HomeMy WebLinkAbout52-02813_128-130 E Washington_ArcadeSite Inventory Form State Inventory No. 52-02813 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 Arcade Building
other names/site number Sawyer Block; Domby Boot Shop; Densmore Clothing
2. Location
street & number 128-130 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 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
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 02G COMMERCE/TRADE/restaurant
02G01 COMMERCE/TRADE/restaurant/cafe
7. Description
Architectural Classification (Enter categories from instructions) Materials (Enter categories from instructions)
09F Commercial foundation 04 STONE
walls 07 TERRA COTTA
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 128-130 E. Washington Street Site Number 52-02813
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
02 ARCHITECTURE 1874 check if circa or estimated date
Other dates
05 COMMERCE 1926
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
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 52-02813
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 1
Arcade Building Johnson
Name of Property County
128-130 E. Washington Street Iowa City
Address City
7. Property Description
The two-story Arcade Building pre-dates 1874 when the two halves of this building first appeared on the fire
insurance map. The present day appearance dates from a remodeling completed in 1926 (Svendsen, 2001).
This two-story, brick building is clad in terra cotta. The building occupies a mid-block position near the
intersection of E. Washington and S. Dubuque streets. The building’s original Late Victorian Italianate design
(Image 02) was updated and replaced in 1926, which remains today largely as constructed. The two commercial
bays of the storefront section have entrances opening onto a common 5-sided recessed forebay. An island display
case at the center front of the forebay contains a structural column and small display cases. The plate glass display
windows are set in the original metal frames above a foundation clad in glazed terra cotta with a rose colored
granite finish with decorative ventilation panels. The terra cotta on the balance of the building is white with fluted
tiles or molding sections outlining the signboard section, window groups, and cornice line. The upper level has
three pairs of narrow 1/1 double-hung sash above each bay. Fixed curved and angled awnings separate the shop
spaces from the building signboard. Access to the upper level is through a door located at the rear of the recessed
forebay. The building measures 40-ft. across the front, has a depth of 80-ft., and a flat composition roof
(Svendsen, 2001).
An early 1920s photo of the building pre-dating its façade remodeling appears in Ellis’ thesis on architecture in
Iowa City (Ellis, p. 146). The previous double-wide storefront had a massive bracketed cornice topped with a
decorative pediment and series of finials. A central group of four double-hung windows and flanking pairs of
similar sash were topped by segmental arches (Svendsen, 2001).
Image 01. Historic Image – 1925
(Source: State Historical Society of Iowa.)
This image documents the ca.1874 Sawyer Building (adjacent to the corner building and marked by an elaborate cornice)
prior to the 1926 renovation that accounts for its current appearance.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-02813
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 2
Arcade Building Johnson
Name of Property County
128-130 E. Washington Street Iowa City
Address City
In 2017 the building remains much as previously described except for the significant loss of the display windows;
the footprint of which is retained while the glass itself has been removed to allow the bed of the former display
areas to be used for outdoor seating. The loss of the windows is very unfortunate. However, the retention of the
footprint including some of the framing and what may be the historic floor tile may support a later return to the
historic appearance.
Image 02. View of the streetscape within which the building is located, looking east along E. Washington
(Source: Jessica Bristow, Historic Preservation Specialist, City of Iowa City)
Image 03. View of the altered storefront
(Source: Jessica Bristow, Historic Preservation Specialist, City of Iowa City)
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-02813
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 3
Arcade Building Johnson
Name of Property County
128-130 E. Washington Street Iowa City
Address City
Image 04. View of the altered storefront
(Source: Jessica Bristow, Historic Preservation Specialist, City of Iowa City)
Image 05. View of recessed entrances, retained
(Source: Jessica Bristow, Historic Preservation Specialist, City of Iowa City)
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-02813
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 4
Arcade Building Johnson
Name of Property County
128-130 E. Washington Street Iowa City
Address City
8. Statement of Significance
As noted by Svendsen in 2001, this mid-block commercial building is an example of a late 19th century
commercial block that was significantly altered in 1926. Because the façade alteration was undertaken more than
50 years ago it is considered part of the historic fabric and the building’s historic integrity is evaluated through
that lens. The building façade remained relatively unchanged from 1926 through 2001. More recently, most all of
the storefront glazing has been removed to create an outdoor seating area within the footprint of the former
display area. That alteration significantly impact the historic character, a loss that is partially mitigated by
retention of the outline of the historic footprint which would facilitate it reconstruction (Images 03-05). Further,
the retention of the character-defining terra cotta cladding, Classical Revival elements, and upper story
fenestration results in a good level of historic integrity despite the loss of storefront glazing a conversion to
seating.
Although the recent alterations prevent individual registration, the building is a contributing resource to a
potential historic district. The building is significant under Criterion A in association with the history of Iowa City
commerce and under Criterion C as an important example of 20th century commercial architecture.
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).
Whether or not this pair of double storefronts was originally built as a single building is difficult to confirm. Fire
insurance maps show a single stairs to the second floor in 1874 while property transfer records show the two
halves under separate ownership at one time. A photo from the 1920s depicting the building shows the date of
1891 in the name/date block (Ellis, p. 146) suggesting that a remodeling completed that year may have resulted in
a combined building face (Svendsen, 2001).
Fire insurance maps show this pair of storefronts with a variety of uses: 128 included a billiards hall or saloon
from 1874 to 1888. During this same period 130 was used as a tin shop and grocery store. No available city
directory can confirm the operators of these establishments. The 1890 city directory showed a short-lived
restaurant at 128 operated by I.L. Holmes. The following year, this space along with 130 were both occupied as a
clothing store run by D.F. Sawyer. Between 1892 and 1899 fire insurance maps show a clothing store in both
halves with iron posts separating the two halves this may have been as a result of remodeling or could be a
replacement building that appears in the photo referenced above. The Ellis photo shows the clothier as “Sawyers
Clothing House” (Svendsen, 2001).
Beginning with the 1906 fire insurance map the two building halves had separate users again. 128 was occupied
as a fruit store and by 1912 housed moving pictures with billiards in place by 1920. Joseph Rinella and his wife
Josephine Corso Rinella, both Sicilian immigrants, operated the fruit store from ca.1900 through ca.1910. The
Rinellas also operated a confectionery and fruit fending wagon around the corner on Dubuque Street from ca.1900
to 1918 when city ordinance forbade street vending operations. City directories for 1911 through 1913 list
Brown’s Nickeldom operated by Thomas Brown at this address. Movie admission was 5 cents hence the name.
By 1918 James Movrias (Mavrias) who had a billiards and shoe shining business occupied 128. 130 held a
restaurant in 1906 which was probably the Bon Ton Café operated by John Theobald, Jr. that appears in the 1911
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-02813
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 5
Arcade Building Johnson
Name of Property County
128-130 E. Washington Street Iowa City
Address City
city directory. The Bon Ton continued here into the 1920s as a round-the-clock operation, its motto in 1918 –
‘you get what you like, you like what you get” (Svendsen, 2001).
Ownership for the building through the years confirms that D.F. Sawyer sold the west half of the building to
Joseph and Harry Bremer in 1922 and the east half was acquired by the Bremers three years later from the Samuel
Pryce estate (Svendsen, 2001). Local news accounts document that the Bremer’s were responsible for renovating
the “old Sawyer Block… into a beautiful structure.” As noted in the Press-Citizen, “In the heart of the business
district, a rather shabby, old building has been displaced by a beautiful, modern structure.” In addition to
installing a new façade and storefronts, both floors of the interior were renovated with two shops on the first floor
and four suites of offices on the second floor (2017).
Once completed the west storeroom housed Domby Boot Shop with Earl Snyder, proprietor. The business took its
name from a Charles Dickens novel, Dombey and Son, the Dombey was an outstanding and wealthy London shoe
merchant. The east half contained the H.C. Moeller Co., a ladies read-to-wear operated by A.J. O’Dell. By 1934
130 housed Willard’s Apparel Shop, a ladies clothing store managed by Frank Selbach. Both businesses
continued here in the 1950s with the Domby shoe store run by by Snyder’s son-in-law Walter Hauer after 1966.
Dombys still occupied 128 in 2000. 130 has held a wide range of short-lived retail establishments in recent years
with a florist shop presently in place. The Arcade Building has remained in the Bremer family through 2001
(Svendsen, 2001). In 2017 the first floor is occupied by the fast food restaurant, Jimmy Johns.
Note: the origin of the building name “Arcade Building” is unknown.
Image 04. Historic Image – E. Washington Street looking northwest - 1963
(Source: State Historical Society of Iowa.)
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-02813
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 6
Arcade Building Johnson
Name of Property County
128-130 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, 128 & 130 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. 145-146.
Weber, Irving. “Business Community Stability: Three Generations in Business,” Iowa City Press-Citizeni, Iowa
City, Iowa, April 20, 1985.
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. “Arcade Building: 52-02813.” Iowa Site Form, 2001.
Newspapers
Iowa City Press-Citizen. “Bremers Convert Old Sawyer Block on Washington Street Into Beautiful Structure.”
September 27, 1926.
Iowa City Press-Citizen. “Domby Boot Shop to Open On Saturday.” October 07, 1926.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-02813
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 7
Arcade Building Johnson
Name of Property County
128-130 E. Washington Street Iowa City
Address City
11. Additional Documentation
Legal Description: Original Town, Blk 80, E 20’ of W 42’ and W 20’ of E 43’ of the S 80’ of L8.
Assessor: 128 002+1010311032
130 002+1010311033
Latitude/Longitude: 41.660534/-91.533429
Plat 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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