HomeMy WebLinkAbout52-02804_110 E Washington_WesternUnionSite Inventory Form State Inventory No. 52-02804 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 Western Union Building
other names/site number M.C. Ginsberg Jewelers
2. Location
street & number 110 E. Washington 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 6
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)
10E01 INDUSTRY/PROCESSING/EXTRACTION/ 02E06 COMMERCE/TRADE/specialty store/jewelry
communication facility/telegraph cable station
7. Description
Architectural Classification (Enter categories from instructions) Materials (Enter categories from instructions)
06C LATE 19th & Early 20th CENTURY AMERICAN foundation 04 STONE
REVIVALS/Classical Revival 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 110 E. Washington Street Site Number 52-02804
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 1930 check if circa or estimated date
Other dates
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 10/2017
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 52-02804
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 1
Western Union Building Johnson
Name of Property County
110 E. Washington Street Iowa City
Address City
7. Property Description
This two-story brick commercial building was constructed in 1930 according to local news accounts; fire
insurance maps confirm the replacement of a 3-story building previously on the site.
The Western Union building occupies a mid-block position along the north side of E. Washington Street between
S. Clinton and S. Dubuque streets. It is an example of a simplified Classical Revival style design that is found in a
handful of downtown buildings constructed just before and shortly after World War I. In 1991 the façade was
modified to create a two-story commercial space for the jewelry store occupying the space. The metal cornice was
retained along with the pressed brick walls and geometric designs of brick and stone displayed on the building
front. The balance of the front was substantially modified with addition of a recessed 2-story window extending
from the entrance way to the top of the flat brick arch of the original upper level window group. The glassed
opening was divided into a grid of square lights. The balance of the first floor was faced in dark green marble
surrounding the entrance and delineating with small jewelry store display windows. Marble bands served as
mullions and as a backdrop for the store’s name block. The geometric design of the building front is completed by
the stepped edge of the ceiling that appears behind the two-story window opening. The building has a stone and
concrete foundation with pressed brick walls and a flat composition roof.
In 2017 the Western Union building stands largely unchanged from the previous description. One notable change
is the addition of a roof top patio, marked on the façade by a stainless steel fence. The building remains occupied
by M.S. Ginsberg Jewelers.
Image 01. View of the streetscape within which the building is located, looking north across E. Washington
(Image by AKAY Consulting, August 2017)
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-02804
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 2
Western Union Building Johnson
Name of Property County
110 E. Washington Street Iowa City
Address City
Image 02. View of the façade (north), looking north across E. Washington Street
(Image by AKAY Consulting, August 2017)
8. Statement of Significance
This building is a substantially modified example of a Classical Revival commercial building built during an era
of substantial growth in the central business district after World War I. Though attractive, the changes diminish
the integrity of the building so that it is not considered individually eligible for the National Register. However,
because the renovation retained the historic form, character-defining details in the upper wall plan, and used the
central decorative feature to frame its new recessed storefront, the building retains sufficient historic integrity to
be considered a contributing resource to a potential historic district. As a longstanding commercial building
associated with a longtime local business, the Western Union Building is significant under Criterion A association
with the history of Iowa City commerce.
Historical Background
As originally laid out Washington Street was an important commercial street with an extra wide width (100-ft.
rather than 80-ft.) that extended along the south edge of Capitol Square on the west through the central business
district and then past College Green Park to the east before connecting to Governors Square, the planned location
for the governor’s residence. Within a few decades Washington Street housed the city’s most important banks,
hotels, and public buildings as well as a frequently changing collection of retail establishments (Svendsen, 2001).
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-02804
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 3
Western Union Building Johnson
Name of Property County
110 E. Washington Street Iowa City
Address City
Fire insurance maps show a three-story building in place at this location by 1874. Historic images indicate the
brick building was of typical character for that era with a symmetrically arranged upper story, tall and narrow
windows with modest window hoods, and a brick corbel cornice (Image 03). The location served as headquarters
for the Western Union Telegraph Company in both the older building and the 20th century building that replaced
it.
News accounts report that construction of the new Western Union building was underway in April of 1930 and
completed by late July of that same year. The new building was a completely new construction; the former
building was razed to accommodate it. The two-story building was erected at a cost of $15,000 and housed the
“latest types of equipment and facililties…. so that the telegraph company is prepared to render as efficient and
prompt service as is possible.” Western Union occupied both floors of the new building with a large press room
on the second floor “for the convenience of newspaper men.” An employee room, restrooms, and a supply room
were also on the second floor. The first floor featured a marble counter with the lobby area (2017).
The property was owned by Morgan Reno from before the Civil War and by his descendents until 1977 when
Reno Hohlman sold the property to John, Will and Peter Hayek, local attorneys and prominent downtown
property owners. In the early 1970s they vacated the property and after the Hayeks acquired the building they
located their law firm here. In 1991 it was sold and converted into a jewelry store operated by M.C. Ginsberg
Jewelers, Inc., which undertook the renovation we see today (Svendsen, 2001).
Image 03. Historic Image – E. Washington Street looking northeast – ca.1907
(Source: State Historical Society of Iowa.)
This view looking east along Washington Avenue pre-dates the Western Union Building – its site is indicated.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-02804
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 4
Western Union Building Johnson
Name of Property County
110 E. Washington Street Iowa City
Address City
Image 04. Historic Image – E. Washington Street looking west – ca.1940
(Source: State Historical Society of Iowa.)
This image post-dates the 1930 construction of the new Western Union Building (indicated).
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-02804
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 5
Western Union Building Johnson
Name of Property County
110 E. Washington 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, 110 East Washington Street, 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.
Sanborn Company Fire Insurance Map, 1933 rev.1948
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. “Western Union Building: 52-02804.” Iowa Site Form, 2001.
Newspapers
Iowa City Press-Citizen. “Western Union in Temporary Quarters.” April 10, 1930.
Iowa City Press-Citizen. “Western Union in New Home.” July 28, 1930.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-02804
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 6
Western Union Building Johnson
Name of Property County
110 E. Washington Street Iowa City
Address City
11. Additional Documentation
Legal Description: Original Town, Block 80, West 19’ of East 73.5’ of South 60’ of Lot 6.
Assessor: 002+1010311025
Latitude/Longitude: 41.660597/-91.534068
Plat Map:
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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