HomeMy WebLinkAbout52-04087_118 E College_CommercialBlgSite Inventory Form State Inventory No. 52-04087 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 Commercial Building
other names/site number
2. Location
street & number 118-120 E. College 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) 81 Lot(s) W. half 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
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 02E COMMERCE/TRADE/specialty store
01B DOMESTIC/multiple dwelling
08A02 RECREATION & CULTURE/movie theater
7. Description
Architectural Classification (Enter categories from instructions) Materials (Enter categories from instructions)
05G LATE VICTORIAN foundation 04 STONE
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 118-120 E. College Street Site Number 52-04087
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
01 ARCHITECTURE 1874 check if circa or estimated date
Other dates
05 COMMERCE
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 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 52-04087
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 1
Commercial Building Johnson
Name of Property County
118-120 E. College Street Iowa City
Address City
7. Property Description
This commercial building is located along the downtown pedestrian mall (Ped Mall) that extends for several
blocks along E. College Street and S. Dubuque Street; the building is situated on the north side of the Ped Mall,
with its façade facing south. This two-story brick building was built sometime prior to 1874 when fire insurance
maps show it first appearing. Property transfer records and city directories cannot confirm this date (2001).
This mid-block commercial building was originally constructed in the Late Victorian Romanesque style with two
storefronts separated in the middle by an entrance leading to the staircase serving the upper level. The building’s
original cornice has subsequently been removed and the parapet rebuilt with a plain, metal coping. Six windows
in the upper level have semicircular arches, each with a double course of headers forming the arch. The original
windows have been replaced with flat-topped 1/1 double-hung sash with the arch area bricked in. The storefront
has been remodeled with the second floor entrance and stairs moved to the west end of the building. A single shop
entrance is located in the west half with a long, plate glass display window on the right two-thirds. A retractable
awning covers the signboard area. It is unlikely that a clerestory section above the display windows survives for
either half of the building. The building measures 40-ft. along the front and with various additions extends to a
depth of 150-ft. A portion of the rear half is only one-story in height with the two-story section originally a
separate building now connected to the front half. During the period that the building was occupied by a drug
store in the 1960s, a cladding with a lighted sign was installed. This was removed sometime after 1980 when the
current storefront was installed and upper level recovered (2001).
In 2017 the building at 118-120 appears considerably altered thanks to a thoughtful rehabilitation that was
recently undertaken. Although much had been lost to earlier alterations, the rehabilitation returned a simplified
but historically sympathetic cornice, replaced upper story windows with glazing formed to fit the arched headers,
repointed the brick, and reconstructed the storefront with large display areas. Although the storefront has a
contemporary character (no transoms, details of storefront cornice), it is well executed and does goes a long way
toward restoring the overall historic character. The building now has retail space in the storefront (Velvet Coat), a
small independent movie theater called Film Scene, and upper story apartments.
8. Statement of Significance
This building is a recently rehabilitated example of an early Victorian era commercial building. Although façade
materials are contemporary replacements, restoration of historic upper story window openings, repointing of the
masonry, recreation of a sympathetically styled and scaled cornice, and reconstruction of an historically
sympathetic storefront have restored a good level of integrity to a building that had previously been dramatically
altered. Given the building’s current appearance and its longstanding association with Iowa City downtown
commerce, the building is considered a contributing resource to a potential historic district under both Criteria A
and C. It should be noted that, because the façade materials are in-kind replacements rather than the original
elements, the building is not considered individually eligible for registration (2017).
Historic Background
As noted, the building is located on the urban renewal era pedestrian mall that extends for several blocks along E.
College Street and S. Dubuque Street. As originally platted, College Street had a 100-ft. width with four 80-ft.
wide lots laid out perpendicular to the street. 20-ft. wide east-west alleys bisected the blocks and were presumed
to extend along the rear of the buildings. College Street extended from the “Promenade” along the Iowa River east
through the downtown, over Ralston Creek, and eventually along the south side of College Green park before it
reached the city limits (Svendsen, 2001).
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-04087
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 2
Commercial Building Johnson
Name of Property County
118-120 E. College Street Iowa City
Address City
Image 01. View of the façade (south), looking north across the Ped Mall (E. College Street)
(Image by AKAY Consulting, August 2017)
This commercial building appears on the first fire insurance map created for Iowa City, which was published in
1874. At that time occupants included a grocer, boot and shoe shop, and restaurant in place. Although specific
addresses are missing from city directories, it is likely that the grocery store was operated by the Lumbard
Brothers and that J.H. Crawford ran the restaurant. The business use remained the same in 1879 with the Lumbard
Brothers still the only grocery in the block of College Street; proprietors Choate & Wilcox operated the only
restaurant along College Street. By 1883 Sanborn maps show this building occupied by a furniture store with
upholstery work carried out on the upper level and in 1888 maps show the west half converted to a grocery store
again. Five years later in 1892, a meat market run by L.E. Elliott was located in the east half with an office for the
Iowa City Packing and Provision Co. located in the west half.
Property transfer records do not show this parcel changing ownership until 1898 when William Schneider
acquired it. Schneider had a furniture and undertaking business located in the building to the west and likely had
his eye on an expansion. Sanborn maps show a hardware store at 118 in 1899 and a bakery at 120 with a tin shop
in the rear and a free-standing warehouse building used for packing toilet and perfume goods. The 1904 city
directory confirms that the Steam Bakery run by E. Namur operated from 120. The Schneider Brothers furniture
and undertaking business had expanded into 118 and remained here until the 1920s. In the 1940s, JC Penney
occupied the building. By the 1960s the building was occupied by a single tenant – the Osco Drug Store which
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-04087
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 3
Commercial Building Johnson
Name of Property County
118-120 E. College Street Iowa City
Address City
remained here until it relocated to the Old Capitol Mall when the mall was completed in the early 1980s. Images
of a fire in January 1970 document the major façade alterations made by the drugstore (Image 05). The building
remained in the Schneider family until 1981 when it was sold to Robert and Mary Fox and the 120 Building
Company. The building is currently owned by developer Marc Moen and it was he and his partners who
undertook the building’s recent rehabilitation.
Image 02. Historic Image – 1914
(Source: State Historical Society of Iowa)
Image 03. Historic Image – 1940s
(Source: State Historical Society of Iowa)
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-04087
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 4
Commercial Building Johnson
Name of Property County
118-120 E. College Street Iowa City
Address City
Image 04. Historic Image – 1970
(Source: Iowa City Public Library)
This image taken after the fire on January 21, 1970 documents the building during its occupancy by Osco Drug.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-04087
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 5
Commercial Building Johnson
Name of Property County
118-120 E. College 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.
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. “52-04087.” Iowa Site Form, 2001.
11. Additional Documentation
Legal Description: Original Town Plat, Block 82, Part L4
Assessor: PIN 002+1010378024
Lat/Long: 41.659562/-91.533849
Parcel Map - 2017
COLLEGE
115
110124 107CLINTONDUBUQUEWASHINGTON
118102
138
104 109
112111-117119-123125-131114 109111
114-116128132±