HomeMy WebLinkAbout52-01053_18-20 S Clinton_CommercialBlgSite Inventory Form State Inventory No. 52-01053 New Supplemental
State Historical Society of Iowa Part of a district with known boundaries (enter inventory no.)
(December 1, 1999) Relationship: Contributing Noncontributing
Contributes to a potential district with yet unknown boundaries
National Register Status:(any that apply) Listed De-listed NHL DOE
9-Digit SHPO Review & Compliance Number
Non-Extant (enter year)
1. Name of Property
historic name Commercial Building
other names/site number
2. Location
street & number 18-20 S. Clinton Street
city or town Iowa City vicinity, county Johnson
Legal Description: (If Rural) Township Name Township No. Range No. Section Quarter of Quarter
(If Urban) Subdivision Original Town Block(s) 80 Lot(s) Part of Lot 5
3. State/Federal Agency Certification [Skip this Section]
4. National Park Service Certification [Skip this Section]
5. Classification
Category of Property (Check only one box) Number of Resources within Property
building(s) If Non-Eligible Property If Eligible Property, enter number of:
district Enter number of: Contributing Noncontributing
site
buildings 1
buildings
structure
sites
sites
object
structures
structures
objects
objects
Total 1
Total
Name of related project report or multiple property study (Enter “N/A” if the property is not part of a multiple property examination).
Title Historical Architectural Data Base Number
Iowa City Central Business District Study - 2017 UPDATE 52-127
6. Function or Use
Historic Functions (Enter categories from instructions) Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions)
02E COMMERCE/TRADE/specialty store 02E COMMERCE/TRADE/Specialty Store
01B DOMESTIC/multiple dwelling (upper floors)
7. Description
Architectural Classification (Enter categories from instructions) Materials (Enter categories from instructions)
05 LATE VICTORIAN foundation 04 STONE
walls 06 STUCCO
roof 17 OTHER
other Narrative Description ( SEE CONTINUATION SHEETS, WHICH MUST BE COMPLETED)
8. Statement of Significance
Applicable National Register Criteria (Mark “x” representing your opinion of eligibility after applying relevant National Register criteria)
Yes No More Research Recommended A Property is associated with significant events.
Yes No More Research Recommended B Property is associated with the lives of significant persons.
Yes No More Research Recommended C Property has distinctive architectural characteristics.
Yes No More Research Recommended D Property yields significant information in archaeology or history.
County Johnson Address 18-20 S. Clinton Street Site Number 52-01053
City Iowa City District Number
Criteria Considerations
A Owned by a religious institution or used E A reconstructed building, object, or structure.
for religious purposes. F A commemorative property.
B Removed from its original location. G Less than 50 years of age or achieved significance within the past
C A birthplace or grave. 50 years.
D A cemetery
Areas of Significance (Enter categories from instructions) Significant Dates
Construction date
05 COMMERCE 1874 check if circa or estimated date
Other dates
c.1944
Significant Person Architect/Builder
(Complete if National Register Criterion B is marked above) Architect
unknown Builder
unknown
Narrative Statement of Significance ( SEE CONTINUATION SHEETS, WHICH MUST BE COMPLETED)
9. Major Bibliographical References
Bibliography See continuation sheet for citations of the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form
10. Geographic Data
UTM References (OPTIONAL)
Zone Easting Northing Zone Easting Northing
1
2
3
4
See continuation sheet for additional UTM references or comments
11. Form Prepared By
name/title Alexa McDowell, Historian
organization AKAY Consulting date 1/2017
street & number 4252 Oakland Avenue telephone 515-491-5432
city or town Minneapolis state MN zip code 55407
ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION (Submit the following items with the completed form)
FOR ALL PROPERTIES
1. Map: showing the property’s location in a town/city or township.
2. Site plan: showing position of buildings and structures on the site in relation to public road(s).
3. Photographs: representative black and white photos. If the photos are taken as part of a survey for which the Society is to be
curator of the negatives or color slides, a photo/catalog sheet needs to be included with the negatives/slides and the following
needs to be provided below on this particular inventory site:
Roll/slide sheet # Frame/slot #
Date Taken
Roll/slide sheet #
Frame/slot #
Date Taken
Roll/slide sheet #
Frame/slot #
Date Taken
See continuation sheet or attached photo & slide catalog sheet for list of photo roll or slide entries.
Photos/illustrations without negatives are also in this site inventory file.
FOR CERTAIN KINDS OF PROPERTIES, INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING AS WELL
1. Farmstead & District: (List of structures and buildings, known or estimated year built, and contributing or non-contributing status)
2. Barn:
a. A sketch of the frame/truss configuration in the form of drawing a typical middle bent of the barn.
b. A photograph of the loft showing the frame configuration along one side.
c. A sketch floor plan of the interior space arrangements along with the barn’s exterior dimensions in feet.
State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) Use Only Below This Line
Concur 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:
Evaluated by (name/title): Date:
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-01053
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 1
Commercial Building Johnson
Name of Property County
18-20 S. Clinton Street Iowa City
Address City
7. Property Description
This resource is a 3-story, 2-bay commercial building that first appears on fire insurance maps in 1874. Judging
from its gable pitched roof and the simple stylistic details apparent in historic images (Image 03), that early
construction seems likely. Today the original façade is fully replaced by a ca.1944 alteration. Despite the
significant face-lift, the building form remains characterized by two storefronts with a central staircase separating
them and flanking firewalls marked at the roofline by parapets; a north-south ridgeline also dates to the ca.1874
construction.
As noted in 2001, “this mid-block commercial building contains two shop spaces on the lower level separated by
an entranceway and staircase leading to the upper floors. The upper levels originally had a combination of
apartments and business spaces. Sections of the current storefront were installed in 1950 and subsequently
modified by changing tenants with current finishes including corrugated metal, oversized signs, aluminum and
glass shop windows, and a fixed curved awning above the second floor entrance. The upper levels have been
modified (likely between 1944 and 1951) with the addition of asymmetrical groups of windows, the removal of
the cornice, and the cladding of the brick walls with stucco. Fenestration includes fixed sash if varying widths
filling the four openings. The building has a stone foundation with masonry walls clad in stucco. The front
measures 35-ft. with the front half 3-stories and the rear section composed of 2-story and 1-story additions.”
In 2017, the building appears to remain unaltered from the 2001 description. Significantly, the ground level still
contains two shop spaces with a centrally located staircase to the upper stories. The storefronts are currently
occupied by Short’s Burger and Shine (18) and Nail Studio (20). The second story is occupied by the Clinton St.
Social Club, with the third floor occupant unknown.
Image 01. View of the streetscape within which the building is located, looking NE across S. Clinton Street.
(Image by AKAY Consulting, August 2017)
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-01053
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 2
Commercial Building Johnson
Name of Property County
18-20 S. Clinton Street Iowa City
Address City
Image 02. View of the façade (west elevation), looking east across S. Clinton Street from the Pentacrest grounds.
(Image by AKAY Consulting, August 2017)
8. Statement of Significance
This two-bay commercial building is located directly opposite Old Capitol, a National Historic Landmark, and the
Pentacrest, a National Register historic district. As was determined in 2001, the resource is a poorly preserved
example of the commercial form built in ca.1874. Due to major façade modifications, the visual character
associated with its construction era has been lost. As a result of the alterations, the building is not eligible for
registration under Criterion C in association with architecture – either individually or as a contributing resource to
a potential historic district. However, because the building retains its ca.1874 scale, storefront subdivisions, and
roof form and because the current façade dates to more than 50-years of age, the building retains sufficient
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-01053
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 3
Commercial Building Johnson
Name of Property County
18-20 S. Clinton Street Iowa City
Address City
integrity to be considered a contributing resource to a potential historic district under Criterion A in association
with the history of commerce.
Beginning in the 1870s, the building’s storefronts have been occupied by retail enterprises representative of the
evolution of the city’s downtown commercial trends – a photographer, a grocer and an express office being
among the long list of businesses located in the building. With several of the business operators also inhabiting
the upper story apartments, the building also demonstrates the connection of commercial enterprises with
downtown residential living practices. Further, from ca.1925 through the 1950s, the north storefront (18) housed
Short and Sons, one of a handful of downtown businesses owned and operated by African-Americans. The
various businesses housed in the building over the 140+ years since it was constructed are an important part of the
historic record of commerce in Iowa City and as a result, the resource contributes to our understanding of that
history.
Historical Background
As originally laid out, Clinton Street provided a series of lots facing west onto “Capitol Square.” This commercial
building may date from sometime prior to 1874 when a building of similar dimensions is first depicted on a fire
insurance map. Property transfer records for this property are complex and difficult to trace. A portion of the
property appears to have been owned by John F. Brossart and his wife Ann prior to 1884 and transferred to D.F.
Rosencrantz in 1892. In 1925 the property was sold to H.D. Short, Lawrence Short and Kenneth Bell. Ten years
later, the three acquired the balance of the property on the north side from the Kostelecky heirs. Alice Kostelecky
had previously acquired this portion in 1908 following issuance of a Sheriff Deed indicating a tax sale of the
property. Descendents of the Short and Bell families continued to own the property in the 1980s (Svendsen,
2001).
Image 03. Historic Image: View looking north along S. Clinton Street – ca.1880
(Image courtesy of State Historical Society of Iowa, Iowa City.)
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-01053
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 4
Commercial Building Johnson
Name of Property County
18-20 S. Clinton Street Iowa City
Address City
Figure 01. Fire Insurance Map – 1874
(SOURCE: Sanborn Fire Insurance Company, 1874.)
By the time the city was surveyed for the 1874 fire insurance map, a three-story building with a footprint
in keeping with the current building was located on the site.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-01053
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 5
Commercial Building Johnson
Name of Property County
18-20 S. Clinton Street Iowa City
Address City
Figure 02. Fire Insurance Map – 1883
(SOURCE: Sanborn Fire Insurance Company, 1883.)
The 1883 reflects the same elements as noted on the earlier fire insurance map: three-story, two bay building with a central
staircase and one story sections on the rear of both bays.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-01053
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 6
Commercial Building Johnson
Name of Property County
18-20 S. Clinton Street Iowa City
Address City
Image 04. Historic Image: View looking north along S. Clinton Street – 1890s
(Image courtesy of State Historical Society of Iowa, Iowa City.)
Through the years, several building owners operated businesses from the shop space and resided in one of the
apartments above. Sanborn maps show the shop spaces changed frequently. The north shop space (#18) held a
photographer and grocery business (1874) with subsequent uses including the “99¢ Store” (1879), notions, an
express office and an insurance office (1883), bath and barber shop (1888, 1892, 1899, 1906), a florist (1912),
typewriters (1920), and an unidentified shop (1926, 1933). The south shop space (#20) held a millinery (1874)
with subsequent uses including furs and hats (1879, 1883), hats and caps (1888, 1892), and clothing store (1899,
1906, 1912, 1920), and an unidentified shop (1926, 1933). City directories show several of the buildings owners
operating businesses and/or living in one of the upper level apartments. Among the known businesses to occupy
the shop spaces were Whitaker & Co., barbers, in #18 in the 1890s; J.W. Watson, barber, in #18 in 1904; James T.
Aldous & Sons Florists in #18 from ca. 1910 through ca. 1918; Detlef F. Rosenkranz, furrier, in #20 from ca.
1892 through ca. 1925; and Short and Sons (Haywood and sons Lawrence & Kenneth) shoe repairers and shiners
in #18 from ca. 1925 through the 1950s. The Shorts were one of a handful of downtown businesses owned and
operated by African-Americans. Since the 1950s the shop spaces have housed a number of short-term retail
tenants including clothing stores, restaurants, bars, and offices (Svendsen, 2001).
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-01053
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 7
Commercial Building Johnson
Name of Property County
18-20 S. Clinton Street Iowa City
Address City
9. Major Bibliographic References (2001)
Iowa City city directories.
Property Transfer Records, Johnson County Auditor’s Office.
Tax Assessor’s Records, City of Iowa City Assessor.
Summary Sheets, 18 and 20 South Clinton, Urban Revitalization Act Study Area Survey, 1981.
Sanborn maps, 1874, 1879, 1888, 1892, 1899, 1906, 1912, 1920, 1926, 1933, and 1933 updated to 1970.
2017: References
Iowa City Public Library. Digital Photograph collection. http://history.icpl.org.
State Historical Society of Iowa. Iowa City. Photograph Collection.
Slonneger, Marybeth. Finials: A View of Downtown Iowa City. Iowa City: Hand Press, 2015.
Svendsen, Marlys A. “Survey and Evaluation of the Central Business District.” Prepared for the Iowa City
Historic Preservation Commission, 2001.
Svendsen, Marlys A. Iowa Site Form Nbr. 52-01051, 2001.
11. Additional Documentation
Full Legal Description: Iowa City Original Town S14.1’ of N 14.9’ Lot 5 Blk 80 and Iowa City Original Town
Com 14-3/4’ S of NW Cor Lot 5 Blk 80; S 18-1/4’; E 96’; N 17’; E 54’; W 150’ to Beg
Assessor: PIN 002+1010311017 and PIN 002+1010311018
Latitude/Longitude: 41.660639/-91.534465
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-01053
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 8
Commercial Building Johnson
Name of Property County
18-20 S. Clinton Street Iowa City
Address City
Parcel Map - 2017
28 120132121-12311711023
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9119
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11818-20
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128-130CLINTONDUBUQUEWASHINGTON
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