HomeMy WebLinkAbout52-04093_109 E College_DooleyBlockSite Inventory Form State Inventory No. 52-0409
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 Dooley Block (west bay)
other names/site number
2. Location
street & number 109 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) 82 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)
02E COMMERCE/TRADE/specialty store 02G COMMERCE/TRADE/restaurant
7. Description
Architectural Classification (Enter categories from instructions) Materials (Enter categories from instructions)
05B LATE VICTORIAN/Italianate 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 109 E. College Street Site Number
52-0409
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 1929
Significant Person Architect/Builder
(Complete if National Register Criterion B is marked above) Architect
N/A unknown Builder
unknown
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, Historian
organization AKAY Consulting date 11/2017
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 52-0409
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 1
Dooley Block (west bay) Johnson
Name of Property County
109 E. College Street Iowa City
Address City
7. Property Description
The Dooley Block (west bay) is a one-bay, 2-story, 19- by 150-ft., brick building that was constructed in ca.1874.
The building is a remnant of the original, which filled the full width of Lot 3 and part of Lot 4. From 1929, at
which time the middle two bays of the Dooley Block were razed and replaced by the Sears Roebuck & Co.
building, the west bay (109) has beeen – both functionally and visually - an autonomous property. The east bay of
the Dooley Block (115) also remains, providing a bookend to the Sears building.
As noted in the 2001 survey, this building is located along the 1977 downtown 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. Twenty-foot 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. Today, the “ped mall” is an intimate gathering
place, its character resting on the historic buildings that line much of the street, brick landscaping, vegetative
canopy, and vibrant retail base.
The stylistic character of the Dooley Block reflects the Late Victorian era during which it was constructed. As
noted by Svendsen in 2001, the building façade presents a mixture of the Late Victorian Romanesque and
Italianate styles. The paneled wood cornice has returning ends and four large brackets with small dentil-like
brackets in between. The upper facade is clad in red brick with elaborate carved wood semi-circular or
Romanesque arches over the single and paired 1/1 double-hung windows. Svendsen noted that the storefront had
been remodeled “in recent years” with a side entrance and three fixed glass windows for a modified shop window.
A series of moldings separates the storefront from the upper story. The 2001 survey also noted that the storefront
has a prism-glass transom spanning the full width of the storefront with “new plate glass windows extending to
grade.” The transom treatment, though not original, predates 1940.
No significant alterations of the façade have been undertaken since the completion of the 2001 survey. The
storefront is currently occupied by El Patron, a restaurant/bar.
The upper elevation of the Dooley Block (west bay) remains unaltered from 2001, with character-defining
features retained including the red brick cladding, ornate Italianate cornice, Roman arched window heads, prism
glass transom, and storefront cornice details. As a result, the building retains a generally good level of historic
integrity specific to 1929, which marks the year the building was disjoined from the larger Dooley Block and
became an autonomous resource.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-0409
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 2
Dooley Block (west bay) Johnson
Name of Property County
109 E. College Street Iowa City
Address City
Image 01. View of the façade, looking south across E. College Street (the Ped Mall)
(Image by AKAY Consulting, August 2017)
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-0409
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 3
Dooley Block (west bay) Johnson
Name of Property County
109 E. College Street Iowa City
Address City
Image 02. View of the façade, looking SW across E. College Street (the Ped Mall)
(Image by AKAY Consulting, August 2017)
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-0409
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 4
Dooley Block (west bay) Johnson
Name of Property County
109 E. College Street Iowa City
Address City
8. Statement of Significance
As noted, the Dooley Block is a one-bay remnant of the original block building, which filled the full width of Lot
3 and part of Lot 4. The block building was constructed in phases, the westernmost bay (109) dates to ca.1874, the
bay at 111 was in use by 1879, and the east two bays (113 and 115) were constructed in ca.1895. From 1929,
when the middle two bays of the Dooley Block were razed and replaced by the Sears Roebuck & Co. building, the
remaining west bay has been – both functionally and visually - an autonomous property. The east bay of the
Dooley Block (115) also remains, providing a bookend to the Sears building.
The building is a moderately well-preserved example of a Late Victorian Italianate style commercial building.
Because the building has been disjoined from the original block building for well more than 50-years, the
resource is significant in its post-1929 form as a single, autonomous building. Given this, the Dooley Block is
eligible for the National Register under Criterion C. The building is also significant under Criterion A,
contributing as it does to our understanding of the history of commerce in Iowa City. As a result, this building is
eligible for the National Register as a contributing resource in a potential historic district. It should be noted that
additional evaluation of interior integrity may support a case for individual eligibility as an increasingly rare
representation of an early commercial building in the Iowa City downtown.
Historical Background
As noted by Svendsen, Frank Dooley acquired all of Lot 3 in Block 82 in 1867. It is likely that Dooley
constructed the westernmost bay of the building in ca.1874 since the fire insurance map for that year lists the
building as vacant. As late as 1918, city directories refer to the building as the “Dooley Block” confirming
Dooley’s long-standing connection to the building. Property Transfer Records do not show the property changing
hands again until 1928 when a referee deed saw the lot sold to W.H. Wagner. The parcel was then divided and
this building was transferred to Mary Connell and F.E. Hunzinger a short time later. The property continued to be
held by Hunzinger until the 1960s.
Figure 01. Fire Insurance Map – 1874
(SOURCE: Sanborn Company Fire Insurance Map, 1883)
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-0409
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 5
Dooley Block (west bay) Johnson
Name of Property County
109 E. College Street Iowa City
Address City
Figure 02. Fire Insurance Map – 1879
(SOURCE: Sanborn Company Fire Insurance Map, 1883)
Figure 03. Fire Insurance Map – 1883
(SOURCE: Sanborn Company Fire Insurance Map, 1883)
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-0409
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 6
Dooley Block (west bay) Johnson
Name of Property County
109 E. College Street Iowa City
Address City
Figure 04. Fire Insurance Map – 1899
(SOURCE: Sanborn Company Fire Insurance Map, 1899)
Figure 05. Fire Insurance Map – 1933
(SOURCE: Sanborn Company Fire Insurance Map, 1933)
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-0409
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 7
Dooley Block (west bay) Johnson
Name of Property County
109 E. College Street Iowa City
Address City
Fire insurance maps show the building with a variety of uses through the years: hardware store (1879, 1883, 1888,
and 1892); saloon (1899, 1906); pool hall (1912, 1920); store (1926, 1933, and 1970). City directories confirm the
presence of the Hazard & Pratt Hardware Store at this location in 1878-79 and the Opera House Exchange, a
saloon run by T.J. Kenny, here in 1904. By 1911, Thomas H. Kelley had a saloon here. When prohibition arrived,
the business changed to a pool hall or billiards parlor with Henry Musack the proprietor from before World War I
through the late 1920s. City directories show the building housed a series of grocers during the 1930s including
the Piggly Wiggly Grocers in 1930 and the Self-Serve Grocery from the mid-1930s through World War II.
Herbert Holmes and George Rebel also operated meat shops during this time period. After World War II, The
Men’s Shop clothing store was located here and continued operations until the mid-1960s (Svendsen, 2001).
Image 03. Historic Image – North side of E. College Street, looking SW - ca.1925
(Image courtesy of State Historical Society of Iowa, Iowa City.)
In this view of E. College Street, we see the Dooley Block prior to the demolition of its center bays.
Though difficult to read in this view, the building name is set on-center just above the upper story windows.
The upper façade at 109 remains much as seen in this view as does that at 115 (see “Dooley Block,” 52-01088.)
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-0409
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 8
Dooley Block (west bay) Johnson
Name of Property County
109 E. College Street Iowa City
Address City
Image 04. Historic Image – North side of E. College Street, looking SW - 1929
(Image courtesy of State Historical Society of Iowa, Iowa City.)
In this view of E. College Street, we see the east (115) and west (109) bays of the Dooley Block flanking
the 1929 infill of the Sears, Roebuck and Co. building. Note that, by this date, the prism glass storefront transom
was part of the façade at 109 (right). Also, Piggly Wiggly occupied the building.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-0409
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 9
Dooley Block (west bay) Johnson
Name of Property County
109 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.
Iowa City Then & Now. Publisher unknown.
Mansheim, Gerald. Iowa City: an illustrated history. Norfolk, VA: The Donning Company, 1989.
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. “Dooley’s Block” 52-04093.” Iowa Site Form, 2001.
Timeline: 109 E. College Street
1874 Fire insurance map shows a building with a similar footprint on this site (address then being 13); the
occupant is noted as “vacant.” Lot to the east is vacant, though a staircase is located on the east elevation.
1879 Fire insurance map shows a 2-section addition to the rear of the building (now addressed at 39), so that
the building stretches south to the alley. The occupant is noted as “Hardware” with a warehouse in the
rear sections. The adjoining bay (then numbered 40) is in place – the bay embracing the former exterior
staircase. The length of the new bay matches the original of the first bay.
The sites of the east bays (113 and 115) of the Dooley Block are occupied by small scale buildings.
1883 Fire Insurance Map: No change to 109 (then 110); the space remains occupied by a hardware store with
warehouse at rear. A small addition has been made to the rear of 111 (then 112); the building is occupied
by a dealer of agricultural implements.
The sites of the east bays (113 and 115) of the Dooley Block are occupied by small scale buildings.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-0409
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 10
Dooley Block (west bay) Johnson
Name of Property County
109 E. College Street Iowa City
Address City
1888 Fire Insurance Map: The west bay (now numbered 109) remains occupied by a hardware store with
warehouse at rear.
1892 Fire Insurance Map: The west bay remains occupied by a hardware store with warehouse at rear.
1899 Fire Insurance Map: The 4-bay Dooley Block is in place.
1901 City Directory:
“Dooley’s Block” at 113-115 E. College Street
1915 City Directory:
“Dooley’s Block” at 109-115 E. College Street
1925 Historic image documents the original, four-bay configuration of the Dooley Block.
1929 Historic image documents the Sears, Roebuck and Co. building with the Dooley Block bays at 109 and
115 retained.
1933 Fire insurance map confirms the bay at 109 as an autonomous structure due to the removal of the middle
two bays.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-0409
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number
Continuation Sheet
Page 11
Dooley Block (west bay) Johnson
Name of Property County
109 E. College Street Iowa City
Address City
11. Additional Documentation
Full Legal Description: Original Town Plat, Block 82, West 19.3’ of Lot 3.
Assessor: PIN 1010380009
Lat/Long: 41.658860/-91.534107
Parcel Map - 2017
(SOURCE: http://iowacity.iowaassessors.com/parcel)