HomeMy WebLinkAbout52-04052_227 E Washington_StilwellBldgSite Inventory Form State Inventory No. 52-04052 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 Stilwell Building
other names/site number Bell Telephone Co.; Iowa Telephone Co.; Larew Plumbing
2. Location
street & number 227 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) 65 Lot(s) see full legal
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)
10E05 INDUSTRY/communication facility/telephone 02G COMMERCE/TRADE/restaurant
company facility 01B DOMESTIC/apartment building
02A COMMERCE/TRADE/business
7. Description
Architectural Classification (Enter categories from instructions) Materials (Enter categories from instructions)
08 MODERN MOVEMENT foundation
walls 03 BRICK
roof
other 10 CONCRETE 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 227 E. Washington Street Site Number 52-04052
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 1910 check if circa or estimated date
Other dates
05 COMMERCE 1949-50 (remodeling)
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 52-04052
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 1
Stilwell Building Johnson
Name of Property County
227 E. Washington Street Iowa City
Address City
7. Property Description
This 3-story brick building may have been built as early as ca. 1912 when Sanborn maps first depict a similarly
shaped building. Information provided in a 1967 appraisal indicates that a new front was installed in 1940 and
general remodeling was completed in 1948-50. These dates are confirmed by changes in ownership recorded in
property transfer records (Svendsen, 2001). Further research dates the building’s construction as 1910, with its
first occupation in 1911.
This mid-block commercial building is an example of a building built without reference to any specific style. It
was configured to fill a very narrow but deep parcel that had held a building housing a telephone exchange from
ca. 1912 through the 1920s. The current storefront has a recessed staircase entrance on the right side and a
similarly recessed shop entrance on the left. Both have metal and plate glass doors. A plate glass shop window is
in the center with window openings in the upper level centered above the display window. A stucco section
extends from above the shop window upward with a pair of windows on each level. Their configurations have
been modified to contain a combination of fixed and movable sash panels. Metalwork balconies with horizontal
piping for balustrades are connected to a fire escape ladder that extends to the rooftop (Svendsen, 2001).
In 2017 the building remains largely as described in 2001.
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 tall and narrow form of the Stilwell Building makes it easy to identify (second from the left).
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-04052
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 2
Stilwell Building Johnson
Name of Property County
227 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)
Despite the replacement of the upper story windows and ground floor doors, the building retains its mid-20th century modern
character, which is derived from the monochromatic palette (brick and cast stone), lack of applied ornament which
underscores the simple geometry of the form, and the centralized stack of rectilinear forms (storefront, paired windows, cast
stone panel, paired windows).
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-04052
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 3
Stilwell Building Johnson
Name of Property County
227 E. Washington Street Iowa City
Address City
8. Statement of Significance
The Stilwell Building is an example of an early 20th century building with a mid-20th century re-façade in a
modern character. Although the mid-century façade is part of the historic fabric and significant as a representative
of its era, subsequent alterations prevent it from being individually eligible for the National Register under
Criteria A or C. The building is, however, counted as a contributing building to a potential historic district with
significance under both criterion.
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 (Svendsen, 2001).
Byron Stillwell bought this narrow lot in 1904 and newspaper accounts in 1910 report the construction of the
Stilwell Building (ICPC. “Building Activity Continues.” 09/10/1910). In March of 1911, the Press-Citizen
reported Bell Telephone had arranged to lease all three floors of the Stilwell Building with a move soon to follow.
The first floor would house the company’s plan department and serve as headquarters for the linemen, with the
third floor used for the exchange room (ICPC. “Bell Telephone Get New Office.” 03/25/1911).
Image 03. Historic Image – ca.1915
(Source: State Historical Society of Iowa.)
This view looking east along Washington Avenue post-dates the 1913 construction of the Englert Theatre.
In this image we get a view of the original façade of the Stilwell Building; the building, two buildings to the east (left) of the
Englert, is identifiable by its tall and narrow form.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-04052
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 4
Stilwell Building Johnson
Name of Property County
227 E. Washington Street Iowa City
Address City
The telephone exchange and business office for Iowa Telephone Company are listed in the Stilwell Building the
following year and continue through the mid-1920s. This firm was actually a merger of the Iowa Telephone
Company and the Hawkeye Telephone Company that had taken place in 1910. After Northwestern Bell took over
Iowa Telephone Co. in ca. 1921 they continued here until ca.1930. During the 1930s the transfer company
operated by Louis Schump next door to the west used this space (Svendsen, 2001).
In 1939 Telford Larew acquired the property and located the Larew Company here. This firm used the first floor
for its plumbing contracting business and leased the upper levels. Soon after they acquired it the front was
replaced and it is likely that apartment were installed during the 1948-50 remodeling. It remained in the Larew
family until 1990 when Camay Enterprises Company Ltd. acquired it. In 2001, the building housed the India Café
restaurant on the first floor with apartments on the upper levels (Svendsen, 2001). The same remains the case in
2018.
Image 04. Historic Image – ca.1960
(Source: State Historical Society of Iowa.)
This view looking west along Washington Avenue documents the mid-20th century appearance of the Stilwell building.
The modern character is very apparent in this image – even the font of the business sign reflects the modern style.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-04052
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 5
Stilwell Building Johnson
Name of Property County
227 E. Washington Street Iowa City
Address City
Image 05. Historic Image – 1975
(Source: State Historical Society of Iowa.)
Although the target of this image appears to be illustrating dissatisfaction with the pace of the city’s urban renewal program,
it provides a view of the south side of E. Washington Street. In the photograph we see the modern character of the Stilwell
building remains unchanged through this time.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-04052
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 6
Stilwell Building Johnson
Name of Property County
227 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.
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. “52-04052.” Iowa Site Form, 2001.
Newspapers
Iowa City Press-Citizen. “Washington St. To Have Three New Buildings.” March 04, 1910.
Iowa City Press-Citizen. “Building Activity Continues.” September 10, 1910.
Iowa City Press-Citizen. “Bell Telephone Get New Office.” March 25, 1911.
Timeline
1906 Fire insurance map notes a vacant lot (shed at the rear).
1910 “Building Activity Continues.” ICPC, 09/10/1910: 01. “Byron Stilwell’s building in the same
block [as the Paul and Helen block] will be finished shortly as will the Schump building.”
1911 City directory (reverse) shows the Stilwell at 227 E. Washington St.
Business directory places Iowa Telephone Company at 210-1/2 E. Washington
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-04052
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 7
Stilwell Building Johnson
Name of Property County
227 E. Washington Street Iowa City
Address City
1912 Fire insurance map notes a 3-story, brick building with a 39-ft. frontage. The building was occupied by
the Bell Telephone Company with office on the 1st and 2nd floors and exchange on the 3rd floor. The rear
of the building has a vacant area noted as “area 1” with a 1-story, brick store room located adjacent to the
alley.
1915 Image post-dating 1913 construction of the Englert shows a 3-story, brick building on this site. The
building façade is classical in style, with a deep cornice, perhaps round windows at attic level, horizontal
stone or cast stone banding, and window arrangement varied by floor.
City directory (reverse): 227: Stilwell Building and Iowa Telephone Co.
1920 Fire insurance map depicts the building without changes from 1912 except the addition of a fire escape at
the rear of the main building into the vacant “area 1.” The building remains occupied by the Bell
Telephone Co.
1926 Fire insurance map notes change in footprint, with a 1-story, brick building occupying the rear section of
the site covering the land formerly occupied by “area 1” and the 1-story, brick storeroom. The note
regarding occupant simply states “telephone exchange 2d.”
1933 Fire insurance map notes a change in the rear, 1-story section of the building, then with an interior wall
with the alleyside section noted as an auto garage. No indication of building occupant is noted.
1948 rev. 1933 fire insurance map notes building occupant as “plum[bin]g”.
1960 Historic image documents mid-20th century façade with central orientation (retained today), single center
display window flanked by recessed entrances (generally intact today), cast stone upper story panel and
parapet cap (intact), paired window openings at 2nd and 3rd floor (intact with new windows). No fire
escape/balconies.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-04052
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 8
Stilwell Building Johnson
Name of Property County
227 E. Washington Street Iowa City
Address City
11. Additional Documentation
Full Legal Description: Original Town, Block 65, East half of West half of L Lot 1.
Assessor: 009+1010377002
Latitude/Longitude: 41.660021/-91.531998
Parcel Map - 2017
LINNCOLLEGE
Black-
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Park
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