HomeMy WebLinkAbout52-02808_118 E Washington_FreemanBldgSite Inventory Form State Inventory No. 52-02808 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 Freeman Building
other names/site number Bo.James Food & Drink,
2. Location
street & number 118 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 7
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 02G COMMERCE/TRADE/restaurant
02G02 COMMERCE/TRADE/bar
7. Description
Architectural Classification (Enter categories from instructions) Materials (Enter categories from instructions)
09F05 Commercial/brick front 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 118 E. Washington Street Site Number 52-02808
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
1874 check if circa or estimated date
Other dates
ca.1963/c.2002
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/Architectural 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 52-02808
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 1
Freeman Building Johnson
Name of Property County
118 E. Washington Street Iowa City
Address City
7. Property Description
This 3-story, brick commercial building occupies a mid-block position along the north side of E. Washington
Street between S. Clinton and S. Dubuque streets. The building was constructed in 1876 according to assessor
records, but a building with a similar configuration was already in place in 1874 on the fire insurance map for that
year. Property transfer records and city directory listings suggest that it was already in place in 1868. The building
saw a new façade in 1939 and was damaged by a fire on November 17, 1941 (Svendsen, 2001). The façade saw
another major renovation after the 1963 fire at Bremers clothing store (its neighbor to the east; its appearance after
that renovation being starkly modern in character. The ca.1963 façade was replaced after the 2001 survey and
evaluation (2017).
The following description is retained from the 2001 site form, at which time Svendsen notes, the building’s
“modern storefront has its entrance recessed and offset on the left side with a small display window on the right.
A fixed curved awning covers the former signboard area separating the lower first and second floors. The upper
level is covered in a geometric pattern of metal cladding and windows. It is not likely that any portion of the
original front façade survives. The building has no cornice and has remained unchanged since prior to 1981. The
3-story portion of the building measures 22.5’ across the front with a depth of 50’ with separate 1-story sections
to the rear of brick and concrete block. The combined depth of the building is approximately 140’ (Image 05).
In 2017 the building façade represents a post-2001 reconstruction, which features brick facing in a terra cotta
tone; two sets of paired, 1/1 double-hung windows on each of the 2nd and 3rd floors; soldier brick window headers
and concrete sills; a simplified bracketed cornice; basketweave brickwork associated with the cornice and located
between the 2nd and 3rd floors, aligned with the windows; a storefront with brick framing and tinted storefront
glazing; and a curved, fixed awning stretching the width of the storefront. A large, neon sign “Bo.James” is
mounted on the wall plane; it extends from mid-2nd floor to the cornice. A fire escape is mounted to the east side
of the façade, with the associated balconies stretching across the east half of the east windows at both 2nd and 3rd
floors.
Image 01. View of the streetscape within which the building is located, looking SW along E. Washington St.
(Image by AKAY Consulting, April 2018)
The location of the resource is indicated.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-02808
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 2
Freeman Building Johnson
Name of Property County
118 E. Washington Street Iowa City
Address City
Image 02. View of the façade (north), looking south across E. Washington Street
(Image by AKAY Consulting, April 2018)
The current façade was constructed after the 2001 survey and evaluation. As a result, it is not considered part of the
downtown historic fabric and must be counted as a non-contributing resource to a potential historic district. Despite that, the
façade design is sympathetic to an early 20th century commercial character and so, as an isolated reconstruction, minimizes
the adverse impact to the historic character of the streetscape.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-02808
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 3
Freeman Building Johnson
Name of Property County
118 E. Washington Street Iowa City
Address City
8. Statement of Significance
Although thoughtfully designed and executed to be sympathetic in scale and character to the historic downtown,
this building has experienced substantial modification of its front façade and, as a result, is not considered
individually eligible for the National Register under Criterion C. Further, the substantial and recent nature of the
changes precludes it from being considered a contributing structure in a potential downtown historic district.
Historical Background
As originally laid out Washington Street was an important commercial street with an extra wide width (100’
rather than 80’) 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 (2001).
Fire insurance maps show this building in place by 1874 with a grocery store occupying the first floor through the
mid-1880s. Property transfer records show P.P. Freeman owning this parcel prior to 1866 and city directory
listings from 1868, 1875-76 and 1878-79 show Freeman’s grocery store at this location. The property was
transferred to one of Freeman’s heirs, Anna Freeman in 1886. The fire insurance map published two years later
shows the building’s first floor vacant.
By 1902 the building housed a saloon on the first floor with a tailor shop and offices above. In 1899 a novelty
store run by Etta Wallick was located here with offices above. By 1902 ownership in the building had been
consolidated in Kate Freeman (Svendsen, 2001).
Image 03. Historic Image – ca.1900
(Source: State Historical Society of Iowa, Iowa City.)
This early image documents the character of the 19th century-early 20th century E. Washington streetscape.
The building at 118 is indicated.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-02808
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 4
Freeman Building Johnson
Name of Property County
118 E. Washington Street Iowa City
Address City
Fire insurance maps and city directories show the building alternately housed a barbershop run by John Thomas in
1912, a barbershop and billiards hall operated by John Monahan in 1918, a barbershop operated by Henry Peters
during the early 1930s, and the Princess Restaurant from ca.1935 through ca.1951 (Image 04). During the 1930s,
the Princess Café offered up breakfast for 25¢, lunch for 35¢, and dinner for 50¢ and up (Myers, p. 3). It was one
of several downtown buildings housing restaurants that suffered a fire. Jack and Celia Lubin acquired the property
from descendents of the Freeman family in 1950 and opened a drug store here (Svendsen, 2001).
Image 04. Historic Image – 1940
(Source: State Historical Society of Iowa, Iowa City.)
As this image documents, the Princess Café was located in the building (at left) in 1940.
A fire at Bremers clothing store (120 E. Washington St.) on March 22, 1963 caused an estimated $500,000
damage to the Bremer’s building, with fire, smoke and water damage extended to adjacent buildings (Image 05).
The fire was one of a long string of fires in 1962 and 1963 that were either determined to be arson or of a
suspicious origin. In the case of the fire at the Bremers, fire marshalls determined the cause to be electrical in
origin, though many remained convinced it was another case of arson.
The major façade renovation of 118 E. Washington St. occurred after the fire (Image 06). Though not documented
as such, the renovation is likely tied to damage wrought by the fire or, perhaps, to the modernization of adjacent
building facades, inspiring a similar update (2017).
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-02808
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 5
Freeman Building Johnson
Name of Property County
118 E. Washington Street Iowa City
Address City
Image 05. Historic Image – 1963
(Source: Iowa City Public Library, Digital Collection.)
This image documents the late stages of the Bremers fire in March, 1963. Located immediately to the west (left) of the
Bremers clothing store building, 118 suffered damage from the fire.
By the late 1970s, a men’s clothing store was located here with a dance studio in the rear. A photographic
documentation project of the streetscape in the 1970s records the mid-century façade (Image 06). Bo.James
Restaurant is located here in 2000 and remains the occupant in 2018 (2017).
Image 06. Historic Image – 1970s
(Source: Marybeth Slonneger, Finials, 2015.)
The mid-20th century façade was a gridded curtain wall with irregular panes and varied color.
Note that the much altered, Bremers building is just in view at right; its façade was likewise highly modern.
In contrast to the façade at 118, the modern Bremers façade is retained today.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-02808
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 6
Freeman Building Johnson
Name of Property County
118 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, 118 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.
Myers, William E. “Restaurants and Cafes,” (July 6, 1936), Federal Writers Project Collection, Box 42, Special
Collections Department, University of Iowa Libraries, Iowa City, Iowa.
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. “52-02808.” Iowa Site Form, 2001.
Newspapers
Iowa City Press-Citizen. “Firemen Battle Blaze.” March 22, 1963.
Iowa City Press-Citizen. “Long Probe Expected on Cause of Blaze.” March 23, 1963.
Iowa City Press-Citizen. “Arson—A Story With Many Chapters.” May 09, 1963.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-02808
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 7
Freeman Building Johnson
Name of Property County
118 E. Washington Street Iowa City
Address City
11. Additional Documentation
Full Legal Description: Original Town, W 22-1/2’ Lot 7 Blk 80 Ex W 6” of S 144’
Assessor: 009+1010311028
Latitude/Longitude: 41.660640/-91.533819
Parcel 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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