HomeMy WebLinkAbout52-02811_124 E Washington_SecurityInsuranceBldgSite Inventory Form State Inventory No. 52-02811 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 Security Insurance Co. building
other names/site number Holman's Cafeteria; Capitol Cafe
2. Location
street & number 124 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)
02B04 COMMERCE/TRADE/insurance office 02E COMMERCE/TRADE/specialty store
02E COMMERCE/TRADE/specialty store
7. Description
Architectural Classification (Enter categories from instructions) Materials (Enter categories from instructions)
09F05 COMMERCIAL/Brickfront 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 124 E. Washington Street Site Number 52-02811
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
1869 check if circa or estimated date
Other dates
1950; post-2001
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 52-02811
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 1
Security Insurance Co. building Johnson
Name of Property County
124 E. Washington Street Iowa City
Address City
7. Property Description
The 2-story, brick Security Insurance Co. building dates to ca.1869 (2017). The building occupies a mid-block
position on the north side of E. Washington Street between S. Clinton and S. Dubuque streets. The building’s
original front is clearly depicted in a photograph from ca.1869 (Image 03), its occupant prominently advertised as
the Security Insurance Co. The building retained its 19th century façade through the 1940s (Image 04).
A fire damaged the building in 1950 and a new front façade was installed. The storefront has a recessed entrance
offset to the left slightly with a three sided display window between the shop entrance and the entrance to the
second floor stairs. A natural wood signboard fabricated of diagonal boards separates the levels. A group of five
narrow casement windows are centered in the upper level with projecting brick surrounding the horizontal
window opening and lining the parapet edge. The building has remained unchanged since prior to 1981. The
building measures 22’ across the front, has a depth of 100’, and a flat composition roof (Svendsen, 2001).
A significant renovation of the building façade was completed after the 2001 evaluation. Referencing the
building’s original appearance, red brick facing, an overhanging cornice with decorative brackets, arched headers
on the upper story windows, contrasting window moldings, and a storefront composed of a central recessed
entrance flanked by fully glazed display areas, transom area (closed), and a storefront bulkhead, were all used to
create a contemporized version of the historic storefront. A signboard for the current occupant, “flight”, is
mounted above the second floor windows.
Image 01. View of the streetscape within which the building is located
(Image by AKAY Consulting, April 2018)
View of the E. Washington streetscape, looking northwest. The resource is indicated.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-02811
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 2
Security Insurance Co. building Johnson
Name of Property County
124 E. Washington Street Iowa City
Address City
Image 02. View of the façade (north), looking north across E. Washington Street
(Image by AKAY Consulting, April 2018)
The property owner went to great lengths and (undoubtedly) considerable expense to create a
contemporized version of the historic façade.
8. Statement of Significance
Although of a high quality both materially and design-wise, the recent renovation of the building façade dates to
less than 50 years of age, meaning little if any of historic materials (either remnants of the ca.1869 façade or of
the 1950 renovation) are retained. As a result, the building is considered a non-contributing resource to a potential
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
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-02811
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 3
Security Insurance Co. building Johnson
Name of Property County
124 E. Washington Street Iowa City
Address City
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).
The Security Insurance Co. building is documented in an image dating to ca.1869 (Image 03) (2017). Fire
insurance maps show a building with the footprint of the current structure in place by 1874, when Joseph Bischoff
owned the property. Bischoff leased the building space to a range of short term tenants, including an express
office (1874-83), billiards hall (1888), and plumbing store (1892).
Image 03. Historic Image – ca. 1869
(Source: Marybeth Slonneger, Finials, 2015.)
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-02811
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 4
Security Insurance Co. building Johnson
Name of Property County
124 E. Washington Street Iowa City
Address City
Image 04. Historic Image – ca.1900
(Source: State Historical Society of Iowa, Iowa City.)
In this view of E. Washington Street looking east from S. Clinton Street, the Security Insurance Co. building is seen
(location noted) within the context of its early 20th century streetscape.
In 1900 Bischoff sold the property to Joseph Barrer who operated the Geneva Pool Hall from this location until
1911. The following year Thomas “Buster” Brown opened Brown’s American Theater in the building to show
moving pictures. This use was short-lived and by 1920 the building housed a stationery/book store run by
Mathiesen & Shuck. The University Club rented space on the upper level.
Image 05. Historic Image – 1926
(Source: State Historical Society of Iowa, Iowa City.)
In this 1926 image, the building occupant is documented as Holman’s Cafeteria.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-02811
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 5
Security Insurance Co. building Johnson
Name of Property County
124 E. Washington Street Iowa City
Address City
After construction of the Jefferson Hotel in 1913 at the southwest corner of Washington and Dubuque streets, a
growing number of small cafes and restaurants were established along Washington Street. Sometime during the
1920s Holman’s Cafeteria located here with John Glenn Holman as proprietor, his daughter Esther as cashier, and
son vernal as the salad chef. By 1934 the Capitol Café was located in the building, advertising its air-conditioned
space, selection of good steaks and “economy meals” (Image 06). By 1940 the Mad Hatter’s Tea Room run by
Caroline Marousek was housed above the Capitol Café. Both establishments were still here when the fire occurred
in 1950.
Image 06. Historic Image – 1940
(Source: State Historical Society of Iowa, Iowa City.)
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-02811
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 6
Security Insurance Co. building Johnson
Name of Property County
124 E. Washington Street Iowa City
Address City
Image 07. Historic Image – 1970s
(Source: Marybeth Slonneger, Finials, 2015.)
This image from the 1970s documents the mid-20th century façade renovation.
St. Clair-Johnson, Men’s Wear, occupied the building at that time.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-02811
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 7
Security Insurance Co. building Johnson
Name of Property County
124 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, 124 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.
Ellis, Edwin Charles, “Certain Stylistic Trends in Architecture in Iowa City,” MA Thesis, Depart of Art, State
University of Iowa, June 1947, pp. 148.
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. “52-02811.” Iowa Site Form, 2001.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-02811
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 8
Security Insurance Co. building Johnson
Name of Property County
124 E. Washington Street Iowa City
Address City
11. Additional Documentation
Full Legal Description: Original Town, Block 80, East 20’ of the South 140’ of Lot 7.
Assessor: 002+1010311030
Latitude/Longitude: 41.660671/-91.533622
Parcel Map:
WASHINGTON
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
128-130CLINTONDUBUQUEIOWA
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