HomeMy WebLinkAbout52-01559_23 S Dubuque_CommercialBldgSite Inventory Form State Inventory No. 52-01559 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 23 S. Dubuque 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 8
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 1 buildings
buildings
structure
sites
sites
object
structures
structures
objects
objects
1 Total
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 01B DOMESTIC/multiple dwelling
7. Description
Architectural Classification (Enter categories from instructions) Materials (Enter categories from instructions)
01 NO STYLE foundation
walls 03 BRICK
roof
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 23 S. Dubuque Street Site Number 52-01559
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
1879 check if circa or estimated date
Other dates
1951; c.1970
Significant Person Architect/Builder
(Complete if National Register Criterion B is marked above) Architect
Builder
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 09/2018
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 52-01559
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 1
Commercial Building Johnson
Name of Property County
23 S. Dubuque Street Iowa City
Address City
7. Property Description
As described in Svendsen’s 2001 evaluation, “this 2-story commercial building pre-dates 1879 when a building
first appeared on the fire insurance map for that year. Property transfer records show the lot changing hands in
1876 and it is likely that the building was constructed shortly before or after that date.” An 1893 historic image
documents its 19th century appearance (Image 02). An elaborate cornice, heavy upper story window hoods, and
the proportions of the storefront tie it to the late 1800s as surmised by Svendsen (2017).
The mid-block, commercial building has a façade dating from a ca.1970 renovation. The current storefront has
three recessed glazed entrance doors – two to the right, one of which leads to the second floor apartment and the
other to the first floor business. The third entrance appears to connect to the upper story of the adjacent building,
to which the building had an historic connection. The storefront display window is made of plate glass and is
framed in brick with glass wrapping around the recessed right side. The upper level consists of an oversized
mansard roof clad in synthetic shingles extending from just above the display window to the parapet. The roof
curves sharply to form an integrated storefront awning. A group of four, 1/1 double hung windows are located in
the center of the upper level. Small brick wall sections are to either side of the mansard front. The building has a
stone foundation with masonry walls constructed of red brick. The front measures 20’ and has a depth of 80’. The
building has a flat composition roof (Svendsen, 2001).
In 2017, this two-story building remains essentially unchanged from the previous description. The first story is
occupied by Which Wich and the second story is occupied by housing.
Image 01. View of the façade (east elevation), looking west across S. Dubuque Street.
(Image by AKAY Consulting, August 2017)
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-01559
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 2
Commercial Building Johnson
Name of Property County
23 S. Dubuque Street Iowa City
Address City
8. Statement of Significance
This building bears no resemblance to the original late 19th century commercial building that occupied this space
prior to 1951 or to the simplified façade documented in a 1960s image (Image 04). In ca.1970, the façade was
drastically altered to the form retained today. As a result of severe alterations the building, it is not individually
eligible for the National Register under Criterion C nor is it considered a contributing structure to a potential
downtown historic district. As noted by Svendsen in 2001, “it is very likely that the passing of time will not
redeem the design employed in its 20th century remodeling.”
Historical Background
As originally laid out, Dubuque Street was a major north-south street entering the central business district from
the north. However, this fact was in conflict with the configuration of lots in the east half of Block 80, which were
oriented towards Washington Street and Iowa Avenue. The strong pull of the Dubuque Street corridor won out
with buildings erected on lots reconfigured for east-west orientations (Svendsen, 2001).
This property was transferred from John R. VanFleet to William Schell in 1876. By 1879 the property had been
sold to Sam Pryce and the fire insurance map for that year showed a building in place and occupied with “heavy
hardware.” William Schell and Sam Pryce operated a hardware store at the northwest corner of Dubuque and
Washington streets by 1879 which included a separate storefront entrance section for this portion of the building.
Hardware businesses continue to appear on fire insurance maps through 1883. Between 1888 and 1920 fire
insurance maps show the space holding “stoves and tinware” with a tin shop on the upper level. Pryce and Schell
remained the building’s owners, but city directories from 1890 through 1902 show Matthew Cochrane, a stove
and tinware dealer, at this address. Cochrane was followed by a firm that operated a similar business at this
location until ca. 1920 – “Miller and Miller” was run by Charles and Edward Miller (Svendsen, 2001).
Beginning in 1924 the retail space held a barbershop with a succession of different barbers located there. In 1951
the rear portion of the building housed a dining room for Reich’s restaurant, which was located immediately to the
north. When a fire occurred in that that year in the restaurant it spread to a portion of this building (Svendsen,
2001).
By the 1960s the barbershop space also included a beauty shop (Svendsen, 2001). Images document the
appearance of the building’s façade during this period (Image 04). As suggested by Svendsen, it appears the
façade was renovated after the fire of 1951. The image certainly documents the removal of all elements dating the
building to its 1880s construction date; all elaborate details were gone by this time, leaving a spare and simplified
façade. Such alterations were common during the mid-20th century as a mean of modernizing an old building
(2017).
By the 1970s, the building façade had again been renovated, this time creating the character retained today (Image
5). A barbershop continued in the space into the 1980s with three apartments on the upper level (Svendsen, 2001).
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-01559
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 3
Commercial Building Johnson
Name of Property County
23 S. Dubuque Street Iowa City
Address City
Image 02. Historic Image – 1893
(Source: State Historical Society of Iowa, Iowa City.)
The late 19th century character of the building is documented in this view of the westside of S. Dubuque St. looking
northwest from E. Washington St.
Image 03. Historic Image – 1925
(Source: State Historical Society of Iowa, Iowa City.)
In this view looking northwest across the intersection of S. Dubuque and E. Washington streets, the building’s historic
relationship to the Dubuque and Washington streetscapes is apparent.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-01559
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 4
Commercial Building Johnson
Name of Property County
23 S. Dubuque Street Iowa City
Address City
Image 04. Historic Image – 1960s
(Source: State Historical Society of Iowa, Iowa City.)
By the 1960s, the building’s 19th century character had been replaced by one far more simple and spare.
Image 05. Historic Image – c.1970
(Source: Iowa City Public Library, Urban Renewal Collection.)
This image of house moving during the era of urban renewal catches a view of the curved awning on the building at 23 S.
Dubuque Street.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-01559
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 5
Commercial Building Johnson
Name of Property County
23 S. Dubuque 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, 23 South Dubuque, 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.
Iowa City Then & Now. Publisher unknown.
Mansheim, Gerald. Iowa City: an illustrated history. Norfolk, VA: The Donning Company, 1989.
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. “52-01559.” Iowa Site Form, 2001.
Timeline
1893 Historic image of west side S. Dubuque, looking north with Italianate façade intact.
1925 Historic image of west side S. Dubuqe, looking north across intersection with Washington St.
1929 Historic image shows 1880s façade (in 1929 occupied by Reich’s)
1960s Image showing post-1951 façade, but not yet with the contemporary façade.
c.1970 ICPL (Urban Renewal Collection). House moving on S. Dubuque St. – shows curved awning of
contemporary storefront.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-01559
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 6
Commercial Building Johnson
Name of Property County
23 S. Dubuque Street Iowa City
Address City
11. Additional Documentation
Full Legal Description: Original Town, Block 80, South 20’ of North 80’ of Lot 8
Assessor: 009+1010311035
Latitude/Longitude: 41.660748, -91.533429
Parcel Map – 2017
28 120132121-12311711023
1121
12410-12-14
32
19-21
24-26
9119
17
13-15
114-11612611115
16 1138
30
5
11818-20
22
7
128-130CLINTONDUBUQUEWASHINGTON
IOWA
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