlhlstory/ preservation
Name of Property: Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House Site Number. 52-03268
Address 229 N Gilbert St Rebted District Number.
Ow. Iowa City Courdy.Johnson
Decorative finishes and treatments
The casing and millwork for doorways and baseboards is the same throughout the building and there appears to be no
attempt to establish different architectural orders between floors. The door casings have plinth blocks at the base of the
doorway and head blocks with paterae located at the top corners. The fluting is asymmetric and does not appear In the
standard American catalog.' Original light fixtures are present throughout the main part of the ground floor. A pendant
light with fancy floral art glass shade is present in the entry foyer. A compound chandelier with central shade and
branched indirect lights is located in both the southeast and southwest rooms. The northwest room has a branched
pendant fixture with five indirect lights. Additionally, the entry foyer retains period wall paper. Wooden floors are
present throughout the ground floor in the main part of the house. Low -nap carpeting has been installed throughout the
second floor.
Alterations. The doors between the southeast and southwest rooms have been removed and no longer appear to be on
the property. A single shade has been removed from the light fixture in the southwest room. The tile in front of the
fireplace appears to be from the 1990s. The house has retained good to excellent historic integrity in the interior of the
house.
NARRATIVE STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
The Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House at 229 N Gilbert Street retains historic integrity and possess historic
significance under Criteria A for association with events related to broad patterns of our history. At this time it is not
possible to make a recommendation regarding Criteria C for a historic building that embodies the distinctive
characteristics of a type and period but it is thought the building has potential to be eligible under Criteria C. At such
point as the synthetic siding is removed, this property could be re-evaluated for eligibility under Criteria C. At this time
only Criteria A can be recommended, despite the very good condition of the interior.
The Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House at 229 N Gilbert Street (ISIN 52-03268). As second generation
immigrants, Christian and Clara Hohenschuh were part of the Northside Neighborhood immigrant communities.
Christian was a German American Catholic and Clara's family were Czech American Catholics. Their daughter Mary also
married a member of the Northside Czech immigrant community while daughter Loretta married an American born man
from Cedar Rapids. Chris and Clara were frequently subjects of society columns and other items in the newspaper. Chris
worked in the St. James Hotel on Clinton Street. They entertained visitors to their homes and appear to have been well
known and well liked.
Both families appear to have been fairly wealthy. Chris grew up in a merchant's home across the street from his adult
home at 229 N Gilbert Street and Clara was the daughter of skilled artisan and merchant in the Brewery business. They
had held other property prior to purchasing the north third of Lot 1, Block 58 and hired the firm of Jacob J. Hotz, a well
known and successful carpenter who turned business man, to construct a house at what is now 229 N Gilbert Street, in
1898. Hotz, who was invested in numerous businesses as well as being an Alderman and County Clerk also circulated in
the Northside German Immigrant Community. Though he was from New York, he was a second generation German
American. His family had immigrated from Germany before he was born. It is unproven, but likely his influence helped to
get the house published in a promotional publication featuring Iowa City Businesses. The building appeared on one page
' Gottfried and Jennings, 2009.
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iowaculture.gov/hlstory/preservatlon
Nameofproperry: Christian and Clara DosUl Hohenschuh House skeNumber. 52.03268
Address: 229 N GllbenSt Related District Number.
City. Iowa City CourdyJohnson
with several other buildings built by Hotz's company around 1898. Following an early retirement due to Chris' health, the
Hohenschuhs left their home for Denver. When they returned they built a second home adjacent to their first home, but
one that was all on one level. When Chris died in the Influenza outbreak of 1918, Clara returned to 229 N Gilbert Street
and lived there with Mary for many years. Clara eventually sold the house to Mary, who fairly quickly divested of it to a
long term tenant, Mary Keating, who was a second generation Irish Immigrant, prominent in the history of the Veterans
Administration Hospital.
Statement of Historic Contexts
Initial contexts were reviewed from the Multiple Property Document form Historic Resources of Iowa City, Iowa (ISIN 52-
028).4 Six contexts were found to be applicable to this building:
Railroad Era, (1856-1900)
Town & Gown Era (1900-1940)
The Development of the University of Iowa (1855-1940)
Iowa City Neighborhoods: Town and Country (1840-1940)
These contexts are described at the previously reviewed source. The additional two are:
Iowa City Northside Nineteenth Century Immigrant Communities (1840-1900)
Building Construction and Design Industry of Iowa City (1840-1960)
These contexts are described in the related report: Intensive Historical and Architectural History Survey and Evaluation
of 225 N Gilbert Street and 229 N Gilbert Street Iowa City, Iowa. Historical Architectural Data Base (HADB) number 52-
00131 to which this site form is appended.
Criteria A Eligibility
The house is significant for Criteria A for associations with general patterns of history in Iowa City, in particular with
relationship to people known in the broader Iowa City community and as part of the second generation Northside
immigrant community. The property was home to many individuals over the years and many of them worked in the
downtown or for the University of Iowa and lived in the Northside neighborhood.
Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh were prominent individuals in Iowa City society who were part of the Northside
Neighborhood and the house derives significance in the form of patterns of history from their association with it. Their
tastes and preferences are reflected in the historic fabric of the building. Chris grew up in a prominent family and the
location of the store where Chris worked was in the heart of the growing city. He had many opportunities to be seen and
converse with the people of the town and campus and as a result was popular in Iowa City society. Similarly, Clara had
been the subject of the society columns in the newspapers from her later teenage years going forward. The couple were
known and well liked. This visibility is conveyed in the frequent news updates on Chris' health, the many trips for
vacation or visits to the John P. Dostal family in Denver, the notices when the Dostals returned for visits to Iowa City and
the prominence in society of Christian's father and brother and Clara's father all indicate Chris and Clara were well
4 Svendsen, 1992.
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lowaculture.gov/history/preservaCion
Name of Property. Christian and Clara DostalHohenschuhHouse Site Number 52-03268
Address: 229 N Gilbert St Rebted District Number.
City: Iowa City County. Johnson
known in town. Additionally, Chris and Clara were part of a well established social network that existed with Northside
Catholic Immigrant families.
The house is the first known residence constructed by Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh. The building originally
appears as 231 N Gilbert Street. It is now addressed as 229 N Gilbert St. The residence was built by the company of Jacob
J. Hotz, Contractor and Builder. It was built in 1897. Hotz was a prominent businessman and former carpenter. Hotz's
construction team built the house under his guidance using the designs of his son Charles, possibly supplemented from
catalogue plans.
Additional associations exist with long term resident owners of the building, in particular, Mary E Keating, a nurse and
military veteran.
Associated Individuals
Christian S. Hohenschuh (1865-1918)
Christian Samuel Hohenschuh, familiarly known as Chris, C.S., and Christ, was a
bookstore clerk and for a time a co-owner in a book and stationary store who died of
Spanish Flu in the 1918 pandemic.5
Chris was the son of Francis A. (Frank) Hohenschuh (1824-1876), a first generation
German immigrant who was a cabinet and furniture maker. As part of the furniture
business, he took on coffin making and preparation of bodies for burial. Early mortuary
practice, called undertaking, was carried out by furniture makers in Iowa City as one of
the main things to be done to prepare a body for burial was to make a coffin. Business
listings in Iowa City through the nineteenth century indicate that furniture makers
commonly also made coffins and they advertised for undertaking as well.6. The
Goosetown records indicate Frank Hohenschuh moved to Iowa City before 1862.7 It was Christian Hohenschuh,
Chris' brother William P. Hohenschuh who took over the family furniture and Commerdal Magazine 1898.
undertaking business. William became a significant individual in the areas of local, state, and national signiticance for
advances in mortuary science.
Chris occasionally assisted in running the furniture store and preparing bodies for funeral.8 He rose as far as being
appointed Deputy Corner by his brother, the elected County Coroner, in 1892.9 The family home where Chris grew up
5 Iowa City CJtizen, Oct 22, 1918. Similarly Iowa City Daily Press, Oct 22,1918.
6 For Frank Hohenschuh, Iowa City Daily Press, Sep 24th,1873. For others, John Schnieder, Iowa City Republican, Jul 19th, 1876 and
Nixon & Brainerd, Iowa City Daily Republican, Nov 5,1881; Similar advertisements were run by William Hohenschuh and his business
cards stated the same. Frank Hohenschuh advertised these services for several years in the early 1870s. Other businesses were
diversified similarly, such as the Palace Livery, which also advertised undertaking services, Iowa City Daily Press, Dec loth,1904.
7 Slonnegar,1999.
8 Ad in Iowa City Weekly Republican, Jul 6, 1898. Also Iowa Citizen, Feb 12,1892, "Chris Hohenschuh will have charge of his brother's
business for a short time and will give his personal attention to undertaking and embalming He has had experience in the past and
he will certainly make a success in this line."
9 Iowa City Weekly Republican, Sep 3,1892.
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Name of Property Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House Site Number 52-03268
Address: 229 N Gilbert St Related District Number.
Cdy Iowagty County. Johnson
was at 318 E Bloomington Street (demolished ca. 1974). This is the home he shared with his mother Theresia (Theresa)
Stoertzer (Statzer) Hohenschuh, brothers William P. (1860-1920) and Frank A. (1875-1937), and sisters, Mary Huen
(Hine) (1861-1890) and Cathryn A. (Kate) (1862-1909). Chris resided in the same few blocks of Iowa City for most of the
rest of his life, living across the street at 229 N Gilbert Street and later owning a house next door at 225 N Gilbert Street
and its neighbor 219 N Gilbert Street. Christian and Clara had two daughters, Mary Helen Hohenschuh Harvat (b.1894)
and Loretta Clara Hohenschuh Hoover (1897-1965). Clara Hohenschuh (1865-1951), his wife, held the deed to 229 N
Gilbert until she transferred ownership to her daughter Mary in 1936 (Table 1). Though Chris and family made many long
visits to Denver, Colorado, they retained ownership of their building.
From the age of nineteen, Chris reported his occupation as book seller or book store clerk on the federal and state
census and in city directories. At some unknown point, but likely prior to life as a store clerk, Chris spent three years as a
park ranger in Yellowstone National Park.10 Back in Iowa City, he worked as a clerk at a local bookstore known as Lee &
Ries, which traded under the business name Pioneer Bookstore 11 Chris bought out Lee's interest in the store in 1892,
known then colloquially as the "University Book Store." 12
At this same time, Henry J. Wieneke (1838-1923) also had a bookstore that was located in the St. James Hotel block,
formerly located on the southeast corner of Clinton Street and Iowa Avenue. Wieneke managed the store for the widow
of J.G. Fink. It was known as Fink's Bizarre and had been in operation since 1857.13 The store was the news stand for the
local foreign language press.14 Henry Wieneke divested of his interest in the store in the early 1890s, selling it to a
partnership of his daughter Carrie L. Wieneke (b. 1860) and Chris, while opening a new location for his cigar business.
Carrie and Chris continued to run the store as Fink's Bizarre at first and then as Hohenschuh & Wieneke by 189415. They
offered diverse sundries of interest to students and downtown professionals such as stationary, memory books, photo
albums, and greeting cards, fountain pens, and fresh cut flowers, as well as small food items, such as chocolates, apples
and even hair tonic and hammocks.16 The store also sold stationary items to the City of Iowa City.17 In 1899, Chris
retired from his share of the partnership citing reasons of his health. The family eventually made plans to move to
Denver, where Clara's parents had moved when they left lowa.18
Chris and family relocated to Denver while retaining ownership of their home as a rental property (Table 1, Table 2).
However, by fall the family had moved back.19 In 1904, they built a house on the lot south of their larger home20. The
io Iowa City Daily Press, Oct 22, 1918.
11The Iowa Historical Record, Volumes 4-6: 196, 1890.
12 Daily Citizen, Jun 28, 1892. Lee was taking up a position with an advertising firm in Chicago.
13 The Commercial Magazine, 1898.
14 Ehrstine, 2016.
15 City Directory, Iowa City Weekly Republican, Jun 17, 1896; Daily Iowan, Mar 8, 1902; Iowa City Herald, Nov 3, 1894. The
Commercial Magazine, 1898.
16 The Iowa Alumnus, Volume 18, for example; Vidette-Reporter, Jan 21, 1897 and Feb 2, 1896, as examples; Apples, Iowa Citizen, Sep
28, 1904; Hair Tonic, Iowa Citizen, Dec 23rd, 1808; Hammocks, Iowa City Weekly Republican, Jun 7, 1896.
17 Iowa City Weekly Republican, May 6, 1896; Jul 6, 1898.
is Retirement and move to Denver, Colorado Iowa City Weekly Republican, Sep 6, 1899.Other announcement of a move to Denver,
Iowa City Press Citizen, Oct 5, 1908.
39 Iowa City Weekly Republican, Aug 11, 1897.
20 Property Transfer Records; Iowa Citizen, Jun 6, 1904, p. 5.
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Name of property Christian andClara205111HohenschuhHouse SReNumber.52-03268
Address: 229 N Gilbert St Related District Number.
CRY: Iowa City Coumy.Johnson
new house in the middle parcel was all on one level, possibly due to Christian's poor health. Chris' health was a common
topic of short notices through the time period of 1898 to his death. It is possible it was due to a problem with his lungs,
such as asthma, but the actual causes remain unknown. News reports frequently referred to his health being improved
or that he had again taken ill. He was said to have been "stricken down" in one case, "confined to his room" in another
and in yet another that he had recovered from a "dangerous siege." 21 Chris resumed his work as a clerk in Carrie
Wieneke's shop, operating as Wienekie's Arcade Bookstore, which Carrie advertised as Wieneke's St. James Arcade, from
1899 on.22 Chris continued to work for Carrie until his death.23 Fire completely destroyed the hotel block in 1916.24
Carrie Wieneke relocated to Washington Street.25
In social affairs, Chris was a member of the Marquette Council of the Knights of Columbus, being a charter member and
treasurer.26 He marched in the procession representing the Men's Sodality of St. Mary's Church that walked from St.
Mary's of the Visitation Church to the building site of St. Wenceslas Church the day the cornerstone was laid.27
Clara Dostal Hohenschuh (1865-1951)
Clara J. Dostal Hohenschuh was born in 1865 to John P. Dostal (1841-1912) and Genevieve (Jennie) Cerny (b.1843) in
Rock Island, Illinois.28 John Dostal features prominently in the nineteenth Century history of Iowa City. Dostal, originally
a miller, bought the Great Western Brewery of Iowa City in 1873. He expanded it with an ice house and malt house, a
sign of vertical integration in the business. He operated the brewery until it was closed by state prohibition in 1888.29
Dostal's sons reopened the facility under the name Dostal Brothers Brewery in 1897. The brothers sold the brewery in
1902 to Fred Kemmerle and Andrew Feely, who changed its name to the Iowa Brewing Company.30 Later businesses
eventually took over the building but did not make or sell beer.31 The adaptively reused building was destroyed by fire
in 1955.32 Dostal was an immigrant from Bohemia, the current Czech Republic. At the time of his upbringing the
Austrian Empire, or Kaisertum Osterreich, of the Habsburg -Lorraine lineage autocratically controlled Bohemia and
German was the common language of the empire, despite the fact that by numbers the Austrians were outnumbered in
the various regions of their control outside of Austria proper.33 Likely knowing both languages and certainly being
21For example, Iowa City Weekly Republican, Feb 16, 1898; Aug 17,1898; Daily Iowa State Press, Jul 21,1903; Sep 18, 1903; Iowa City
Daily Press, Aug 3, 1905; Dec 30,1908; Aug 10,1910.
22 City Directories, Daily Iowa State Press Dec 22, 1899, p 9
23 City Directory
24 A historic commercial block is a building with a unified facade; Daily Iowan, Apr 29,1916.
25 Iowa City Daily Press, Apr 16, 1920.
26IowaCity Citizen, Feb 24, 1904; Daily Iowa State Press, Feb 26, 1904; Daily Iowa State Press, Feb 26, 1904; Iowa City Republican
Aug 6, 1908
27 Iowa Cit Daily Citizen, Jun 26th,1893
29 Marriage Certificate; John P. Dostal in entry for Charles M. Mccadden and Matilda Dostal,13 Feb 1888; citing Kane, Illinois, United
States, county offices, Illinois; FHL microfilm 1,481,109
291870 Federal Census; Johnson County History, 1883; Glenn Ehrstine, n.d.
30 Property Transfer Records;
31 Svendsen,1999.
32 Svendsen,1999.
33 Hone, 2010.
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Name ofPropeq: Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House She Number52-03268
Address: 229 N Gilbert St Related District Number.
Chy Iowa City County.Johnson
within a mixed -language market, Dostal therefore unsurprisingly advertised in German and Czech language newspapers
as well as English language papers in Iowa City.34
Local newspapers chronicled Clara's society debut in Iowa City. From the late 1870s, she attended St. Agatha's Academy
and gave annual public piano recitals for many years.35 Clara continued to give public recitals into the next decade. 36
The papers also chronicled her lasting friendship with Kate Hohenschuh, Chris' sister and a fellow student at the
academy.37 The papers would notify their readers when Clara was back to visit Kate after the Dostals had moved to
Denver.38 In 1893, it was announced that Clara was attending the Columbia Exposition in Chicago.39
Clara and Chris were married on October 11, 1892 at St. Mary's Church, again to much public fanfare both in the press
coverage of the announcement and the ceremony. Kate Hohenschuh was the bridesmaid.40 Chris and Clara had two
children, Mary Helen Hohenschuh Harvat (b. 1894) and Loretta Clara Hohenschuh Hoover (1897-1965).
In 1897, Clara and Chris contracted with Jacob J. Hotz to build a house at 229 N Gilbert Street, subdividing Lot 1, Block 58
of the Original Town Plat to create the parcel for the building (Table 1). The south parcel of the parent lot is the site of an
early Iowa City home built by Jacob Wentz, a German immigrant. Lot 1, Block 58 is located across the Street from 318 E
Bloomington Street, the second Frank and Theresa Hohenschuh family residence, and is just across the alley from the
location of the Great Western Brewery, where Clara's father worked. For reasons of Chris' health, the family relocated
temporarily to Denver, but they retained ownership of the home, renting it out (Table 1, Table 2). When they returned
they built a new house on the middle parcel of Lot 1. That parcel was obtained from Nanna G. Wieder, who had owned
the entire south 85 feet of Lot 1, Block 58 at the time. The Hohenschuhs hired Charles Mentzer to build the new house at
225 N Gilbert Street in 1904. They resided there until Chris' death in 1918. The Hohenschuhs purchased the Jacob Wentz
house located on the south 45 feet of Lot 1, Block 58 in 1911(Table 1).
At the time of Chris' death, both Clara and Mary were seriously ill.41 The severity of the health effects reflects the
widespread effects of the 1918 Influenza Pandemic, known at the time as the Spanish Flu. There is a good chance that
caring for Chris through his long period of poor health fell to Clara and Mary, especially regarding the flu, which was
severe enough to incapacitate its victims. Those caring for the flu, which claimed more than twelve times the lives of
World War I, tended to also fall ill.42
Christian Hohenschuh died in 1918 and Clara returned her residence to 229 N Gilbert Street. She appears to have rented
225 N Gilbert Street from that point until she sold the property in 1936. The daughters remained close to home for many
years. Mary attended the State University and worked as a clerk there. She resided at home with Clara until around the
time of her marriage in 1935. She stayed in the tradition of her family, marrying another fourth generation immigrant,
34 Slovan Amerikansky, Feb 15, 1882; Iowa City Volksfreund, Dec 18, 1874 cited in John P. Dostal, "ad for Great Western Brewery,
Iowa City," Ehrstine, n.d. Dostal also advertised in the English language papers as well.
33 Daily Press, Jun 29, 1878; Iowa City Daily Republican, Jun 30, 1880; Jun 30, 1882.
361owa City Weekly Republican, Feb 3, 1892.
37 Iowa City Citizen June 30, 1880.
35 Iowa Citizen, Jun 19, 1891; Jul 3, 1891; .Iowa City Weekly Republican Jun 17, 1891.
39 Iowa Citizen, Oct 20, 1893.
90Iowa Citizen, Sep 30, 1892; Iowa City Weekly Republican, Oct 5, 1892;1owa State Press, Oct 12th, 1892; See note 19.
41 Iowa City Daily Citizen, Oct 24, 1918.
42 Onion, 2019.
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NameofPropedy. Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House Site Number 5M3268
Address 229 N Gilbert St Related District Number.
Cay:lowa dtv CoumyJohnson
Edwin John Harvat, the nephew of Emma J. Harvat. Emma Harvat was the first female mayor of Iowa City and real estate
investor with her partner Mary (May) Stach. Edwin's grandmother was Mary Cerny Harvat. Mary Cerney Harvat was
potentially a relative of Clara Dostal's mother but this is unknown. However, there were just two Cerny households
recorded in the Goosetown record —Joseph Cerny and Clara Cerny. 43 Mary Hohenschuh Harvat moved to Montana by
1937.44 Loretta married Guy O. Hoover, a Cedar Rapids letter carrier in 1919 and they lived at 229 N Gilbert Street and
225 N Gilbert Street as well as other locations in Iowa City and rural Johnson County for a few years at each location
before moving to Muscatine by 1940.45 Clara's listings and ownership with both properties on Gilbert Street ended in
1936, selling her residence to her daughter, Mary Helen Harvat, and the two southern rental properties to a corporate
firm. Clara then lived with Loretta and Guy in Muscatine. 46 She was buried in Iowa City in 1951.
Jacob J. Hotz (1853-19161
Jacob (J.J.) Hotz was a carpenter turned business entrepreneur who appears prominently in Johnson County History.97 In
addition to a real estate and construction design -build business, Hotz operated a wholesale ice business and a pickle
factory.48 Jacob served as the Second Ward Alderman for Iowa City for at least 20 years (1892-1912) and one term as
County Recorder (1882-1886). He ran unsuccessfully for County Supervisor in 1908.49 He later was chair of the Iowa City
Parks Commission. Jacob was a member of St. Marys Church, The German Mutual Aid Society, the Fraternal Order of
Eagles, and Fraternal Bankers. Like most German Americans at the time, he was a Democrat.
Jacob was born in New York, New York to Jacob and Agnes Rosenstein Hotz, a German
immigrant couple. The family moved to Iowa City in 1855. When his father died and at the
age of seventeen Jacob set out for a "Grand Tour" of his own making, visiting several cities
throughout the United States, performing carpentry work over four years, including St. Louis,
Memphis, Cincinnati, Pittsburg, Baltimore, Boston, New York, and Chicago. He then worked
in the Chicago newspaper industry for three years, marrying his first wife, Delia Crawford,
there in 1875. Together they had four sons, including Charles who briefly worked in his
father's construction business.
In 1878, the family returned to Iowa City where Jacob resumed carpentry work and soon Commerdal Magazine 1898.
started a contracting business. In 1882, he was a member of the firm Shinn & Hotz. Delia
died in 1884. He married his second wife Francis Englert, daughter of brewer and retail ice company owner Louis Englert.
They had six children. The many buildings built by Jacob are an indication for his talent for managing his business while
promoting it. Jacob is the known builder of four houses in historic districts in Iowa City. His company built the G.W.
Koontz House, 831 E College Street, the W. James house, 529 E College Street, and the Sarah Bloom house, 116 S Dodge
as 9lonnegar,1999.
44 Mary Hohenschuh is listed at 229 N Gilbert in the 1936 City Directory but both she and Clara are absent from that address in the
next available directory, 1938; Regarding Montana, Find A Grave, memorial page for Edwin Joseph "Ed" Harvat (9 Oct 1893-27 Jun
1970), Find A Grave Memorial no. 60268098, citing Calvary Cemetery, Livingston, Park County, Montana and 1940 Federal Census.
4s City Directories; Federal Census.
46 City Directories, beginning with 1936 directory for Muscatine along with Loretta and Guy Hoover.
47 Johnson County History, 1883; Aurner,1912, vol.1, and vol. 2.
48 Iowa City Daily Press, Jun 21, 1904.
49 Iowa City Citizen, Apr 15,1908.
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NameofProperty. Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House Site Number.52-03268
Address:229 N Gilbert St Related District Number.
Ci), Iowa City CountyJohnson
Street, as well as work done at the S.A. Swisher House, 129 E Fairchild Street.50 He also built the Charles Vogt house. That
building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, and was subsequently included in the Brown
Street historic District."
A contemporary source states that Hoti s building operation was on a "larger scale than any other contractor in the
city."" In 1882, he was building the original portions of the Iowa City Waterworks, formerly located on Madison Street.13
Also in 1892, he built the St. Mary's High School, formerly located on Jefferson Street at Clinton Street. He built the
Charles Vogt House in 1889. In 1898, he was featured in a promotional publication on a page with six of his recent
houses including the Christ Hohenschuh Residence.54 From at least 1899, he was working for local real estate developers,
such as the Bloom family.55 That same year his company built the NRHP listed Boerner-Fry/David Hotel building.56
His business expanded rapidly. In 1900, it was reported he had "several forces of men at work in various parts of the
city.i57 From 1899 to 1901 he served as superintendent of the construction of the current Johnson County Courthouse,
also listed on the NRHP.58 in 1898, Hotz was among three firms, along with J.M. Sheets and Joselyn & Taylor, architects
of Cedar Rapids, chosen to inspect the previous courthouse.59 He is recorded as completing fifteen buildings for as many
individuals in 1901 alone.60 Three of those houses are on the National Register.61 The numbers are similar in other years.
In 1901, his company also worked on the county Poor House.62 In 1907, he built the buttresses for NRHP listed St. Mary's
Church."
Jacob utilized his connections to get contracts. The buttresses to St. Mary's Church, construction supervisor for the
Courthouse, and the City Jail all appear to have been contracts he obtained through his social and family network. fi4 The
jail in particular, given his status as Alderman, would not be considered ethical today but probably was considered good
business practice in the context of the time. Jacob seems to have valued his own work highly, submitting the high bids in
50Iowa Citizen, Mar 1, 1901; Iowa City Citizen, Jan 2, 1909,
53 DeWitt, 1977.
521owa City and Her Businessmen, n.d.
53Johnson County History, 1883.
50 The Commercial Magazine, 1898.
ss Iowa Citizen, Apr 14, 1899.
56 Jacobsen, 1982.
57 Iowa State Press, Aug 15, 1900.
se Iowa Citizen, Jul 7, 1901. The courthouse was designed by Rush, Bowman & Rush of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Rawson & Son were
the contractors.
59 Iowa City Weekly Republican, Feb 9, 1898.
60 Daily Iowa State Press, Apr 20, 1901; Dec 31, 1901; Iowa Citizen, Mar 1, 1901; Apr 26, 1901.
611owa Citizen, March 1, 1901. The work at the S.A. Swisher house was not the original construction of the residence, which dates to
1877. Hotz's work here may have included the carriage house which was not precisely dated when the property was listed on the
National Register, see Long and Christian, 1982.
621owa State Press, Jun 26, 1901.
fi3 Bowers, 1980.
sa Jail, Iowa City Citizen, Jun 27, 1911.
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Name ofPrope4,' Christian and Clara DRAllHohemrhuhHouse Site Number..52-03268
Address: 229 N Gilbert St Related District Number.
GtyIowa City county. Johnson
1899 for the O.S. Kelley Plant on Sheridan Street and In 1909, he was the high bidder on the new Presidents House for
the University of Iowa.6s
Regarding his professional work, he was listed as an architect and builder in a 1901 completion report of the current
courthouse.66 Despite that, Hotz chose to advertise as a Contractor -Builder firm in newspapers and city directories.fi7
This was echoed in his reported profession in federal and state census records. In the 1870 and 1880 census, he is a
carpenter in Iowa City. In 1900, he is a contractor -builder, and in 1895 and 1910 a contractor. He seems to have
preferred the idea that he was a large scale contractor over being a designer of buildings. For a short period around 1905
he ran the J.J. Hotz Pickle Company. The pickle factory was formerly at the northeast corner of Gilbert and College
Streets."
Mary Keating (1911-2009)
Mary E. Keating was born in rural Johnson County to John and Mary Ellen (Nellie, Nettie) Rogers Keating. She was one of
six children.69 Her father was born July 28, 1880 in Dunboyne, County Meath, Ireland. He came to the Oxford, Iowa area
in 1905, returning to Ireland in 1909, where he married the Mary E. Rogers. The couple came back to Oxford, where they
farmed until moving to Iowa City in 1922. He was a member of St. Patrick's Church, Iowa City and the parish Holy Name
Society. John was a night watchman for the Light and Power Company, and then a custodian for Economy Advertising
Company and the University of Iowa Children's Hospital as well as Towner's Department Store.70The family lived at 229
N Gilbert Street and rented the property until Mary bought the property from Mary Helen Hohenschuh Harvat in
1949.71Despite that, John was listed as the owner in city directories until 1970.
Mary was a 1931 graduate of St. Patrick's High School. Following high school Mary entered the Mercy School of Nursing
to begin her life as a caring registered nurse. Her many achievements included an unforgettable chapter in her life as a
nurse in the Army Nursing Corps during WWII and continued in the Army Reserve until her retirement as Major. Mary
was extremely proud to serve her country and help care for other servicemen and women. She was one of two nurses
who oversaw the set up of the wards at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Iowa City, which opened in 1952, and
where she worked until her retirement in 1973. She was a member of St. Patrick's Church and Catholic Daughters of
America.72
Criteria C Eligibility
The building was featured in a promotional publication titled The Commercial Magazine, which featured several
buildings and their builders in Iowa City along with a number of business people from the community. Jacob Hotz was
featured along with six of his buildings, including the Christ Hohenschuh house. In this period of Hotz Contractors and
65 Iowa City Press Citizen, Sep 13,1993; Building Committee,1907.
66Iowa City Citizen, Jun 7, 1901.
67For example, Iowa City Daily Press, August 2,1912.
6 Iowa State Census for 1905; Iowa City Republican Apr 27, 1904; Iowa City Daily Press, August 2, 1912.
691owa City Press Citizen, Dec 28, 2009. Iowa City Press Citizen, Apr 29, 1972.
7o City Directories, Federal Census.
71 Property Transfer Records.
72 Iowa City Press Citizen, Dec 28, 2009
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iewaculture.gov/hlstory/preservation
Nameof Property: Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House Site Number. 52-03268
Address 229 N Gilbert St Related Distdd Number
Chy Iowa Gtv County. Johnson
Builders, Charles Hotz, a son of Jacob, was listed as an architect. However, there isn't any clear indication that Charles
had gone to school or apprenticed as an architect. Hotz Contractors and Builders were a design -build firm as described in
the associated context Building Construction and Design Industry of Iowa City (1840-1960).
Table 1. Property Transfer Records
Date
Grantor
Grantee
Parcel Description
Book
Page
Type
1881-07-18
F. Messner
J.P. Dostal
Lot 1 and part of Lot 2
1
146
unknown
1893-12-28
George Williams and others
Barbara Hotz
Lot 1 and part of Lot 2
1
146
unknown
1893-12-18
Barbara Hotz, guardian
Ella M. Ries
Lot 1 and part of Lot 2
1
146
Guardian
Sold to S. Hotz
n.d.73
and C. Graf
Lot 1 and part of Lot 2
1
146
unknown
Clara
1898-04-08
Barbara Hotz, Widow
Hohenschuh
Lot 1, north 50 feet
1
146
Warranty
Lot 1, a 15 foot strip
Clara
added to the north 50
1902-06-13
John P. Dostal
Hohenschuh
foot parcel
1
146
Warranty
Mary Helen
1936-08-03
Clara Hohenschuh
Harvat
Lot 1, north SO feet
1
148
Warranty
Mary Helen (Hohenschuh]
Mary E.
1949-04-08
Harvat & Husband
Keating
Lot 1, north 50 feet
3
58
Warranty
13 Entry appeared as a hand-written annotation below the previous entry on the same line of the record.
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NameofPropeny. Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House Site Number.52-03268
Address: 229 N Gilbert St Rebted District Number
city Iowa City Coumy.Johnson
Table 2. City Directory and Census Listings
Year Residents
1897 Christian S. Hohenschuh74
1901 John P Dostal, Prop Dostal Brewery75
1911 Mrs. Fanny T. Foley, wid John; Elizabeth Foley, School Teacher
1912 Mary Cerny, wid John J.
1914 Mrs. Mary Carney
1915 Christian S. Hohenschuh76
1918 Eugene F.T. Cherry; Carrie L.
1919 Mrs. Clara Hohenschuh; Mary Hohenschuh
1920 Clara J. Hohenschuh; Mary H. Hohenschuh, Guy 0. Hoover (son-in-law), Loretta C. Hoover (daughter)
1922 Clara Hohenschuh; Mary Hohenshchuh
1924 Clara I. Hohenschuh; Mary Hohenshchuh, student SUI
1925 Clara I. Hohenschuh; Mary Hohenshchuh, follow-up clerk Unty. Hospital
1928 Clara Hohenschuh; Mary Hohenshchuh, clerk Arcade Bookstore
1930 Clara 1. Hohenschuh; Mary H. Hohenschuh, clerk Arcade Bookstore
1934 Clara I . Hohenschuh; Mary H. Hohenschuh, clerk SUI
1938 Helen Eddy; Seamon A. Lincoln
1940 Helen M. Eddy, Assit. Proff. SUI; Elmer E. Guggle; Bessie M. Guggle
1942 Helen M. Eddy, teacher, University High; Elmer E. Guggle; Bessie M. Guggle
1943 John Keating, janitor; Nellie Keating
1946 John Keating, cleaner SUI Hospital; Nellie Keating
1949 John Keating, janitor SUI Children's Hospital; Nellie Keating
1952 John Keating; Nellie Keating
1956 John Keating, janitor Towner's Dept. Store; Nellie Keating
1961 John Keating, janitor Towner's Dept. Store
1962 John Keating
1964 John Keating, retired
1970 Mary E Keating, nurse VA Hospital
74 Entry appears as 231 N Gilbert Street.
75 Note 6.
76 Christian was shown at both 229 and 225 N Gilbert Street in this year. Like the earlier entry of John Dostal, this may have indicated
a rental vacancy in the given year.
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6DO East Locust Street I Des Moines,1A 50319
(515)281-8742 I Fax (515)282.0502
lawaculture.gov/history/preservation
NameofPropeq: Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House SfleNumber. 52-03268
Address: 229 N Gilbert St Related Distrid Number
C ty: Iowa City County. Johnson
Bibliography
History of Johnson County, Iowa, Containing a History of the County, and its Townships, Cities and Villages from 1836 to
1882. Iowa City: The Publishers, 1883.
The Commercial Magazine. Chicago, III: Levytype Co, 1898.
Aurner, Clarence Ray. Leading Events in Johnson County, Iowa, History. Cedar Rapids, IA: Western Historical Press, 1912.
Bowers, M. St. Mars Church and Rectory National Register of Historic Places form, 1979.
Building Committee. Minutes of the Building Committee, vol. H. August 29, 1907, p.458, cited in . cited in Bates,
Katherine V. History of the State University of Iowa: aspects of the physical structure. MA (Master of Arts) thesis,
State University of Iowa, 1949. https:Hdol.org/10.17077/etd.rjvn46v4.
DeWitt, Jack. Vogt House National Register of Historic Places form, 1977.
Ehrstine, Glenn. Beer Politics in Iowa. Hawkeye Lunch & Learn lecture, 2016. https://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=Xo2vXb1B2Bc
Germans in Iowa and the Global Midwest Exhibit, n.d. http://germansiniowa.lib.uiowa.edu/exhibits.
Hone, C. Brandon, Smoldering Embers: Czech -German Cultural Competition, 1848-1948, MA (Master of Arts) Thesis,
University of Utah, 2010. https:Hdigitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/666
Iowa City and Her Businessmen, Iowa City: Moles s Printery, n.d., cited in Magnuson, Linda. Sheets and Company: an
Iowa City builder/architect firm, 1870-1905. MA (Master of Arts) thesis, University of Iowa,
1980.https:Hdoi.org/10.17077/etd.xsel2k8z
Iowa City Property Records. Iowa City, Iowa, Assessor's Office, 2019. https:// iowacity.iowaassessors.com.
Salter, William. James Lee in The Iowa Historical Record vol 4-6. Iowa City: State Historical Society of Iowa. 1890.
Jacobsen, James E. Boerner-Fry Company/Davis Hotel National Register of Historic Places form, 1982.
Johnson County, Iowa, Assessor. Property Transfer Records for Lot 1, Block 58, Book 1 and Book 3.
Long, Barbara and Ralph Christian. Jackson -Swisher House National Register of Historic Places form, 1982.
McAlester, Virginia Savage. A Field Guide to American Houses. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2018.
Onion, Rebecca. Did We Forget to Memorialize Spanish Flu because Women Were the Heroes? Slate Feb 18, 2019.
https://slate .com/technology/2019/02/Spanish-flu-women-nurses-heroism.htmi
Sanborn Map Company. Iowa City, Iowa. New York: Sanborn Map Company, 1883, 1888, 1892, 1906, 1912, 1926, 1933,
1933 updated through 1948, and 1933 updated through 1947.
Sanborn -Perris Map Company. Iowa City, Iowa. New York: Sanborn -Perris Map Company, 1892 and 1899
Slonnegar, Mary Beth. Small but Ours. Iowa City: Hand Press, 1999.
Svendsen, Marlys. Historic Resources of Iowa City, Iowa. National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Document
form, 1992.
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OPAO RKINIENT WCULIMArfM
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IOWA SITE INVENTORY
600 East Locust Street I Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 281-8742 1 Fax (515) 282-0502
imculture.gov/history/preservation
Name ofPropeny. Christian and Clara DostalHohenschuhHouse Site Number.52-03268
Address: 229 N Gilbert St Related District Number
CRY Iowa City Coumy.Johnson
Architectural and Historical Resources of Original Town Plat Neighborhood (Phase II), 1845 —1945, amendment
to Historic Resources of Iowa City, Iowa. National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Document form,
1999.
JULY 1, 2014V 1.0 IOWA SITE INWORY FORM 18 OF 40
STATE HISTORIC
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OFFICE OF IOWA
IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM - CONTINUATION SHEET
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IOWA SITE INVENTORY
0D0 East Locust Street I Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 281-8742 1 Fax (515) 282-0502
iowaculture.gov/histoTy/preservation
Nameof Property: Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House Site Number. 52-03268
Address: 229 N Gilbert St Related District Number
Cav:Iowa City County. Johnson
Location Map
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System Division of Johnson County, Iowa.
IDLY 1, 201A V 1.0 IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM 19 OF
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IDTMJ)FAIR7ma Wcuammmra
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600 East locust Street I Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 281-8742 1 Fax: (515) 282-0502
lowawlture.goWhistory/preservation
Nameol[Property: Christian and Can Dostal Hohenschuh House Site Number 52-03268
Address: 229 N Gilbert St Rehted District Number
Ck..Iowa City County..Johnson
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Site Plan, 229 N. Gilbert Street. Lot 2 boundary shown as dashed line. Source: Project Information Viewer, Geographic
Information System DiAsion of Johnson County, Iowa.
IULY 1, 2014 V 1.0 IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM 20 OF 40
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MDEPARTMENT OF CULTURALAFFMRS
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600 East Locust Street I Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 281-8742 1 Fax: (515) 282-0502
lowaculture.gov/histDryipreservatlon
Name of Pmpeny: Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House Site Number.. 52-03268
Address: 229 N Gilbert St Related District Number
city:Ina City county.JDhnson
Building Plan
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JULY 1, 2014 V 1.0 IOWA 59E INVENTORY FORM 21 OF 40
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IDPal0EP11lI6ENI WpIt10WALIYf111RS
IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM - CONTINUATION SHEET
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IOWASITE INVENTORY
6DO East Locust Street I Des Moines, IA50319
(515) 281-8742 1 Fax (515) 2824502
iowamlwre.govfilsWry/preservation
Nameo(Property. Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House Site Number..52-03268
Address: 229 N Gilbert St Rebted District Number.
Cry:IowaCN County. Johnson
irM."00 'I$
Photo 1. sz-03ZN-001 Exterior, VlewSouthwest
1 OLY 1, 2014 V 1.0 IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM 22 OF 40
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IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM - CONTINUATION SHEET
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600 East locust Street I Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 281-8742 1 Fax (515) 282-0502
lowaculturegov/history/ preservation
Name of property: Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House She Number. 52.03268
Address:229 N Gilbert St Related District Number.
Ch),. Iowa City Coumy.Johnson
Photo 2. 52-03268-002 Exterior, View Northwest 2018-12.19. Tim Weitzel, Photographer.
1ULY 1, 2014 V 1.0 IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM 23 OF 40
STATE HISTORIC
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IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM - CONTINUATION SHEET
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IOWASITE INVENTORY
600 East Locust Street I Des Moines, A 50319
(515) 281.8742 1 Fax, (515) 282-0502
lowawlture.gov/history/preservation
Nameof Property. Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House SBe Number. 52-03268
Address: 229 N Gilbert St Rehted District Number.
CRy: Iowa City [ounty.Johnson
Photo 3. 52-03268-003 Exterior, View Northeast 2019-12-19. Tim Weitzel, Photographer.
IULY 1, 2014 V 1.0 IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM 24 OF
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600 East locust Street 1 Des Moines, IA 50319
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lowaculture.gov/history/preservation
Name of Property: Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House Sae Number.52-03268
Address:229 N Gilbert St Related Distdct Number.
City: Iowa City Couoty.Johnson
r.
Photo 4. 52-03268-004 Exterior, ViewSoutheast 2018-12-19. Tim Weitzel, Photographer.
JULY 1, 2014 V 1.0 IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM 25OF 40
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IOM SITE INVENTORY
600 East Lam Street I Des Molnes, IA 50319
(515) 281.8742 1 Fax: (515) 282-0502
lowaculture.gov/history/preservation
Name ofpmperlY: Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House ShNumber52-03268
Address: 229 N Gilbert St ReWed Distdd Number.
City. Iowa City Courty.Johnson
Photo S. 52-03268-005 Front Porch Column Detail, View Southeast 2018-12-19. Tim Weitzel, Photographer.
JULY 1, 2014 V 1.0 IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM 26 OF 40
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101NAMPARi"OFOYLTORA MI11IRS
IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM - CONTINUATION SHEET
STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE
IOWA SITE INVENTORY
600 East Locust Street I Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 281-8742 I Fax: (515) 282-0502
lowaculturegov/history/preservatlon
NameofProperty: Christian and Clara DostalHohenschuhHouse Site Number 52-03268
Address:229 N Gilbert St Rebted District Number
Cty IowaGty County.lohnson
Photo 6. 52-03267-006 Entry Hall, View North . 2019-01-23. Tim Weitzel, Photographer
JULY1,2014V1.0 IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORNI 270F 40
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taPAoew m1a00'4900RaLmflm
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STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION ME
10WASITE IHVEIVTORY
600 East Locust Street I Des Molnes, A 50319
(515) 281.8742 1 Fax (515) 282-OS02
lowaculturegov/idstoryl preservatlon
NameoJPropeny. Christian and Clara DostalHohensrhuhHouse She Number.52-03268
Address: 229 N Gilbert St Rehted District Number.
Crty Iowa Lity County. Johnson
Photo 7. 52-03267-007 Stairwell Detail. 2019-01-23. Tim Weitzel, Photographer
IULY 1, 2014 V 1.0 IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM 28 OF 40
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imwOFPAR1tMOFUUM IN1111
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STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE
IOWA SITE INVENTORY
600 East Locust Street I Des Moines, Ih 50319
(515) 281-8742 1 Fax (515) 282-0502
lowaculture.goV/history/ preservation
Name of Property: Christian and Clara Dcstal Hohenschuh House SheNumber.52-03268
Address:229 N Gilbert St Related District Number.
City aowa City County.Johnson
Photo 8.52-03267-008 Southeast Room, View Southeast. 2019-01-23. Tim Weitzel, Photographer
JULY 1, 2014 V 1.0 IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM 29OF 40
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IOWASTTE INVENTORY
600 East Locust Street I Des Moines, Vs 50319
(515) 281-8742 1 Fax (515) 282-0502
lovaculture.gov/history/preservation
NameofPmpeq., Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House Site Number.SM3268
Address: 229 N Gilbert St Related District Number.
ciry:Iowa City coumy.)ohnson
Photo 9. 52-03267-009 Southeast Room, View West. 2019-01-23. Tim Weitzel, Photographer
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IOWA SITE INVENTORY
600 East locust Street I Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 281-8742 1 Fax: (515) 282-0502
towaculture.goV/history/ preservation
Name of Property: Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House Site Number..52-03268
Address: 229 N Gilbert St Related District Number.
rmr Irnaa city [nuntuJohnson
Photo 10. 52-03267-010 Fireplace Room View Southeast. 2019-01-23. Tim Weitzel, Photographer
1ULY 1, 2014 V 1.0 IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM 31 OF 40
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IOWASITE INVENTORY
600 East Locust Street I Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 281-8742 1 Tay (515)292-0502
lowacul ture,p/historyl preservation
Nameo)Pmperty Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House Site Number SM3268
Address: 229 N Gilbert St Related District Number
Cdy bwaCNv County. Johnson
Photo 11. 52-03267-021 Fireplace Room, View East 2019.01-23.
Tim Weitzel, Photographer.
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IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM - CONTINUATION SHEET
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IOWA SITE INVENTORY
EDO East Locust Street I Des Molnes, IA 50319
(515) 281-8742 1 Far: (515) 282.0502
iowaculture.gov/history/preservatlon
Name of Property. Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House SReNumber..52-03268
Address: 229 N Gilbert St Related District Number
City: Iowa Gtv County. Johnson
Photo 12. 52-03267-012 Fireplace Room, View West 2019-03-23.
Tim Weitzel, Photographer.
JULY 1, 2014 V 1.0 IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM 33 OF 40
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IOVVASITE INVENTORY
6DO East Locust Street I Des Moines, W50319
(515)281-8742 1 Fax:(515)282-OS02
lowaculturegoa/hid Vpreservatlon
Nameo(Propev- Christian and Clara DostalHohensthuhHouse Site Number.52-03268
Address: 229 N Gilbert St Related District Number.
City. Iowa City Cauatylohnson
Photo 13. 52-03267-013 Utility Winder Stair, View Southeast 2019-01-23.
Tim Weitzel, Photographer.
JULY 1, 2014 V 1.0 IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM 34 OF 40
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mwe OUN ITMENT or aImm aunuss
IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM - CONTINUATION SHEET
STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE
IOWA SITE INVENTORY
600 East Locust Street I Des Molnes, IA 50319
(515)2814742 1 Fax:(515)282-0502
lawaculture.gov/history/preservation
Name of Property: Christian and Clara DostalHohenschuhHouse Site Number 52-03268
Address: 229 N Gilbert St Related Distrid Number.
Csy: Iowa ON Caumr. Johnson
Photo 14. 52-03267-014 Second Floor, Room in back wing, View Southwest
2019.02.23. Tim Weitzel, Photographer.
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10WASITE INVENTORY
600 East LocuslStreet I Des Molnes, IA 50319
(515) 281.9742 1 Far (515) 282-0502
lawaculturegov/history/preservation
IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM - CONTINUATION SHEET
NameofPmpeq: Christian and Clara DostalHohenschuhHouse SKeNumber.52-03268
Address: 229 N Gilbert St Related District Number. _
Cdy:Iowa aty County.)ohnson
Photo 15. 52-03267-015 Second Floor, view down hall, View East
2019-01-23. Tim Weitzel, Photographer.
JULY1,2014V1.0--,bvCANA 360F 40
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IOeMI)OWITIM OFCIILMULLMENRIi
IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM - CONTINUATION SHEET
STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE
IOWA SITE INVENTORY
600 East Locust Street I Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 281.8742 1 Fax (515) 282.0502
iowaculture.gov/history/ preservation
Name of Property: Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House Site Number52-03268
Address:229 N Gilbert St Related District Number.
Cdy:Iowa Gty Coumy.Johnson
Photo 16.52-03267-016 Second Floor, Northwest Room, View North 2019-01-23. Tim Weitzel, Photographer
JULY 1, 2014 V 1.0 IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM 37 OF 40
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IOWAS17E INVEIMI
600 East locust Street 1 Des Moines, U 50319
(515)281.8742 1 Fax(515)282.0502
iowaculture govPolstory/preservation
NameoJPropeq: Christian and Clara DostalHohenschuhHouse She Number 52-03268
Address: 229 N Gilbert St Related District Number.
city. Iowa City caumy.Johnson
Photo 17. 52-03267-017 Second Floor, Southwest Room, View East 2019-01-23. Tim Weitzel, Photographer
IULY 1, 2014 V 1.0 IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM 38 OF 4o
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ONRDEPIIRINI MOPOFCOLU ALARMS
IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM - CONTINUATION SHEET
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IOWA SITE INVENTORY
600 East locust Street I Des Moines, IA 50319
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lawaculture.gov/history/preservation
NameofProperty: Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House Site Number..52-03268
Address: 229 N Gilbert St Related District Number.
City: Iowa City County.Johnson
Photo 19. 52-03267-018 Second Floor, main stairs, View Northeast 2019-01-23. Tim Weitzel, Photographer
JULY 1, 2014 V 1.0 IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM 39 OF 40
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100 oEPna1MENT OF CUMMMMRS
IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM - CONTINUATION SHEET
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IOWA SITE INVENTORY
600 East Locust Street I Des Moines, N 50319
(515) 281.8742 1 Fax: (515) 282-0502
iowaalture.govthlstory/ preservatlon
NameofFropenY: Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House Site Number..52-03268
Address: 229 N Gilbert St Related District Number
Cdy:Iowa City county. Johnson
r�
--- (jyio liui)I it,, "ari
Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh Residence (52-03267), The Commercial Magazine, Vol. 1, No. 1, 1898.
JULY 1, 2014 V 1.0 IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM 40 OF 40
MINUTES PRELIMINARY
PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION
J U N E 6, 2019 — 7:00 PM — FORMAL MEETING
EMMA J. HARVAT HALL, CITY HALL
MEMBERS PRESENT: Larry Baker, Carolyn Dyer, Mike Hensch, Phoebe Martin, Max
Parsons, Mark Signs, Billie Townsend
MEMBERS ABSENT:
STAFF PRESENT: Sara Hektoen, Ray Heitner, Anne Russett
OTHERS PRESENT: Randy Miller, Kirsten Frey, Lloyd Baumgartner, Greg McDonald,
Sandy Steil, Keith Wiggan
RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL:
By a vote of 7-0 the Commission recommends approval of SUB19-06, an application submitted
by Claude and Adam Greiner, for a preliminary plat of Bluegrass Ridge Subdivision, a 7-lot,
13.76-acre residential subdivision located at south of American Legion Rd. and northwest of
Wapsi Ave SE. in unincorporated Johnson County, subject to approval of construction drawings
and legal papers by the City Engineer and City Attorney.
By a vote of 6-1 (Martin dissenting) the Commission recommends approval of
Hensch called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM.
PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA:
None.
CASE NO. SUB19-4:
Applicant: Paradigm Properties LLC
Location: Southwest corner of E. 1st Street and S. Gilbert Street
An application submitted by Paradigm Properties LLC for a Preliminary Plat for a resubdivision of
Lot 6 and Outlot H of Phase 2 and a part of Lots 1 and 2 of Block 3 of Cook, Sargent, and
Downey's Addition located at the southwest corner of E. 1 st Street and S. Gilbert Street.
Heitner began the staff report with an aerial map of the project site as well as a current zoning
map of the subject properties, noting the area in the northeast currently zoned as CI-1 is in the
process of being rezoned into Riverfront Crossings — South Gilbert District. Heitner noted this
Planning and Zoning Commission
June 6, 2019
Page 2 of 15
proposal is the third phase of The Crossings development, and the parcel is currently undergoing
rezoning to Riverfront Crossings — South Gilbert District. This subdivision will combine this newly
acquired lot with Lot 6 and Outlot H from Phase Two of the development and the properties to
the south and the west were rezoned to Riverfront Crossings — South Gilbert District in 2015 and
2016. Heitner noted there are some conditions on the rezoning that is in process right now as
stated by the Planning and Zoning Commission are:
1. Any new residential development in the subject area must satisfy the affordable housing
requirements set forth in section 14-2G-8 of the City Code.
2. The developer shall dedicate 40' of right-of-way along the west side of the S. Gilbert St.
frontage to the City.
Heitner stated the subject project is in the Riverfront Crossings — South Gilbert District and the
Comprehensive Plan states this area is to be used for higher density development, ideally
consisting of mixed -use buildings fronting along South Gilbert Street. He showed a view of the
preliminary plat to show it is one lot straddled by two outlots. Outlot A is part of the 40' right-of-
way dedication, Outlot B (termed as Outlot H in Phase Two) will contain a north/south alley to
provide access to the mixed use building on Lot 1. This subdivision is a continuation of efforts
from Phase 2 incorporating the lot at 221 East 1st Street, per the Downtown and Riverfront
Crossings Master Plan 8' wide sidewalks are required along the South Gilbert Street and East 1st
Street frontages. Parking along East 1st Street will not be allowed until more right-of-way is
acquired on the north side, it was noted on the preliminary plat the existing driveway off South
Gilbert Street will be closed off to traffic and will create a continuous block between East 1st and
East 2nd Streets. Heitner noted there is a neighborhood open space requirement which calls for
0.06 acres of open space or fees in lieu.
Staff recommends approval of SUB19-4, an application submitted by Paradigm Properties LLC
for a Preliminary Plat for a resubdivision of Lot 6 and Outlot H of Phase 2 and a part of Lots 1
and 2 of Block 3 of Cook, Sargent, and Downey's Addition located at the southwest corner of E.
1st Street and S. Gilbert Street.
Next steps: pending recommendation of approval of the preliminary plat from the Planning and
Zoning Commission, the City Council will consider approval of the preliminary and final plats.
Dedication of right-of-way off East 1st Street will be required at final platting. The mixed- use
building that will be located on Lot 1 will be subject to administrative Design and Site Plan
Reviews.
Dyer asked if the Commission is approving the preliminary plat how can Council approval the
final plat without the Commission seeing the final plat. Russett noted Council will not approve
the final plat until they receive a recommendation from Planning & Zoning of the preliminary plat
and will act on the preliminary plat and final plat together.
Hensch asked if staff anticipated any substantial changes from the preliminary plat to the final
plat. Russett confirmed they do not.
Hensch opened the public hearing.
Randy Miller (Paradigm Properties, LLC) came forward to answer questions.
Dyer asked if they are proposing to build a third apartment building and a commercial building on
Gilbert Street. Miller replied it would be a mixed -use, commercial and residential. Dyer noted
Planning and Zoning Commission
June 6, 2019
Page 3 of 15
from the diagram the Commission received there is no idea where the buildings will be located.
Miller said the buildings will be similar to what is constructed now at 1301 Gilbert Street, where
Pleasant Valley Nursery was. Dyer noted frustration to not see any images of buildings when
these applications come before the Commission. Miller noted they are just asking for the
rezoning/preliminary plat at this time and the building will be discussed at the design review per
Code. Dyer noted the Commission is the only representatives of the public that can look at a
building plan and should be awarded that opportunity.
Kirsten Frey (Attorney with Shuttleworth & Ingersoll) is speaking on behalf of Lloyd and Ruth
Baumgartner who own the property known as Aero Rental and her clients have been in business
more than 50 years in the Iowa City community helping the community members in this area
celebrate birthdays, weddings, graduations, home remodeling, etc. and have enjoyed the
opportunity to do so. They have recently begun to feel there business in not welcome in Iowa
City partially because of the rezoning of this area has made it clear the area will be redeveloped
as part of the Riverfront Crossings area and a business of their type is no longer envisioned as
part of that area. Frey noted her clients are not naive, they understand the community
development process, they understand the Comprehensive Plan process and what went in to all
the development of that process, however the development of the Comprehensive Plan does not
require businesses to move out immediately, it doesn't require them to stop doing their business
and in fact the Comprehensive Plan specifically indicates the City and developers should
implement tools and strategies to help existing businesses remain in the area until such time
they choose to leave, or if they choose to leave to help assist them to find new properties for
their businesses. Frey stated that has not been done in this situation. The City and the
developers who are helping the City implement their vision for the area hasn't assisted or
enabled her client to continue its businesses readily and the development in this area has
significantly damaged her client. As a result Frey is here on behalf of her clients to resist this
application at this time. They recognize in time the area will be developed in this manner but
they have significant concerns about the subdivision approval right this minute. It is important to
note looking at this subdivision plat East 1st Street is not a through street, East 1st Street
terminates 40 yards past the Gilbert Street right-of-way. It only goes in 120 feet. Beyond that is
property owned by the Baumgartner's. Frey notes this is important because Outlot B which is
referenced as the existing area where easements will go through and access will be achieved
cannot be accessed without crossing her client's property. Additionally, a lot of the development
that has occurred in this area has used an existing easement, sanitary sewer easement, the City
owns down by the creek. The difficulty for her client is that easement was given to the City for
the maintenance of their utilities, it was not to be used for redevelopment of the entire area. This
is significant because the easement requires the City to repair and fill in any trenches and fills as
soon as possible, it requires them to replace any disturbances they utilize as quickly as possible,
and allows her client to have the full use of his property limited only by the City's rights. The
difficulty with this is the easement area has been torn up since September of last year, there
have been open trenches in the area for over 10 months, there has been concrete on her client's
property that has been removed, there have been fences removed, the area has been
significantly disturbed for a significant length of time which has adversely impacted her client's
business and ability to do business on their property. All of this has been done with no
compensation provided to her client. Frey feels the Commission needs to be aware of this and if
this development intends to proceed some provisions need to be made or required that don't
entitle a developer to utilize her client's property for its benefit without compensation to her client.
Frey noted it is also significant for the Commission to understand her client's business does
involve equipment in the area and her client has significant safety concerns regarding the lack of
fencing and lack of concrete as they are driving semi -trucks and forklifts without fences or
Planning and Zoning Commission
June 6, 2019
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barriers in the area. Lastly Frey mentioned is her client's significant concern regarding the safety
intentions of this intensive of development without the municipal infrastructure in place to support
it. Clear back in 1998 the City issued a South Gilbert Street Commercial Corridor Traffic Safety
Study which indicated the South Gilbert Street area was a significant safety concern with respect
to traffic and was concerned about the number of accesses onto South Gilbert Street and the
density of the uses. Frey recognizes and acknowledges as part of the subdivision plan staff
indicates they will be closing on access point onto South Gilbert Street, but this will be a
significant dense property in an area that does not have the infrastructure to handle it at this
time. There is no on -street parking in the area, the City has indicated there will be no on -street
parking on East 1st Street, and that leads her client to believe parking will take place on his
property. This will happen because it is not clear to many that East 1 st Street ends 120 feet in,
but also because her client already deals with cars parking in the area from as far away as the
brewery. If significantly more apartments are added and more density before having the
adequate infrastructure to handle those parking needs, her client's business will continue to be
adversely affected. Frey noted her client understands the development in this area in this
manner is probably inevitable, he realizes it is going to happen, but it seems appropriate,
prudent, and required by the Comprehensive Plan, that it be done in a way that recognizes the
rights of existing business owners and features be put in place so that businesses that are a very
valuable and important part of this community are not driven out for the sake of some more
apartments.
Baker asked if these concerns were expressed to staff before. Frey noted that yes her clients
have participated in conversations about this area.
Hensch asked if the Baumgartner's have been in touch with City staff to address the issues
about the open trenches and broken concrete on the property. Frey stated they have and also
acknowledge this was a difficult winter that maybe made things go a little bit slower than they
otherwise might have. She stated her client commented that the City staff they have dealt with,
and the developer staff they have dealt with, have been pleasant people, they enjoy working with
them, they don't have any personal animosity or bias with any of the individuals, they just feel
like they are bearing the brunt and the negative impact.
Signs asked for clarification on the map where the easement area is located. Frey shared a map
of the area.
Lloyd Baumoartner (owner, property Aero Rental) is here with his wife Ruth and daughter Becky.
He noted they have a winter home in Arizona and by the time they got back to Iowa the notices
the City sent out were not seen in time to attend the last meeting regarding the rezoning. He
stated he is really concerned about the safety factor on Gilbert Street because in 1998 there was
a big study and it showed all the problems and noted all the accidents Baumgartner said they
were proactive and hired a contractor to cut the corner of his building off so people could see
around it. He stated they love the City and are proud to be part of the community.
Baker noted it is a lot of information to take in and asked Frey to submit a written version of the
concerns for the Commission to review. He noted he isn't comfortable voting on this issue
tonight. Baker also would like to know if these issues have been discussed with staff, what the
responses were.
Dyer asked who took the fence down. Frey said it was taken down for better access to the
easement area to do work in that area.
Planning and Zoning Commission
June 6, 2019
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Martin asked if staff has record of the communication they may have had with the
Baumgartner's. Russett said she has not had any discussions with Frey, assumes she spoke
with the Department of Public Works. Frey noted she was just retained by her clients yesterday
so she has not spoken to anyone in the City.
Miller responded to some of the statements, noting he felt blindsided, as they have been in
contact on a weekly basis, the fence they took down was actually put up by the City and while
they took it down temporarily they are ready to put it back up and repave everything. With the
high water the Public Works would not let them finish the project. That link is removing the pipes
for the new park and for the City part of the project, not his development. It is an easement and
that is what it is designed for. He added East 1 st Street will not go through Outlot B because it
would have to cross their property and they will not be doing that. Miller said they have been
working with staff on this project and is very surprised to hear the concern now.
Hensch asked if Miller has heard any of the complaints raised tonight before. Miller replied no,
any complaints they were ever made aware of they immediately rectified.
Dyer asked if they held a Good Neighbor Meeting. Miller said they did hold one on Phase 1 of
the project but not on this phase because there had been no prior objections.
Greg McDonald has the building on the corner of Kirkwood and Gilbert across from Aero Rental
and wanted to note the mention of parking is an issue for the area. He asks that they make sure
the parking is adequate for this development. He has 52 parking places in his parking lot, and he
has had people parking in his lot to walk down to Big Grove. He said to introduce that many
more apartments with no street parking anywhere in the area is a problem. He already has a
problem with other apartments in the area that charge so much per month for parking that the
students are just parking in his lot. He just wants to make sure discussion is had on adequate
parking. There is nowhere to park except on private property.
Miller noted that all the residents of the apartment buildings have parking in their buildings,
underground, and the lot where Alexander Lumber was had 70 spaces, when they finish with the
last phase there will still be 66 spaces. He also noted there is actually street parking on the east
side off Gilbert Street on 1 st and 2nd Streets. Miller notes he provides parking for his structures, if
there are complaints regarding parking at a certain business that should be addressed with that
business.
Hensch closed the public hearing.
Baker moved to recommend approval of SUB19-4, an application submitted by Paradigm
Properties LLC for a Preliminary Plat for a resubdivision of Lot 6 and Outlot H of Phase 2
and a part of Lots 1 and 2 of Block 3 of Cook, Sargent, and Downey's Addition located at
the southwest corner of E. 1st Street and S. Gilbert Street.
Signs seconded the motion.
Hensch asked if the parking proposed with this new development complies with the City Code.
Russett stated it will be required to comply before final site plan is approved. Russett is not sure
what the exact requirement is but since this area is in the southern part of Riverfront Crossings
the parking ratio is a bit higher than when it is closer to downtown and there are no opportunities
for reductions through payment of fees in lieu.
Planning and Zoning Commission
June 6, 2019
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Dyer stated the point about parking there now is well taken, that parking area any evening is full,
so visitors to these apartment buildings will not have space to park.
Martin acknowledged the parking issues was discussed at the rezoning application as well and
the comment about municipal infrastructure first is well received. She added there has been a lot
brought to the Commission's attention that gives her pause and not wanting to make a decision
tonight.
Signs agreed and noted he has been concerned about parking all throughout the phases of this
development. He is also very concerned about East 1st Street and the outlot and the funneling of
traffic will be problematic.
Baker agrees and wants to take some time to digest all the information received this evening.
Dyer noted she went to Red Ginger last weekend and there was no place to park in the Red
Ginger lot but Red Ginger was not full.
Townsend noted her concern was the access on and off Gilbert Street, it is a very busy street
and intersection at all times of the day.
Hektoen noted this application is at the platting stage, not the zoning stage, the Commission
does not have the authority to require things such as additional parking. However concerns
regarding circulation are within the realm of the Subdivision Code.
Hensch noted this is the third time the Commission has seen a development in this area, parking
is a concern but is being addressed by the Code, during a construction process everything is
messy, things are done yet so it may be cramped, but plans are in place to resolve most if not all
these issues. He added there are improvements planned for South Gilbert Street, although
unsure of when. He is sympathetic to the Baumgartner's and has been a customer many times,
it is tough when someone comes forward the day of a meeting and expects everything to stop.
Notices were sent, it's unfortunate they were out of state, but that is the process. What the
Commission is being asked tonight is to approve a map and Hensch feels it is straightforward.
The issues with parking or use of the area should be addressed with City Council.
Parsons agrees with Hensch, as long as the developer meets Code and required parking for his
development they cannot hold this project for parking concerns the developer cannot control.
Martin acknowledged their points but stated she cannot ignore the new information received this
evening. Yes it was received late in the process but it should be discussed and staff given a
chance to reply and help find resolutions.
Hensch noted the sense of the Commission is to deny this application and wondered what the
next step would be. Hektoen stated the applicant could still move forward with the application to
Council. Hensch feels that even with the new information received this evening, it does not
change the facts of the application and even if the applicant is willing to defer there is no new
information that will change the facts of the application.
Signs noted he has voted in favor of the past applications with his reservations regarding
parking, but his biggest issue with this application is the alley on Outlot B only having one exit.
That alley is drawing from potentially three or four buildings. Signs feels they have seen
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June 6, 2019
Page 7 of 15
drawings in the past that showed that north/south alley exiting out to the street, but since it won't
that is concerning to him. Having all those cars in this development using just one driveway will
not work.
Russett noted with the current plat approved for this area Outlot H (now being named Outlot B)
goes all the way up to the Baumgartner's property and dead ends there. The lack of connection
that is concerning has always been there.
Baker said he asked for more time and information because the information presented this
evening as an objection to the subdivision was a new perspective to him he has not able to be
fully absorbed factually. It quite possibility may not change his view on the application once
absorbed but feels there is a justification for taking the time to confront the issues raised this
evening by the objector.
Dyer also noted no Good Neighbor Meeting was held.
Hensch asked if Miller objected to a deferral. Miller noted he would not be happy, he would not
have bought the Grooming Den. Also Lot 1 is already approved so he can put up a building
there right now. This plat was just to better bring the whole area together and not leave the little
corner off by itself.
Baker moved to withdraw his motion.
Signs seconded the withdrawal.
Baker moved to defer this application to the June 20, 2019 meeting.
Signs seconded the motion.
Parsons doesn't feel the deferral is necessary and none of the facts of the application will change
in the two week period. Hensch agreed.
A vote was taken with four in favor (Baker, Signs, Martin, Dyer) and three dissenting
(Parsons, Hensch, Townsend) to defer this time until the June 20 meeting.
CASE NO. SUB19-6:
Applicant: Claude and Adam Greiner
Location: Johnson County, South of American Legion Road
An application submitted by Claude and Adam Greiner for a Preliminary Plat for Bluegrass Ridge
subdivision, a 13.76-acre, 7 lot residential subdivision with one outlot located in unincorporated
Johnson County south of American Legion Road and west of Wapsie Avenue SE.
Heitner began the staff report with an aerial view of the subject property and a view of the current
Johnson County Zoning, the subject property was recently rezoned to an R — Residential zoning
designation. The property is located in the Iowa City/Johnson County Fridge Area "B" which is
outside of the projected Iowa City growth area. The request is to subdivide the subject property
into seven lots for single-family development with one outlot for future development. The Fringe
Area Agreement does state a preference for agricultural uses in this area however in January
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June 6, 2019
Page 8 of 15
2019 City staff and City Council members met with Johnson County staff and Board of
Supervisors members to form a conflict resolution committee to review the rezoning of this
parcel. After additional consideration the committee decided to proceed with the rezoning to R-
Residential. The proposed subdivision splits the subject property into seven separate lots,
ranging in size between 1.15 and 1.46 acres. Three new streets will be built in the subdivision.
Two of these new streets will have direct access to American Legion Rd. SE. The third street,
Maddi Ln. SE., will stem off of Declan Dr., and provide access to four of the seven planned
single-family homes. Each street will be equipped with a hammer -head turnaround to
accommodate emergency vehicle access. All three new streets will be required to conform to the
City's rural design standards. With respect to water and sewer services all seven lots will use
the same well for water access and each individual lot will be required to have its own septic
system. These septic sewer systems will be required to conform to the Johnson County Board of
Health Rules and Regulations Governing On -Site Wastewater Treatment Systems.
Staff recommends approval of SUB19-06, an application submitted by Claude and Adam Greiner
for a Preliminary Plat for Bluegrass Ridge subdivision, a 13.76-acre, 7 lot residential subdivision
with one outlot located in unincorporated Johnson County south of American Legion Road and
west of Wapsie Avenue SE.
Next steps: pending approval of the preliminary plat for the Bluegrass Ridge subdivision by the
Planning and Zoning Commission, the application will be forwarded on to the City Council for
review. If the application is approved by City Council, it will be heard by the Johnson County
Board of Supervisors for final action in July. A decision on the preliminary plat from the Iowa City
Council must be made before the Johnson County Board of Supervisors can take final action on
the application.
Hensch stated this was the zoning application the Commission voted no on, however the vote of
no was because of the problems with the language in the Fringe Area Agreement, not with the
application.
Hensch opened the public hearing
Sandy Steil (MMS Consultants) noted there has been a change in this application and it has
been deferred for 30 days in Johnson County as they have to do stormwater calculations for
water quality and quantity. MMS engineers are working on that right now but will not be going
before the Johnson County Planning and Zoning on June 10 but rather on July 11.
Signs noted the cul-de-sac bulbs were actually in the neighboring property so assumes it is
owned by the same person. Steil confirmed Claude Greiner owns the property to the south and
most of the stormwater will go to the southern edge of the property as well.
Hensch asked if Outlot A would be a dry retention. Steil replied some water would go there but
not enough to make a wet pond.
Hensch closed the public hearing.
Parsons moved to recommend approval of SUB19-06, an application submitted by Claude
and Adam Greiner, for a preliminary plat of Bluegrass Ridge Subdivision, a 7-lot, 13.76-
acre residential subdivision located at south of American Legion Rd. and northwest of
Wapsi Ave SE. in unincorporated Johnson County, subject to approval of construction
drawings and legal papers by the City Engineer and City Attorney.
Baker seconded the motion.
Planning and Zoning Commission
June 6, 2019
Page 9 of 15
Parsons noted since the issues with the Fringe Area Agreement were resolved this should be
approved. Hensch agreed.
A vote was taken and the motion passed 7-0.
CASE NO. ZCA19-1:
Discussion of Amendments to Title 14, Zoning of the Iowa City Code related to the separation
distance requirement between fueling dispensing equipment and residential zones in the CN-1,
CH-1, CI-1, CC-2, CB-2, and CB-5 zones.
Heitner noted staff recently received a site plan concept for a complete renovation of the Kum &
Go gas station, located at 955 Mormon Trek Boulevard. He noted quick vehicle service stations,
as they termed in the Code, or gas stations require a special exception to operate in
neighborhood commercial (CN-1) zones and with that special exception comes a number of
criteria points that must be satisfied in order to be able to operate. One of the special exception
criteria points requires a 100 foot separate distance between fuel dispensing devices, or gas
pumps, and residential zone boundaries. Due to the size of the parcel at 955 Mormon Trek
Boulevard it is not possible to meet the current 100 foot separation distance required. Heitner
showed a view of the area and images from the neighboring properties. The property to the
south is about 95 feet to the public sidewalk from the station's canopy. The other image shows
the far western edge of the stations current parking lot and neighboring property to the west.
Heitner noted the current requirement gas pumps must be at least 10 feet from any street right-
of-way and at least 100 feet from any residential zone boundary except for CB-2 zones where the
requirement is 70 feet. Staff is proposing the same right-of-way requirement of 10 feet but a
reduction from 100 feet and 70 feet to 50 feet from any residential boundary in all applicable
zones.
Heitner noted Section 14-4B-4B-12J of the City Code has a provision that allows the Board of
Adjustment to modify or waive requirements that station sites must conform to the Central
Business Site Development Standards or Riverfront Crossings or East Side Mixed -Use Form -
Based Development Standards and staff is recommending that stays the same and the potential
to modify those requirements stay intact. Additionally Heitner wanted to clarify what they mean
by residential zones, they are RR-1, RS-5, RS-8, RS-12, RM-12, RM-20, RS-20, RM-44 and
PRM.
Heitner stated when staff began analyzing this issue they reviewed how other cities were
regulating this topic. Upon considerable research both in Iowa and nation-wide, and found
varying approaches. Certain cities don't codify this at all in their zoning code, certain cities
choose to let the fire code or gas/fuel codes handle safety separation distances. Heitner showed
a number of cities that do use the same type of distance metric Iowa City uses, the distance
between fuel pumps and residential zones, and it shows Iowa City on the higher end of
restrictions. The collective average shows most cities between the 20 foot and 50 foot range.
With regards to cities just in Iowa and a lot of cities in Iowa don't codify this issue in their zoning
codes, Dubuque, Cedar Falls and Waterloo do use the same method as Iowa City, all three are
considerably less than Iowa City's 100 foot requirement. Davenport has a fairly generous
requirement of 15 feet from pumps to side or rear lot lines, Marion is similar but does require a
landscape buffer, Ames does not use the method of pump distance but rather their station
canopy has to be 10 feet away from any right-of-way line, West Des Moines has a more
aggressive requirement of 50 feet, and Des Moines only state an open space requirement of
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June 6, 2019
Page 10 of 15
greater than 20% of the site (or 1000 square feet) has to remain as open space. In terms of
adherence to Iowa City's International Fire Code, Section 5704.2.11.2 of the 2018 International
Fire Code only requires a 10 foot separation from fuel dispensing equipment and residential
boundaries.
Heitner noted another analysis staff reviewed was what the existing conditions with gas stations
in the City and what might be considered nonconforming. He showed a slide of 20 gas stations
within the City and their respective distances from station canopy to the nearest residential zone
and also nearest residential structure. By and large most stations in Iowa City are well over the
current 100 foot separation distance requirement, there are three that encroach on the
requirement are older stations that predate the Code requirement.
The zones that allow quick vehicle service stations are CN-1, via special exception only, CH-1 is
a provisional use, and CI-1, CC-2, CB-2, CB-5. Heitner showed a map of potential areas where
quick vehicle service stations could be located either by special exception or by provisional use.
Staff's rationale for the text amendment is the current requirement places a strain on current gas
stations that might service denser areas of the city if located near a residential zone. Many cities
both nationally and in Iowa have a residential zone separation requirement of either equal to or
less than 50 feet, and this amendment would allow for consistency for separation requirements
across all zones.
Staff recommends that the Planning and Zoning Commission approve the following proposed
text amendment to 14-4B-4B-12C: Unenclosed canopies over gas pump islands must be set
back at least ten feet (10') from any street right of way. Fuel dispensing equipment must be set
back at least ten feet (10') from any street right of way, and at least fifty feet (50') from any
residential zone boundary.
Martin asked about other older stations and when the 100 feet requirement was added to the
Code. She feels the requirement was added for a reason, health related, safety related, there
must have been a reason as to why it was added. Heitner stated he researched the City
records and was not able to find where the requirement came from. He did note having some
sort of distance requirement in the zoning codes is an attempt to reduce negative impact on
areas adjacent to gas stations. That being said, the peer data showed 100 feet seemed to be
quite a bit higher than other areas.
Hektoen stated if they didn't know the rationale for the 100 feet than why treat different zones
differently. Her concern is it should be consistent throughout the City and one area should not
be given more distance than another. Without the legislative history on this item this was the
best method of mitigating allegations of the City being arbitrary and capricious, this is more
consistent.
Martin asked why then make it 100 feet for all areas. Hektoen said they could not find a rationale
to support that regulation. The Fire Code seemed to be the best source for determining the
reasoning.
Dyer asked if they approve this text amendment then can the Kum & Go on Mormon Trek
Boulevard go ahead and build a bigger canopy and be closer to the residences adjacent to
property. Russett said they will need a special exception to renovate their site and would have to
meet the 50 foot requirement staff is proposing and staff would likely recommend the Board of
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June 6, 2019
Page 11 of 15
Adjustment place a condition on the special exception that they could not increase the number of
fueling pumps than what is currently there.
Baker asked then if there is a remedy for this Kum & Go renovation other than a zoning code
change. Russett said there is not.
Dyer stated her concern is beyond this discussion in that particular gas station is at a lower
elevation than the properties next to it and the canopies on the newer Kum & Go's seem to be
higher than the existing ones and the light from the canopy will go right into the apartments in
those buildings next door. Hensch noted there are regulations regarding downcast lighting.
Russett confirmed the City does have lighting standards and in this area they could not spill over
into the residential areas. The Board of Adjustment through the special exception process would
also look at screening requirements and would be subject to the City's highest screening
standards.
Baker said if there is no remedy except changing the Code for this applicant, if this issue had not
arisen from this applicant had there been any other complaints or concerns about this regulation.
Russett stated they had not. Baker noted then from this one request came all this staff time, with
no clear rationale as to why the 100 feet regulation was in place versus something else. Hensch
stated the only definitive rationale is the 10 foot from the International Fire Code. Dyer noted that
virtually every other gas station in town is further than 100 feet from a residential area. Baker
agreed noting all new gas stations have come in and been developed using that regulation so
this is just a matter of this one particular station that wants to redevelop. Baker likes the 100 foot
rule, but would like to solve the problem for this one applicant as well and wishes there was
another solution than a Code amendment.
Townsend noted if they change the Code to 50 foot then any new development can use the 50
foot rule.
Russett clarified the distance separation requirement does not apply to zones that allow
residential uses but are not residential zones. So if it is a Riverfront Crossings Zone that allows
mixed -use the 100 foot separation distance does not apply, if it is next to a commercial zone that
allows residential uses the 100 foot separation distance does not apply, it specifically applies to
the distance between the pumping equipment and residential zones, not to the residential uses.
Hensch added it is to the residential boundary, not to the residential structures.
Signs asked if the Board of Adjustment could assist with this particular issue. Russett said the
applicant cannot go before the Board because they do not meet the current requirement of 100
foot separation. Hektoen stated what the Commission is being asked to amend tonight is the
special exception approval criteria, the current criteria states they must be 100 feet away, staff is
recommending that be amended so the special exception approval criteria be 50 feet. Russett
added some commercial zones allow gas stations as a provisional use which means an
administrative review and approval, other zones require a Board of Adjustment special
exception.
Hensch opened the public hearing.
Keith Wiggan (CDA, 3505 South East Crossroads Drive, Grimes Iowa) is joined by Brittney
Andreason and Scott McGee with Kum & Go to address the Commission regarding the Mormon
Trek Boulevard site specifically. They met with City staff and Kum & Go many month ago, this is
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June 6, 2019
Page 12 of 15
a site Kum & Go is very excited to have an opportunity to redevelop. This site has been in
operation for quite some time and this presents an opportunity to clean up the site and improve
access to the site and update the site to Kum & Go's current prototypes. It will be very similar to
the new building on Muscatine Avenue. With the Mormon Trek site they were originally hoping to
do more than three pump island and had some conversations with staff on limiting it to three
pump islands, the site itself is 158 feet wide so with the 100 foot minimum separation with
residential on two sides abutting the site is not possible. So they started the conversations on
how to make this site work for redevelopment. In regards to the canopy height and lighting, they
are looking at slightly different orientation and will plan the site accordingly to minimize or
eliminate those concerns, they will meet the lighting standards and Kum & Go's lighting fixtures
are all downcast lighting and would be limited at the property line. With regards to some of the
comparisons to other convenience stores in Iowa City it is hard to compare this site with others
because this site is less than one acre in size and typically they look at sites for development
closer to two acres so there is the opportunity for more separation.
Dyer asked how the orientation of the site would be different than it is now. Wiggan said it would
be with regards to access to Mormon Trek Boulevard, there are currently two access points, one
to the north and one to the south very close to the signal so they are working to get that southern
access further away from the signal. They would rotate the store 90 degrees so it faces north,
right now the canopy and the store run north/south, it would be rotated 90 degrees to run
east/west to give the ability to move the access point to the north a bit. The pumps would also
be on the north side of the store.
Parsons asked if there was any way to incorporate the access to Mormon Trek with the
intersection. Wiggan explained that is a different property so they could not do that.
Hensch closed the public hearing.
Parsons moved to recommend to approve the following proposed text amendment to 14-
413-413-12C: Unenclosed canopies over gas pump islands must be set back at least ten
feet (10') from any street right of way. Fuel dispensing equipment must be set back at
least ten feet (10') from any street right of way, and at least fifty feet (50') from any
residential zone boundary.
Townsend seconded the motion.
Hensch thanked staff for all the data as it is very helpful and to see the randomness of numbers
from other cities shows there was probably nothing concrete to base the 100 foot regulation on.
The only distance known for sure is the 10 foot requirement from the International Fire Code.
Looking at all the data the median, mode and mean all come up around 50 feet so that seems
rationale. It is just from the pumps to the boundary, not to structures and he sees no reason to
not support this amendment.
Parsons agrees.
Baker asked for clarification as the proposed language states "at least 50 feet" so the Board of
Adjustment can require more if they feel it is appropriate. Heitner said there might be a situation
where the distance is greater.
Planning and Zoning Commission
June 6, 2019
Page 13 of 15
Signs has no problem with this particular project, he is just confused because a few weeks ago
there was complaints about 300 feet from a gas station to residential in the Forest View
development. Hensch noted he was fine with the gas station in that development. He believes
the issues was with lighting and noise, not an issue with the pumps themselves or fire issues.
Dyer noted that is a problem everywhere. Parsons added in this case the noise and lights are
already there. Signs asked if there are zones where gas stations are allowed by right and what
are the requirements. Russett stated there are no zones where they are allowed by right.
Hektoen said they are either a provisional use to be reviewed for things like lighting and
screening, etc. by staff or go through the special exception process with the Board of
Adjustment.
Dyer noted a difference in this situation is the adjacent properties are low income and in Forest
View they were a higher income neighborhood.
A vote was taken and the motion passed 6-1 (Martin dissenting)
CONSIDERATION OF MEETING MINUTES: MAY 16, 2019
Parsons moved to approve the meeting minutes of May 16, 2019.
Signs seconded.
A vote was taken and the motion passed 7-0.
PLANNING AND ZONING INFORMATION
Martin stated it was brought to her attention the apartment building on 1s' Avenue and Hickory
Hill where the retaining wall fell down, and she was telling Martin about the HOAs and the legal
battle so Martin is curious because apparently part of the problem was the retaining wall was
done incorrectly during the construction of the building and was either not caught during the City
inspection or glossed over, so where is the City's liability? If the Commission recommends a
rezone for a building and the inspectors miss something and something that catastrophic
happens. Hektoen stated the City has no liability, the developers are required to hire their own
engineers and those engineers have to certify the plans was done according to best engineering
practices. The engineers carry malpractice insurance in case of catastrophes. The City does go
out and inspect various things but the City is not on the hook. Russett added the City does not
issue building permits for retaining walls nor do they inspect retaining walls.
Russett stated City Council did adopt the rezoning ordinance for the Forest View development
with the gas station portion of the project removed. Hensch asked why it was removed. Russett
said the concerns was impacts to climate change and traffic generated so removing that gas
station addressed both those concerns. They did add in some electrical car charging stations
and additional lighting in the area.
Signs asked what the Commission's role is at the preliminary plat phase. Hektoen said they are
making sure the plat is designed in accordance with the City's Subdivision Design Standards.
Street layout, utilities, etc.
Adioumment:
Parsons moved to adjourn.
Townsend seconded.
Planning and Zoning Commission
June 6, 2019
Page 14 of 15
A vote was taken and the motion passed 7-0.
PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION
ATTENDANCE RECORD
2018 - 2019
715
8116
916
9120
10/18
12/20
113
1117
(W.S.)
214
2121
317
3121
414
4118
5/16
6/6
BAKER, LARRY
X
X
X
X
O/E
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
O/E
X
DYER, CAROLYN
X
O
O/E
O
X
X
X
O/E
X
X
X
X
X
X
O/E
X
HENSCH, MIKE
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
O/E
X
X
X
X
MARTIN, PHOEBE
X
X
X
X
X
X
O/E
X
O/E
X
X
X
O/E
X
X
X
RO,AX
O/E
XXANSAM
X
XX
X
XXXXX
X
X
X
X
A
F
TOWNSEND, BILLIE
X
X
X
X
X
O/E
X
X
X
X
O/E
X
X
X
X
KEY:
X = Present
O = Absent
O/E = Absent/Excused
= Not a Member