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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-14-2020 Historic Preservation CommissionIowa City Historic preservation Commission J / L I I Ll LL Thursday May 14, 2020 5:30 p.m. C JAL II It'll` 'Z`,,�• �-•V,a� ��= r Electronic Zoom Meeting Platform IOWA CITY HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION Thursday, May 14, 2020 Electronic Meeting — 5:30 p.m. Zoom Meeting Platform Electronic Meeting (Pursuant to Iona Code section 21.8) An electronic meeting is being held because a meeting in person is impossible or impractical due to concerns for the health and safety of Commission members, staff and the public presented by COVID-19. You can participate in the meeting and can comment on an agenda item by joining the Zoom meeting via the internet by going to hUs://zoom.us/j/98247038603?pwd=K3-JKOFFCRHZTK1RJdEVZTOtoTm10dzO9 . If you have no computer or smartphone, or a computer without a microphone, you can call in by phone by dialing (312) 626-6799 and entering the meeting ID 982 4703 8603 when prompted. Providing comment in person is not an option. Agenda A) Call to Order 13) Roll Call C) Public discussion of anything not on the agenda D) Public Hearings — Discussions for landmark designations of the following properties: 1. 109 East College Street (Dooley Block, west bay) 2. 111-113 East College Street (Sears, Roebuck & Company) 3. 115 East College Street (Dooley Block, east bay) 4. 117-123 East College Street (Crescent Block) E) Certificate of Appropriateness 1. 708 Dearborn Street — Dearborn Street Conservation District (screened porch rear addition) 2. 510 North Van Buren Street— Northside Historic District (porch reconstruction) 3. 221 East Washington Street, Englert Theater —Local Historic Landmark (signage repair and revision) 4. 1331 Muscatine —Longfellow Historic District (signage installation) F) Final Presentation on the Iowa City Historic Preservation Initiative Project by the students of the Graduate School of Urban and Regional Planning G) Sanxay-Gilmore House Agreement H) Report on Certificates issued by Chair and Staff Certificate of No Material Effect —Chair and Staff review 1022 East College Street — East College Street Historic District (rear addition membrane roof replacement, deteriorated siding and trim repair and replacement) Minor Review —Staff review 737 Grant Street — Longfellow Historic District (modern window replacement) I) Consideration of Minutes for April 9, 2020 J) Commission Information and Discussion 1. Montgomery Butler House 2. Preserve Iowa Summit, Dubuque, June 4-6, 2020 (Virtual presentation) 3. Annual Historic Preservation Awards Update (live Virtual presentation 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 28, 2020) K) Adjournment If you will need disabilityrelatedaccommodations in order to participate in this meeting, please contact Jessica Bristow, Urban Planning, at 319-356-5243 or at jessica-bristow@iowa-city.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. iZ Iowa City ' Historic Preservation Commission City Hall, 410 E Washington Street, Iowa City. IA. 52240 Memorandum Date: May 7, 2020 To: Historic Preservation Commission From: Jessica Bristow, Historic Preservation Planner Re: Dooley Block (west bay), 109 East College Street Sears Roebuck & Co. Building, 111-113 East College Street Dooley Block (east bay), 115 East College Street Crescent Block, 117-123 East College Street Applicant Brandon Smith of Tailwind College St. IC, LLC, has requested that the properties at 109 East College Street, 111-113 East College Street, 115 East College Street, and 117-123 East College Street be designated as Iowa City Historic Landmarks as part of an overall development project. Designation of the property as an Iowa City Historic Landmark will require Commission approval of any significant changes to the exterior of the building and new development proposed on the landmark properties. Landmark status will also make the property eligible for special exceptions that would allow the Board of Adjustment to waive or modify certain zoning requirements as well as State and Federal Tax Credit funding of rehabilitation work. As part of the 2017 update of the 2001 Survey and Evaluation of the Iowa City Central Business District, completed by AKAY consulting and partially funded by a grant from the National Trust, this group of buildings was evaluated for their contribution to a potential Downtown Historic District. The National Register Nomination of this Downtown Historic District is currently in process and includes these buildings as contributing structures within the district boundary. The site inventory forms updated for the study are included as documentation of each building's significance. Each building will be reviewed by the Historic Preservation Commission for its eligibility for local landmark designation in individual public hearings at the May 14, 2020 Commission meeting. For local landmark designation, the Commission should determine if each property meets criterion a. and b. and at least one of the criteria c., d., e., or f. for local designation listed below: a. Significant to American and/or Iowa City history, architecture, archaeology and culture; b. Possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship; c. Associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history; d. Associated with the lives of persons significant in our past; e. Embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction; or represents the work of a master; or possesses high artistic values; or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction; f. Has yielded or may likely yield information important in prehistory or history. Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission City Hall, 410 E Washington Street, Iowa City. IA. 52240 Dooley Block (west bay), 109 East College Street The Dooley Block was a 4-bay, 2-story brick building built beginning in ca. 1874 with this bay. In 1929, the middle two bays were razed for the construction of the Sears, Roebuck & Co. building. The west bay at 109 College is one of the outer bays of the original building that remains and extends the full depth of the lot. This bay has functioned as an autonomous building since 1929. The building fagade includes a mixture of Late Victorian Romanesque and Italianate details. For instance, the paneled cornice and brackets are elements of an Italianate style and the semi -circular wood arches with their keystone detail are evident of the Romanesque. At the lower level, the transom was remodeled with the addition of prism glass prior to 1940, the sign band was removed or altered and the store front has been more recently updated. Since 1879 the building has housed numerous uses including stores, billiards. and saloons. While this building remains as only a portion of the original 4-bay Dooley block, it has functioned individually since 1929 and with the exception of the storefront, has been relatively unaltered since 1940. In the 2017 downtown survey update the building was considered a key contributing resource in the potential downtown historic district eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places for its distinctive architectural character and for its contribution to the history of commerce in Iowa City. Based on the information provided in the Site Inventory Form, staff finds that the property meets criteria a, b, c and a and therefore qualifies as an Iowa City Historic Landmark. Recommended Motion: Move to approve the designation of the Dooley Block (west bay), 109 East College Street, as an Iowa City Historic Landmark based on the following criteria for local designation: criteria a, b, c and e. Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission City Hall, 410 E Washington Street, Iowa City. IA. 52240 Sears, Roebuck, & Co. Building, 111-113 East College Street The Sears, Roebuck, & Company Building was built in 1929, from central two bays of the flanking Dooley Block. This building style is commonly known as the Commercial Brick Front and is a 3-bay 2- story building filling the entire lot. The upper level includes a Chicago style window in each bay with a continuous terra cotta sill. Terra cotta detailing is also found in the coping on the stepped parapet, as stylized pilasters between the windows and as decorative accents in the brickwork above. The storefront originally had an entrance in the central bay with display windows above and a prism -glass transom and sign band above. The storefront today has been remodeled with entrances in the outer bays flanking the central display window and detailed in stone with a Classical Revival influence that is considered sympathetic to the original building. This building is considered a well-preserved example of the 20th century Commercial Brick Front and while the storefront has been altered, the changes are considered historically sympathetic. In the 2017 downtown survey update the building was considered a key contributing resource in the potential downtown historic district eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural character and for its contribution to the history of commerce in Iowa City. Based on the information provided in the Site Inventory Form, staff finds that the property meets criteria a, b, c and a and therefore qualifies as an Iowa City Historic Landmark. Recommended Motion: Move to approve the designation of the Sears, Roebuck, & Company Building, 111-113 East College Street, as an Iowa City Historic Landmark based on the following criteria for local designation: criteria a, b, c and e. .-Al. Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission City Hall, 410 E Washington Street, Iowa City. IA. 52240 Dooley Block (east bay), 115 East College Street The Dooley Block was a 4-bay, 2-story brick building built beginning in ca. 1874 and concluding with the construction of this bay between 1892 and 1899. In 1929, the middle two bays were razed for the construction of the Sears, Roebuck & Co. building. The east bay at 115 College is one of the outer bays of the original building that remains and extends for much of the depth of the lot. This bay has also functioned as an autonomous building since 1929. Like the west bay, the building fagade includes a mixture of Late Victorian Romanesque and Italianate details. For instance, the paneled cornice and brackets are elements of an Italianate style and the semi -circular wood arches with their keystone detail are evident of the Romanesque. At the lower level, the storefront had been remodeled prior to 2001 to include a series of moldings separating the storefront from the upper story and an entrance to the east side of a modified shop window. Since 2001 the storefront has again been altered, replacing the shop window with four full -glass doors which fold back to open the entire front of the lower level. Since 1895 the building has housed numerous shops. While this building remains as only a portion of the original 4-bay Dooley block, it has functioned individually since 1929 and with the exception of the storefront and sign band, has been relatively unaltered. In the 2017 downtown survey update the building was considered a key contributing resource in the potential downtown historic district eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places for its distinctive architectural character and for its contribution to the history of commerce in Iowa City. Based on the information provided in the Site Inventory Form, staff finds that the property meets criteria a, b, c and a and therefore qualifies as an Iowa City Historic Landmark. Recommended Motion: Move to approve the designation of the Dooley Block (east bay), 115 East College Street, as an Iowa City Historic Landmark based on the following criteria for local designation: criteria a, b, c and e. Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission City Hall, 410 E Washington Street, Iowa City. IA. 52240 Crescent Block, 117-123 East College Street The Crescent Block was built in 1894 as a 4-bay 3-story Commercial Brick Front building. Originally three larger bays housed storefronts and the smaller bay at 119 served as the entrance to the upper floors. This entry bay was remodeled in the 1930s with Carrara glass in an Art Deco styling to include a small storefront and the stairs to the upper level. The design includes a curved glass display window and the original wood and glass entrance door and tile floor. The west bay retains the original storefront treatment. The east half of the building was remodeled into a single modern storefront with new brick and an exposed aggregate facing above the individual windows and curved awnings. The first floor projects forward and includes a shallow standing seam roof that separates the storefront -level from the upper levels. At the third floor, the windows are tall, paired double -hung windows centered over each bay. Each pair has a thick stone lintel and two thinner sills. At the second floor, the east -most windows were replaced with large Chicago -style windows and the west include alternating pairs and individual windows of two different sizes. A tall, pressed metal cornice includes a rhythm of large and small brackets. In 1929, the building was occupied by Montgomery Ward who built a farm and home store addition at the back of the lot. This building is considered a moderately well-preserved example of a turn -of -the -century Commercial Brick Front building. The building is also associated with C. F. Lovelace who built the adjacent College Block building as well as other buildings in the downtown and is considered a locally significant individual in the commercial and financial history of downtown. In the 2017 downtown survey update the building was considered a key contributing resource in the potential downtown historic district eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places and potentially individually eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic places. Its unusual style reflects the influence of Chicago -style architecture in Iowa City. The building is also significant for its relationship to local fraternal groups that utilized the third floor. Despite significant modification of the two east storefront bays, the retention of the west storefront and the 1930s Art Deco storefront add to the building's significance. Overall, the building is significant for its architectural character, for its contribution to the history of commerce in Iowa City, and locally, for its association with C. F. Lovelace. Based on the information provided in the Site Inventory Form, staff finds that the property meets criteria a, b, c and a and therefore qualifies as an Iowa City Historic Landmark. Recommended Motion: Move to approve the designation of the Crescent Block, 117-123 East College Street, as an Iowa City Historic Landmark based on the following criteria for local designation: criteria a, b, c, d and e. 117-123 East College Street, Crescent Block Site Inventory Form State Inventory No. 52-0409 New ® Supplemental State Historical Society of Iowa 11 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) LJ 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. 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 Blocks) 82 Lot(s) see full legal 3. State/Federal Agency Certification [Skip this Section] Catego of Proper building(: ❑ district ❑ site ❑ structure ❑ object on (Check only one box) ouuaings I oullaings sites sites 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 b. runctlon 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) O5B LATE VICTORIAN/Italianate foundation 04 STONE walls 03 BRICK roof other Narrative Description (® SEE CONTINUATION SHEETS, WHICH MUST BE COMPLETED) 8. Statement of Significance plleable National Register Gnterla (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 2 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. eB Removed from its original location. ElG 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. Geoaraohic 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 pumas. 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/slat # 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 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.1974. 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 becen — both functionally and visually - an autonomous property. The cast bay of the Dooley Block (115) also remains, providing a bookend to the Scars 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 dining which it was constructed. As noted by Svendsen in 2001, the building facade 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 /I 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 farrade 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 storetiont cornice details. As a result, the building retains a generally good level of historic integrity specific to 1929, which marks the vear the building was disjoined tiom 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 Dooley Block (west bay) Johnson Name of Property County 109 E. College Street Iowa City Address City Image 01. View of the fagade, looking south across E. College Street (the Ped Mall) (hnage by AKAY Cousuttag, 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 Dooley Block (west bay) Johnson Name of Property County 109 E. College Street Iowa City Address City Image 02. View of the fagade, looking SW across E. College Street (the Ped Mall) (Image by AKAY Conenldne, Aupg1 2017) Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-0409 Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number Continuation Sheet 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.l 874, the bay at I I I was in use by 1879, and the east two bays (1 13 and 1 15) were constructed in ca.1895. From 1929, when the middle two bays of the Dooley Block were razed and replaced by the Scars Roebuck & Co. building, the remaining west bay has been — both functionally and visually - an autonomous property. The cast 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 Ralianate 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, Rank 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 C 11 L1.E IS 11 11 IT It 1, 1 N 0 'P 11 A (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 Continuation Sheet Related District Number DooleV Block (west bay) Johnson Name of Property County 109 E. College Street Iowa City Address City Figure 02. Fire Insurance Map — 1879 COLLEGE 1 Figure 03. Fire Insurance Map — 1893 r Z 6 E' 1R83) COLLEGE : Cl Chi CI C Z9`' `------ -------- iA r�i�l� n r BURLINGTON (SOURCE: Swiborn Company Fite Lisurwice Map, 1883) Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-0409 Iowa Site Inventory Form Continuation Sheet Related District Number Dooley Block (west bay) Johnson Name of Property County 109 E. College Street Iowa City Address City Figure 04. Fire Insurance Mau — 1899 - fsett�� S J. / { J � 14�1 � JFViPlYASKM S@.- (SOURCE: Sanbom Company Fuc Tn,mmuc Map, 1899) Figure 05. Fire Insurance Map — 1933 _ o • 'sy s i g so o .os i y` �s sf es s ie f1i�e_fY� Q—@ (SOURCE: Sanborn Company Fire Tnswance 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 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 191 I, 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 IT. Herbert Holmes and George Rebel also operated meat shops during this time period. After World War IT, 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 (Lva.ge rowtesy of State Histnrieat Society of Iowa, Iowa City.) In this view of E. College Street, we sec the Dooley Block prior to the demolition of its center hays. Though difficult to read in Ibis view, die building name is set on-centerjust above the upper story windows. The upper facade at 109 remains mach 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 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 Itis6oncal Society of Iowa, Iowa Co.) 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 tnism glass storefront transom was part of the facade 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 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 Thera & Now. Publisher unknown. Mansheim, Gerald. Iowa City: an dlnshated history. Norfolk, VA: The Donning Company, 1989. State Historical Society of Iowa. Iowa City. Photograph Collection. Slonnegcr, Matybeth. Finials. _4 View ofDowntown 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 cast bays (113 and 115) of the Dooley Block are occupied by small scale buildings. 1883 Fire Insurance Map: No change to 109 (then 1 10); the space remains occupied by a hardware store with warehouse at rear. A small addition has been made to the rear of I I I (then 112), the building is occupied by a dealer of agricultural implements. The sites of the cast 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 Continuation Sheet Related District Number Dooley Block (west bay) Johnson Name of Property County 109 E. College Street Iowa City Address City 1888 Fire Tnsurance Map: The west bay (now numbered 109) remains occupied by a hardware store with warehouse at rear. 1892 Fire Tnsurance 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 1 13-1 15 E. College Street 1915 City Directory "Dooley's Block" at 109-115 E. College Street 1925 Historic image documents the original, four -bay configmration 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 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 19Y of Lot 3. Assessor: PTN 1010380009 Lat/Long: 4 LG588G0/-91.534107 Parcel Map - 2017 (SOURCE: http://imvaciuv.iowaa,scssoi;.comiparccl) Site Inventory Form State Inventory No. 52-04091 ❑ New ® Supplemental State Historical Society of Iowa ❑ Part of a district with known boundaries (enter inventory no.) (December f, fgsg) Relationship: ❑ Contributing ❑ Noncontributing ® Contributes to a potential district with et 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 Sears Roebuck & Co. Building other names/site number The Field House 2. Location street & number 111-113 East College Street city or town Iowa City ❑ vicinity, county Johnson Legal Description: (If Rural)Township Name Township No. Range No. Section Quarter of Quarter (Check only one box) 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 MA" ifthe property is not part of a multiple property examination). Title Historical Architectural Data Base Number Iowa Citv Central Business District Studv - 2017 UPDATE 52-127 6. Function or Use Historic Functions (Enter categories from instructions) Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions) 02F COMMERCE/TRADE/department store 70 VACANT/NOT IN USE 7. Description Architectural Classification (Enter categories from instructions) Materials (Enter categories from instructions) 09F05 COMMERCIAL/Brick Front foundation 04 STONE walls 03 BRICK roof other 07 TERRA Narrative Description (® SEE CONTINUATION SHEETS, WHICH MUST BE CON pucame nanonai Kegiscer �nrena ni -X representing your opinion or euginmty aver applying reievant rvanonai Negister 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 2 No ❑ More Research Recommended D Property yields significant information in archaeology or history. County Johnson Address 111-113 East College Street Site Number 52-04091 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. eB Removed from its original location. ElG 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) 01 ARCHITECTURE 05 COMMERCE Significant Dates Construction date 1929 ❑ check if circa or estimated date Other dates 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 N 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 street & number 4252 Oakland Avenue city or town Minneapolis state MN ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION (submit the following items with the completed form) date 11/2017 telephone 515-491-5432 zip code 55407 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 he 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: Ralf/slide sheet # Frame/slat # 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 52-04091 Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number Continuation Sheet Sears Roebuck & Co. Building Johnson Name of Property County 111-113 East College Street Iowa City Address City 7. Property Description The Sears, Roebuck & Co. building is situated on a portion of Lot 3 in Block 82. Located on the south side of E. College Street, the building's facade faces north. As noted in the 2001 evaluation, the 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 Sweet had a 100-ft. width with four 80-ft. wide lots laid out perpendicular to the street. Twenty -foot wide cast -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 building footprint folly occupies the site which, according to the Iowa City assessor, measures 38- by 150-feet. Built in 1929, the building is a two-story, brick construction in the 20"r century form commonly described as a Commercial Brick Front. The building facade is clad in pressed brick laid in a Flemish bond with a taupe colored mortar. Typical of commercial properties, the facade is arranged in a storefront with the transition to the upper facade marked by a storefront cornice (Image 01). The upper story is organized into three bays, each bay dominated by a Chicago -style window. Each window configuration (one large, fixed pane window flanked by narrower, double -hung windows) features a header of soldier bricks and a running sill of glazed terra Gotta. Tents Gotta is also used in the coping of the stepped parapet, stylized pilasters that frame the bays, and bas relief tiles that provide decorative accents to the brickwork. The brickwork itself is visually interesting and well executed — a large area laid in a basketweave pattern is found over each of the 2"" floor windows (image 02). Terra Gotta tiles are also used in the outer piers of the storefront. Like the upper level, the storefront is divided into three bays. Whereas the original storefi-ont had a center enhance with plate -glass display windows to either side and a multi -part Hansom with prism glass spanning the font, the storefront today has a cenhal, multi -light display window flanked by recessed openings, each with solid metal double -doors with a single sidelight and transoms above. Although the historic outer storefront piers of brick with terra Gotta details are retained, the remainder of the storefront structure is clad in cast stone panels. Constructed to house Sears Roebuck & Co., a national franchise department store, the storefront originally had signage installed in the space immediately beneath the second floor windows as well as a vertical neon blade sign that extended from the bchcoursc to parapet level (Image 03). in 2017, the exterior of the Sears, Roebuck & Co. building retains a very good level of historic integrity, despite the alteration of the storefront. This is due in large part to the retention of the historic upper story facade, which provides the basis of the building's visual character: Chicago -style windows, decorative brickwork, stepped parapet, and terracotta details (some deterioration noted) are all character -defining features which are retained. Further, the existing storefront (the construction date of which is undetermined) incorporates Classical Revival influenced details which are sympathetic to the historic character. Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-04091 Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number Continuation Sheet Sears Roebuck & Co. Building Johnson Name of Property County 111-113 East College Street Iowa City Address City Image 01. View of the fa4adc (north elevation), looking SE (Image by AKAY Consulting, .August 2017) Image 02. Dctail view of upper fa;ade details (Image by AKAY Consulting, August 2017) Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs State Historical Society of Iowa Iowa Site Inventory Form Continuation Sheet Site Number 52-04091 Related District Number Sears Roebuck & Co. Building Johnson Name of Property County 111-113 East College Street Iowa City Address City 8. Statement of Significance As a well-preserved example of a 20" century Commercial Brick Front building form frequently adopted by national franchise stores prior to World War If, the Sears, Roebuck & Co. building is significant under Criterion C. Though the storefront has sustained significant alterations, those alterations are historically sympathetic. Further, the upper elevation, with its historic character -defining features intact, is well preserved. The building is also significant under Criterion A, contributing as it does to our understanding of the history of commerce in Iowa City, specifically in association with its original occupant, the Sears & Roebuck Co. As a result, this building is eligible for the National Register as a contributing resource in a potential historic district Historical Background Prior to its construction, the site upon which the Sears Roebuck & Co. building is situated was occupied by the middle two bays of the Dooley Block (ca.1879 and ca.1995). Property transfer records show that Frank Dooley acquired all of Lot 3 in Block 82 in 1867 (Svendsen, "Dooley Block," 2001). In ca.1874 Dooley constructed the westernmost bay (109) of the Dooley Block, with a second bay completed by 1879. In ca.1895 the remaining bays (now 113 and 115) were added on the east, resulting in a 2-story, 4-bay commercial block building in the Late Victorian Italianate style. The cast bay (1 15) and west bay (109) remain today. Figure 01. Fire Insurance Map — 1899 41 9 F I II F z sp. -9 .5 2 B l / ryEj aIL .._.92 y $ I, /t+lY9luMBlN CO. • �prclhsaA` - I , I ] e i B •• W, i iM M Y� HY /P (SOURCE: Sanborn Company Fire Tnsw'ance Maps, 1899.) The Dooley Block was constructed in phases. The completed block building (highlighted) first appears on fire insurance naps in 1899. Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-04091 Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number Continuation Sheet Sears Roebuck & Co. Building Johnson Name of Property County 111-113 East College Street Iowa City Address City Image 03. Historic Image —North side of E. College Street, looking SW - ca.1925 (Image courtesy oI Slate historical Society of Iowa, Iowa Co.) In this view of E. College Street, we see Lhe Dooley Block prior to the demolition of its middle bays and subsequent construction of the Sears Roebuck building at their place. Though difficult to read in this view, the building name is set on- ccntcrjust above the upper story windows (indicated). The upper fagadcs at 115 and 109 remain much as seen in this view (see Dooley Block site forms: 52-01088 and 52-04093). Figure 02. Fire Insurance Map — 1926 COLLEGE .nae� E. i,SURLINOTON n (SOURCE: Sanborn Company Fire hisuranec Maps, 1926.) The footprint of the Dooley Block remains relatively unchanged in the years just prior the construction of Sears Roebuck. Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-04091 Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number Continuation Sheet Sears Roebuck & Co. Building Johnson Name of Property County 111-113 East College Street Iowa City Address City Property transfer records show the property changed hands in 1928 when a retiree deed records a sale to W.H. Wagner. The parcel was then divided, with the Scars Roebuck & Co. building constructed on the west portion of the Lot 3 ( I I I -113) and the east bay of the Dooley Block (1 15) transferred to the Koser Brothers. Lee and George Koser were realtors with Koser Brothers Real Estate (Svendsen, 2001). The west section of the Dooley Block (109, which is located in Block 4), was likewise sold. Sooner thereafter, the two center bays of the Dooley Block were razed and, in 1929, the present building was constructed to house the Sears, Roebuck & Co. department store. At the time Sears Roebuck appeared on E. College Street in Iowa City, the downtown was rich with department stores-, the 100 block of E. College Street alone had (in addition to Sears Roebuck), Montgomery Ward & Co. (121-123) and White's Consolidated Stores (1 14-1 16). Yetter's was located one block to the north (1 15-1 17 E. Washington) and the Snub Co. was situated around the corner (118-122 S. Clinton Street). Figure 03. Fire insurance Map — 1933 sue. LAI a .r s p . T a.�N,) s s s's 8 s s s sl•�•'s f s , �, o; • s (SOURCE: Sanborn Company Fire Insurance Maps, 1933.) The 1933 fire insurance map docurnents the Sears Roebuck building (highlighled), noting it as a two-story, double -wide building, which stretched frmn E. College on the north to the alley at mid -block on the south. The map also notes that the building structure utilized iron columns. Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-04091 Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number Continuation Sheet Sears Roebuck & Co. Building Johnson Name of Property County 111-113 East College Street Iowa City Address City Image 03. Historic Image: View looking SE along S. Clinton Street —1929 (Image courtesy oI State historical Society of Iowa, Iowa City.) The remnants of Lie Dooley Block (115) remain at left and (109) at right, with the 20d' century Sears Roebuck building complete with Chicago -style windows, providing an interesting visual foil to the Late Victorian architecture that remains intact on the bays of the original block. Figure 04. Advertisement — 1943 Sears, Roebuck and Co. u343 E. COLLEGE Retail Phone 4163 Mail Order Phone 9752 Qualify, Service and Valae 1"w Car's L r" Department Store Invites Year htmaase CamFlrle 6txhs of Finest Merehandiee m Fir. Erervane Ready-eo-Wear Domestics Furniture Millinery Lingerie Radios Shoes Hosiery Hardware Meng Department Cloves Refrigerators Washing Machines linens Stoves Silks Sporting Goods Auto Accessories (SOURCE: City Directory, 1943) Scars Roebuck remained in the building until the 1960s, at which time it relocated to Sycamore Mall in southeast Iowa City. The building was vacant for several years before the Goodwill Budget Store located here in the early 1970s. By 1978 through 2001, it housed The Field House, a restaurant and disco. (Svendsen, 2001). At the time of the present evaluation (October 2017) the building is vacant. Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-04091 Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number Continuation Sheet Sears Roebuck & Co. Building Johnson Name of Property County 111-113 East 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.otg. Iowa City Thera & Now. Publisher unknown. Mansheim, Gerald. Iowa City: an dlashated history. Norfolk, VA: The Donning Company, 1989. McDowell, Alexa. "Dooley Block (109): 52-04093." Iowa Site Form, 2017. McDowell, Alexa. "Dooley Block (1 15): 52-01088." Iowa Site Form, 2017. State Historical Society of Iowa. Iowa City. Photograph Collection. Slonneger, Marybeth. Finials: A View of Dowaatown 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. "Sears, Roebuck & Co. Building: 52-04091." Iowa Site Form, 2001. McDowell, Alexa. "Dooley Block (109): 52-04093." Iowa Site Form, 2017. Timeline: Sears Roebuck & Co. 1926 City Directory (reverse listings) ill Edward J. Watkins 1 11-1 /2 Edward L. Murphy 113 No occupant noted 1928 City Directory (reverse listings) ill Edward J. Watkins 111-1 /2 Radio Doctors 113 Randalls Hardware 1930 City Directory Sears Roebuck & Co. I 1 1-1 13 E. College Street Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-04091 Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number Continuation Sheet Sears Roebuck & Co. Building Johnson Name of Property County 111-113 East College Street Iowa City Address City 11. Additional Documentation Full Legal Description: Original Town Plat, Block 82, East 38.75' of West 58.05' of Lot 3. Assessor: PIN 1010380008 Lat/Long: 4 L658660/-91.534022 Parcel Map - 2017 (SOURCE: http://imvacitv.iowaa,ecssoi,.comipar'ccl.php4gid=344414) Site Inventory Form State Inventory No. 52-01088 ❑ New ® Supplemental State Historical Society of Iowa ❑ Part of a district with known boundaries (enter inventory no.) (December f, fgsg) Relationship: ❑ Contributing ❑ Noncontributing ® Contributes to a potential district with et 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 (east bay) other names/site number Gringo's Mexican Bar & Grill 2. Location street & number 115 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 (Check only one box) 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 MA" ifthe 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) GF7 7AG\1�1�[7C7C7�9�f%11iF11-FTiFf%1 Narrative Description (® SEE CONTINUATION SHE foundation 04 STONE walls 03 BRICK roof other WHICH MUST BE COD pucame nanonai rcegiscer �nrena ni -X represeming your opinion or euginmry enter applying reievanr rvantonai Kegisrer cncerial 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 2 No ❑ More Research Recommended D Property yields significant information in archaeology or history. County Johnson Address 115 E. College Street Site Number 52-01088 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. eB Removed from its original location. ElG 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 1895 ® 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 unknown Builder unknown Narrative Statement of Significance (® SEE CONTINUATION SHEETS, WHICH MUST BE COMPLETED) 9. Major Bibliographical References Bibliography N 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 street & number 4252 Oakland Avenue city or town Minneapolis state MN ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION (submit the following items with the completed form) date 10/2017 telephone 515-491-5432 zip code 55407 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 he 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: Ralf/slide sheet # Frame/slat # 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 52-01088 Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number Continuation Sheet Dooley Block (east bay) Johnson Name of Property County 115 E. College Street Iowa City Address City 7. Property Description The Dooley Block (cast bay) is a one -bay, 2-story, 22- by 150-ft., brick building that was constructed sometime between 1892 and 1899. 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 east bay (1 15) has beeen —both functionally and visually - an autonomous property. The west bay of the Dooley Block (109) also remains, providing a bookend to the Scars 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-fit. 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 cast 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 cra during which it was constructed. As noted by Svendsen in 2001, the building fa4ade presents a mixture of the Late Victorian Romanesque and halianate styles. The paneled wood cornice has returning ends and four large brackets with small dentil-like brackets in between. The upper is clad in red brick with elaborate carved wood semi -circular or Romanesque arches over the single and paired 1 /1 doable -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 storefront has a plastered cladding with the door recessed beneath a fixed curved awning. At an undetermined time since the 2001 survey, the storefront of the Dooley Block has been altered. The main entrance still remains on the left of the building, the fixed -glass windows have been replaced with four doors that fold back to open the entire front of the store. There is also a side entrance on the right side of the storefront tabled as "13.5 College Ave." that leads to the second story. The first story is currently occupied by Graze: Food Guru Dining, and the occupant of the second story is unknown. The upper elevation of the Dooley Block remains unaltered from 2001, with character -defining features retained including the red brick cladding, ornate Italianate cornice, Roman arched window heads, 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 52-01088 Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number Continuation Sheet Dooley Block (east bay) Johnson Name of Property County 115 E. College Street Iowa City Address City Image 01. View of the fa4ade, looking south across E. College Surcet (the Ped Mall) (hnage by AKAY Consuttag, August 2017) Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-01088 Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number Continuation Sheet Dooley Block (east bay) Johnson Name of Property County 115 E. College Street Iowa City Address City Image 02. View of the fa4adc, looking SW across E. College Street (the Pcd Mall) (lmagcby AKAV Consul Lin a. August 2017) Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-01088 Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number Continuation Sheet Dooley Block (east bay) Johnson Name of Property County 115 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 tilled the full width of Lot 3 and part of Lot 4. The block building was constructed in phases, the west two bays likely pre -date 1974 with the east two bays 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 cast bay has been — both functionally and visually - an autonomous property. The west bay of the Dooley Block (109) also remains, providing a bookend to the Scars building. The building is a moderately well-preserved example of a Late Victorian Ttalianate 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 significant under Criterion C. The building is also significant under Criterion A, contributing as it does to our understanding of the history of commerce in Towa City. As a result, this building is eligible for the National Register as a contributing resource in a potential historic district. Tt 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 Prior to its construction, the site upon which this bay of the Dooley Block is situated was occupied by a small, one-story "marble shop" with a shed at the rear. Property transfer records show that Frank Dooley acquired all of Lot 3 in Block 82 in 1867 (Svendsen, 2001). Dooley proceeded to construct the west two -bays of the block building (109 and 111), which the 1883 fire insurance map records along with a small, 1-story "marble shop' with a shed at the rear in on the site of what would become the block's easternmost bay (115). The same footprint appears on subsequent fire insurance maps through 1992, the map in 1999 marks the first time a 2-story building appears on the site. At that time, a grocer is noted as the occupant. Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs State Historical Society of Iowa Iowa Site Inventory Form Continuation Sheet Site Number 52-01088 Related District Number Dooley Block (east bay) Johnson Name of Property County 115 E. College Street Iowa City Address City Figure 01. Fire Insurance Map — 1893 COLLEGE~ - .ce a m uv o Z C I ip t I; N Z BURLINGTON O (SOURCE: Sanborn Company Fire Insurance Map, 1883) The 1883 fire insurance map notes the presence of the west 2-bays of the Dooley Block (now 109 and 111) with 113 mud 115 still occupied by small-scale buildings. The location of 115 is highlighted in blue with the remaining bays of what would, by ca1895 form die entire Dooley Block, highlighted in light blue. Figure 02. Fire Insurance Map — 1892 V�} l •'ter J 1 E_9ulkLJNGTON . (SOURCE: Sanborn Company Fire Insmznce Map, 1892) In 1892 the site upon which the easternmost bay of the Dooley Block (dark blue) was later constructed was occupied by a 1- story building that was set back from the street. The lighter shading shows the location of the full extent of the site that would, by ca.1895 be fully occupied by the Dooley Block. Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs State Historical Society of Iowa Iowa Site Inventory Form Continuation Sheet Site Number 52-01088 Related District Number Dooley Block (east bay) Johnson Name of Property County 115 E. College Street Iowa City Address City Figure 03. Fire Insurance Mau — 1899 -f GGU.-{BE� f, r Jr m Y4 Ye %ewiimrx'n CY. _ b Fw t '� (SOURCE: Sanborn Company Fine Insurance Map, 1899) By 1 899, the remaining bays of the Dooley Block had been completed. The east bay (115) is highlighted in blue with the remaining bays also indicated. Image 03. Historic Image— North side of E. College Street, looking SW - ca.1925 (Image cotaws'y oI Stoic Itistorical Socic6y oI Iowa, Iowa City.) In dris view of E. College Street, we see lire Dooley Block prior to the demolition of its center hays. Though difficult to read in this view, the building name is set on-centerjust above the upper story windows. The upper facade at 115 remains touch as seen in this view as does that at 109 (see "Dooley Black," 52-04093.) Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-01088 Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number Continuation Sheet Dooley Block (east bay) Johnson Name of Property County 115 E. College Street Iowa City Address City Image 04. Historic Image —North side of E. College Sweet, looking SW - 1929 (Image cotaws'y oI Slalc historical Socic6y oI Iowa, Iowa City.) In [his 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. 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, with the Sears Roebuck & Co. building constructed on the west portion of the lot (111-113) and this building (115) transferred to the Koser Brothers. Lee and George Koser were realtors with Koser Brothers Real Estate (Svendsen, 2001). City directories indicate that the Barth Brothers, grocers occupied the building in 1901. By 1911, Samuel Kelberg operated a shoemaking business from this address. He and his wife Dora lived on the second floor. In 1918 the business space was vacant and by 1926 Dr. John Mullen had offices here. City directories show the storefront changed frequently beginning in the 1930s: Smith & Hiatt Hardware Store H 930); Oakland Bakery (1934, 1940); Western Auto (1946-1962); Thrift Plan of Iowa City (1967); and Sherwin-Williams Co. Paints (1972). By the late 1970s, Gringo's Mexican Restaurant located here (Svendsen, 2001). At the time of the present evaluation the building was occupied by Graze, a restaurant (2017). Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs State Historical Society of Iowa Iowa Site Inventory Form Continuation Sheet Site Number 52-01088 Related District Number Dooley Block (east bay) Johnson Name of Property County 115 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, 1988, 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 Thera & 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 Downlown Iowa CaY. 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. "115 E. College Street," 52-01088." Iowa Site Form, 2001. Timeline: 115 E. College Street 1883 Fire insurance map shows small, I -story with deep setback and rear shed occupied by a "marble shop" and the west two bays of the Dooley Block (2-story, interconnected structures with an interior staircase). 1888 Fire insurance map shows small, 1-story with deep setback and rear shed occupied by a "marble shop" 1892 Fire insurance map shows small, I -story with deep setback and 2 rear sheds, occupied by a "marble shop" 1899 Fire insurance map shows a 2-story, contiguous building sited [lush with the neighboring buildings (4-bay Dooley Block intact) and extending to the south approximately 50-ft. Occupant: Grocer 1901 City Directory: "Dooley's Block" at 113-115 E. College Street Barth Brothers, grocers 1915 City Directory: "Dooley's Block" at 109-115 E. College Street Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-01088 Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number Continuation Sheet Dooley Block (east bay) Johnson Name of Property County 115 E. College Street Iowa City Address City 1920 Fire insurance maps notes no changes to the footprint, but the addition of an interior staircase at the front of the building, along the west wall. Occupant: millinery. 1925 Historic image documents the original, four -bay configuration of the Dooley Block. 1926 Fire insurance maps notes no changes to the footprint, and the interior staircase is retained at the front of the building, along the west wall. A 1-story, freestanding auto garage is situated south of the building. Occupant: not specified. 11. Additional Documentation Full Legal Description: Original Town Plat, Block 82, Lot 3 east 22-ft. Assessor: PIN 1010380007 Lat/Long: 4 L658883 /-91.533901 Parcel Map - 2017 (SOURCE: http://imvacitv.iowaa,ecssoi,.comiparccl.php4gid=344413) Site Inventory Form State Inventory No. 52-04090 ® New ❑ Supplemental State Historical Society of Iowa ❑ Part of a district with known boundaries (enter inventory no.) (December f, fgsg) Relationship: ❑ Contributing ❑ Noncontributing ® Contributes to a potential district with et 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 Crescent Block other names/site number Lovelace -Moon Block 2. Location street & number 117-123 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 (Check only one box) 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 MA" ifthe property is not part of a multiple property examination). Title Historical Architectural Data Base Number Iowa Citv Central Business District Studv - 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 02B COMMERCE/TRADE/professional offices 03A04 SOCIAL/fraternal hall 02G COMMERCE/TRADE/restaurant 02E COMMERCE/TRADE/specialty store 7. Description Architectural Classification (Enter categories from instructions) Materials (Enter categories from instructions) 09F05 COMMERCIAL/Brick Front foundation 02B COMMERCE/TRADE/professional offices walls 03 BRICK roof other 07 TERRA Narrative Description (® SEE CONTINUATION SHEETS, WHICH MUST BE COS pucame nanonai Kegiscer �nrena ni -X representing your opinion or eugmm[y aver applying relevant rvanonai Kegister 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 2 No ❑ More Research Recommended D Property yields significant information in archaeology or history. County Johnson Address 117-123 E. College Street Site Number 52-04090 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. eB Removed from its original location. ElG 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) 02 ARCHITECTURE 05 COMMERCE Significant Dates Construction date 1894 ❑ check if circa or estimated date Other dates 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 N 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 street & number 4252 Oakland Avenue city or town Minneapolis state MN ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION (submit the following items with the completed form) date 10/2017 telephone 515-491-5432 zip code 55407 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 he 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: Ralf/slide sheet # Frame/slat # 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 52-04090 Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number Continuation Sheet Name of Property County 117-123 E. College Street Iowa City Address City 7. Property Description The Crescent Block is a three-story brick building constructed in 1894. The building is an example of a late 19°i century Commercial Brick Front building form. Its four bays originally contained three shop spaces with an entrance to the upper floors in the narrow bay (119) to the right of center. This bay now also contains a narrow shop space in addition to the stairs access. The building is clad in a dark brown brick set with reddish tinted mortar. A twin band of corbeled brick extends across the front between the second and third levels. The original pressed metal cornice has widely spaced brackets with smaller brackets evenly spaced in between. The original storefront treatment is retained in the west bay (117). This bay has a recessed entrance set between plate glass display windows and a multi -part transom above. The first floor projects forward from the front facade and has a shallow, standing -seam metal shed roof separating the first and second floors. An embossed metal cornice spans the transoms connecting to the hipped roof entrance hood above the entrance to the upper levels (119). This space was remodeled in the 1930s with canara glass elements with Art Deco styling. The design is well -suited for the small size of this bay. The design includes a curved glass display window on the right with bands of black and white glass in the bulkhead and signboard areas. The original wood and glass entrance door and tile floor in the entrance are retained in this space. The east half of the building is now part of a single storefront. The modern design incorporated new brick with a gray exposed aggregate in the section separating the windows from the second floor. The windows have single fixed glass lights and are topped by separate curved, fixed awnings. The entrance is at the far cast end. The upper levels of the building have an unusual arrangement of window openings. The third floor windows appear in pairs, are tall and narrow with stone sills, and have a single flat stone lintel above each pair. A pair of windows is centered in each of the original four bays. The windows consist of 1 /1 double -hung sash with a transom of equal size above. Windows on the west half of the second level are shorter with a pair of 1 /1 sash above the hipped roof entrance bay. The west bay has a pair of 1/1 sash plus transom centered in the bay with shorter 1/1 sash plus transoms on both sides. Fenestration of the east half of the second floor originally mirrored that on the west (Image 05), but in 1929 (likely with Montgomery Ward's move into the building) two large Chicago -style windows were introduced in place of those in the east half of the building (2017). The Chicago - style windows have since been replaced with new sash (the opening is retained). The building is approximately 80-ft. wide and has an irregular depth. The third floor originally contained a hall space (Svendsen, 2001). In 2017, the building appears as previously described. The building is largely vacant, with only the storefronts at 117 and 119 occupied by Revival, a vintage clothing store. 8. Statement of Significance This building is a moderately well-preserved example of a turn -of -the -century Commercial Brick Front building. Constructed in 1894 under the auspices of C.F. Lovelace, that connection provides an additional avenue for considering significance; Lovelace being associated with the adjacent College Block as well as the construction of other downtown buildings. He also has deep and significant ties to commercial and financial institutions in the city. Although it is unlikely that a case under Criterion B in association with Lovelace should be made for the Crescent Block, certainly that association elevates the general significance of the building. Further, the building is an unusual example of commercial design, with stylistic influences reflecting the influence of Chicago architecture on Iowa City design - an association worth additional consideration. Lovelace's role in the design should also be examined. Finally, as a mixed -use building the Crescent Block has long associations with the history of commerce in downtown Iowa City (including as a professional office space), and to the history of local fraternal groups that utilized the third floor hall. Though portions of the storefront have sustained significant alterations, the retention of a 1930s era Art Deco Style storefront (119) as well as one of the original storefronts Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-04090 Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number Continuation Sheet Name of Property County 117-123 E. College Street Iowa City Address City (117) gives the Crescent Block added importance. As a result, this building is considered individually eligible for the National Register under Criterion C and likely under Criterion A as well. Retention of a good level of historic integrity on the interior would be important to a successful nomination. The building is counted as a contributing structure in a potential historic district. Image 01. View of the fa4adc (north) elevation, looking SW across the Pad Mall (E. College Street) (Tmagc by AKAY Coosuning, August 201 7) Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-04090 Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number Continuation Sheet Name of Property County 117-123 E. College Street Iowa City Address City Image 02. View of the fagade (north) elevation, looking SE across the Ped Mall (E. College Sn'eet) (Image by AKAY Cnn:ulting, August 2017) Image 03. View of the 1930s Art Deco storefront faced in black Carrara glass (lmagc by AK AY Consuhing, Augu56 2017) Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-04090 Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number Continuation Sheet Name of Property County 117-123 E. College Street Iowa City Address City Historical Background As noted, the Crescent Block 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 cast -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). Property transfer records show this property changing hands in 1890 and 1895 when Manley Moon and Milton Moon each acquired half of Lot 2 in Block 82 from Robert Finkbine and Chancy Lovelace, architects in the partnership of Finkbine and Lovelace (Svendsen, 2001). Lovelace and Moon are responsible for the building's construction in 1894 (2017). When the pending construction was announced in April of that year, the news account noted that work would commence in early May. The 80- by 80-ft., three-story building would have three "three fine store rooms with modern fronts" on the first floor; offices on the second floor; and the third floor would be fitted for a large hall. Demolition of a brick building on the site was underway the first week in May (2017)_ At the time the building was under construction, news accounts refen'ed to the property as the Lovelace and Moon Block, but in late December the property owners announced the building would thereafter be known as the Crescent Block; no explanation for the name was given. Lovelace and Moon held the property until 1923 when M.G. Koser, a local real estate agent, acquired the building (2017)_ City directories and fire insurance maps show the building with a number of retail tenants through the years. In 1899 fire insurance maps show the building with a pharmacy, china and notions store, and hardware store. The 1904 city directory shows the Crescent Pharmacy run by W.W. Morrison (117) and Bruce Moore's hardware store (123)_ By 1906 a clothing store was in place at 121 joining the drug store and hardware stores already in place. The Elks Club occupied the third floor meeting hall. Five years later, the Crescent Pharmacy continued but A.A. Pickering's Store replaced the clothing store selling "china, glass, queensware, fancy goods and toys" and the Knights of Columbus rented the third floor hall space after the Elks moved to their newly completed building on the southwest corner of Gilbert and Washington streets. The second floor had 10 office suites occupied by lawyers, insurance agents, and abstractors_ After World War I and during the 1920s, William Smith and Richard Hiatt operated a hardware store from(121 and a grocery store opened in 123. The pharmacy continued from 117 but with a new name, Morison's Pharmacy (Svendsen, 2001). In 1929 a major shift came when the Montgomery Ward and Co. department store located in 121-123. Montgomery Ward had their faun store and implement sales in a building located directly to the south fronting onto Burlington Street_ They remained the anchor retail tenant in the building until the late 1960s when Goodwill Industries occupied 121-123. By 1940, the Koser Brothers Real Estate Office was located at 119. M.G. Koser owned the building at the time. The drug store space was taken over about the same time by Western Auto and continued through the early 1960s. By the late 1970s the first of several restaurants and/or bars opened in the building - Maxwell's Cocktail Lounge occupied 121-123. In 2000, the Union Bar occupied 121-123 and the Soap Opera specialty soap shop was in 119. Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-04090 Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number Continuation Sheet Name of Property County 117-123 E. College Street Iowa City Address City Image 04. Historic image — ca. 1910 (Source: SLate Hietonral Society of Iowa) In this view of the south side of E. College Street, looking east from Clinton we see the Crescent Block at left. At that Lime, the Dooley Block remained fully intact at center, and the Coldren Opera House/Town City State Bank was located on the corner (now the Savings and Loan Building). Image 05. Historic image — ca.1925 (Sourer: SLate Histonral Socicry of Iowa) Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-04090 Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number Continuation Sheet Name of Property County 117-123 E. College Street Iowa City Address City Image 06. Historic image — ca.1965 (Source: Iowa City Public Library) By this time, die 2"a floor windows of the cast two bays had been altered. This likely occurred concurrent with Montgomery 'Ward's move into the building in 1929. Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number 52-04090 Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number Continuation Sheet Name of Property County 117-123 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, Ciry 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 Ciry Then & Now. Publisher unknown. Mannheim, Gerald_ Iowa City: an illustrated history. Norfolk, VA: The Donning Company, 1999. State Historical Society of Iowa. Iowa City. Photograph Collection. Slonneger, Matybedt. Finials. _4 View of'Downtown Iowa City. Iowa City: Hand Press, 2015. Svendsen, Marlyn A. "Survey and Evaluation of the Central Business District." Prepared for the Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission, 2001. Svendsen, Marlys A. "Crescent Block: 52-04090." Iowa Site Form, 2001. Newspapers Iowa Ciry Herald. "Iowa City Improves." April 19, 1894. Iowa City Herald. "Local News." May 02, 1894. Iowa City Herald. '-Iowa City Alive and Moving." May 02, 1994. Iowa 01Y Herald. "Local News." September 22, 1 894. Iowa City Herald. "Over the City." November 24, 1894. Iowa Ciry Herald. "The Crescent Block." December 21, 1 894. Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs State Historical Society of Iowa Iowa Site Inventory Form Continuation Sheet Site Number 52-04090 Related District Number Name of Property County 117-123 E. College Street Iowa City Address City 11. Additional Documentation Legal Description: Original Town Plat, Block 82, Lot 2 Assessor: PIN 002+1010380005-006 (2 parcels, currently one property owner) Lat/Long: 41.658824/-91.533763 Parcel Map - 2017 jCOLLEGE z zza z U 212 22d 228 w � Ci w � m iaz � a N ABURLINGTON Staff Report May 5, 2020 Historic Review for 708 Dearborn Street District: Dearborn Street Conservation District Classification: Non-contributing The applicant, Mary Neumann, is requesting approval for a proposed addition project at 708 Dearborn Street, a non-contributing property in the Dearborn Street Conservation District. The project consists of the addition of a screened porch and entry stoop and stairs. Applicable Regulations and Guidelines: 4.0 Iowa City Historic Preservation Gm'debnes for Alterations 4.1 Balustrades and Handrails 4.3 Doors 4.7 Mass and Rooflines 4.10 Porches 4.11 Siding 4.13 Windows 4.14 Wood 5.0 Guidelines for Additions 5.1 Expansion of Building Footprint Staff Comments This Minimal Traditional, side gabled house was likely built ca. 1936. It has six -over -one individual and paired doublehungwindows. The front entry was enclosed in the 1960s or early 1970s. In 1981, aluminum siding was installed. The house is likely non-contributing to the Conservation District because of these two changes. The applicant is proposing to add a 12-foot by 12-foot, gabled, screened porch addition to the back of the house. The window in this area will be replaced with a sliding glass door to provide access to the porch. The screened porch will have true 6-inch by 6-inch posts in the outside corners and screening attached to 4x4 posts with an overlay of wood or composite material. The trim and soffit will match the existing house. Because the house has aluminum siding, the siding in the new gable will either match the existing house by using material removed inside the porch, or it will match the original material exposed during the project. To match the original material either smooth cement board or smooth LP Smartside will be used. Framed skirting will be installed between the supporting porch piers. The porch, landing, and stairs will all have a square -spindled balustrade and post. Treated lumber will be used for all structural framing. All exposed interior framings will be cedar posts. Section 5.1 of the guidelines, Expansion of the Building Footprint, recommends that the design of an addition does not diminish the character of the historic structure, is distinguishable from the original structure at the point they connect, and is placed at the rear of the building. In addition, a palette of materials similar to the original structure should be used and the design should match key horizontal "lines" such as cave height, both in order to provide continuity between the two portions of the building. New porches more than 18 inches above grade should be constructed using traditional porch construction with wood joists and wood flooring and skirting should sill the area between piers if it is 24 inches or greater. Section 4.1, Balustrades and Handrails, provides a simple design with square posts and spindles for use on most properties. This section also states that typical deck railing design is inappropriate on any property in a regulated district or on a landmark. Section 4.3, Doors, includes an exception that applies to conservation districts that allows the Commission to approve sliding patio doors on the rear of a primary building provided that the openings are trimmed to match the existing doors and windows. In Staffs opinion, this project will follow the guidelines and the exception to allow a sliding door on this property is appropriate because the house is non-contributing to the Conservation District and the new door is on the back of the building. Staff finds it appropriate to approve that the siding in the new gable matches either the aluminum siding or the original siding because the ability to use the aluminum will depend upon the condition of siding removed for the project. The applicant would like to use a synthetic material like Azek, with a smooth finish, for the frieze board, fascia, and covering over the 4x4 posts where the screen is attached. Because this house already has synthetic siding and is non-contributing to the Conservation District, staff finds this material acceptable in these locations. Recommended Modon Move to approve a Certificate of Appropriateness for the project at 708 Dearborn Street as presented in the application with the following condition: Door product information is submitted and approved by staff FA W;2 . �1 APPLICATION FOR HISTORIC REVIEW Application for alterations to the historic landmarks or properties located in a historic district or conservation district pursuant to Iowa City Code Section 14-3B. Guidelines for the Historic Review process, explanation of the process and regulations can be found in the Iowa City Historic Preservation Handbook, which is available in the Neighborhood and Development Services office at City Hall or online at: www.icgov.org/historicl2reservationresources For Staff Use: Date submitted: 0 ❑ Certificate of No material Effect ❑ Certificate of Appropriateness ❑ Major Review ❑ Intermediate Review ❑ Minor Review The HPC does not review applications for compliance with building and zoning codes. Work must comply with all appropriate codes and be reviewed by the building division prior to the issuance of a building permit. Meeting Schedule: The HPC meets the second Thursday of each month. Applications are due in the office of Neighborhood and Development Services by noon on Wednesday three weeks prior to the meeting. See last page of this application for deadlines and meeting dates. PROPERTY OWNER/ APPLICANT INFORMATION (Please check primary contact person) ❑ Property Owner Name: I M H 9 Y V E U N Email: Phone Number: Address: 619 IZ 02 M Cityd 10WR C I TY State: 1 t4 Zip Codef 52 5 Contractor/Consultant Name: Email: I OYYI Phone Number: Address: 0 i City: c)u) l State: Zip Code: PROPOSED PROJECT INFORMATION Address: Use of Property: T1 Date Constructed (if known): ��1310 HISTORIC DESIGNATION (Maps are located at the following link: www.ic og v.org/historicpreservationresources) ❑ This Property is a local historic landmark. OR This Property is within a historic or conservation district (choose location): ❑ Brown St. Historic District ❑ Northside Historic District ❑ College Hill Conservation District ❑ College Green Historic District ❑ Summit St. Historic District T Dearborn St. Conservation District ❑ East College St. Historic District ❑ Woodlawn Historic District Goosetown/ Horace Mann ❑ Jefferson St. Historic District ❑ Clark St. Conservation Conservation District ❑ Longfellow Historic District District ❑ Governor -Lucas St. Conservation District Within the district, this Property is Classified as: ❑ Contributing ❑ Noncontributing ❑ Nonhistoric APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS Choose appropriate project type. In order to ensure application can be processed, please include all listed materials. Applications without necessary materials may be rejected. ❑ Addition (Typically projects entailing an addition to the building footprint such as a room, porch, deck, etc.) ❑ Building Elevations ❑ Floor Plans ❑ Photographs ❑ Product Information ❑ Site Plans Alteration (Typically projects entailing work such as siding and window replacement, skylights, window opening alterations, deck or porch replacement/construction, baluster repair, or similar. If the project is a minor alteration, photographs and drawings to describe the scope of the project are sufficient.) ❑ Building Elevations ❑ Product Information ❑ Photographs ❑ Construction of anew building ❑ Building Elevations ❑ Floor Plans ❑ Photographs ❑ Product Information ❑ Site Plans ❑ Demolition (Projects entailing the demolition of a primary structure or outbuilding, or any portion of a building, such as porch, chimney, decorative trim, baluster, etc.) ❑ Photographs ❑ Evidence of deterioration ❑ Proposal of Future Plans ❑ Regair or Restoration of an existing structure that will not change its appearance. ❑ Photographs ❑ Product Information ❑ Other Please contact the Preservation Specialist at 356-5243 for materials which need to be included with applications Project Description: Con S+ eu r-4 Per plans, APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS A I Z' x 12' Co\1e11tPouch On —h-%e rear, iviarerrats to oe uses: . �V' SLM `�amtnn (t vr� aA +�S I A z�K--,QCh e�m aOQaX�, ��rl + ^LVaivr Appcdrance %.ranges: _...,.A.,.a.aa r.YYrrcarrun: Download form, Fill it out and email it tojessica-bristow@iowa-city.org or mail to Historic Preservation, City of Iowa City, 410 E. Washington Street, Iowa City, IA 52240 LUSH GABLE DI(_LJT Cl CV A TlnKl LEFT ELEVATION HORIZONTAIL LAP SIDING 12 (MATCH EXISTING) 6 � r P 6' TO 4) S( � M M pgnu EXi BE, BA FROM STAIR LE NOSING SCREENING REAR ELEVATION ATCH SOFFIT HEIGHT NO STYLE TRIM BOARD MATCH EXISTING :4 POSTS ;REENING STING STRUCTURE (OND LUSTERS (STYLES VARY) SS THAN 4' BETWEEN SPINDELS. ............................................. �. I .............. 8- O.H. SHOWN ADJUST TO MATCH °o c�i LL EXISTING HOUSE F oN i �s -O 00m0 x W £ m EXISTING SUB -FLOOR . ................. & o 20 BEVELED BLOCK /VENT RIDGE II 716' 1 BEAM f/ 2x6 RAFTERS 24' O.C. 7/8' FILLER HING 12 '153ROOFINGTFE T 16 SHINGLES 1.12 TRIM %SOFFIT SYSTEM TO MATCH EXISTING HOUSE 1.6 TRIM .. / .............. INTERIOR COVERING - 2 - 8 (2) 2.12 CONTINUOUS HDR. W/ 1/2' SPACER 4x4 POSTS (TYPICAL) SCREENING OVERLAY TRIM COMPOSITE DECKING PLANKS -� EXISTING STRUCTURE 1.10 PT. JOIST BEYOND DBL-END JOIST 2) 2x10 IN DECK BEAM 6.6 PT. POSTS SECTION THROUGH PORCH NOTE: ADJUSTMENTS MAY BE BUILDER TO VERIFY MADE AT BUILDERS DISCRETION ALL DIMENSIONS wan. ago-.-. a.. Pa-Y..I.. 12'-8.. 4.-0.. x6 TRIM 4x4 POSTS 2x4 FRAMING EQUALLY SPACED (2) 2x4 FRAMING!! o w � N n �- 2x6 RAFTERS 2x6 RAFTERS O 24' O.C. III ¢ 24- O.C. N III m IIIJ III J In � 8~ VI= L}•-Fj" NEW 5-0 nl SLIDING DR. 0 I EXPOSE ORIGINAL SIDING IN INTERIOR SPACE IF POSSIBLE. TRIM NEW DOOR TO MATCH TRIM OF EXISTING WINDOW (2) 2x4 FRAMING Ix6 TRIM EXISTING EXISTING / WINDOW WINDOW NOTE: EDGE OF NEW / DOOR OPENING TO BE EXISTING AT EDGE OF EXISTING STRUCTURE WINDOW OPENING. FLOOR LAYOUT SCALE: 1/4•• = I•-O" NOTE: ADJUSTMENTS MAY BE BUILDER TO VERIFY MADE AT BUILDERS DISCRETION ALL DIMENSIONS wmzazoco-mrzvmm- izaevw-- sw. r re V-6" 2'-8" 2 3/4' -1 1/4" -I 1/4 6x6 PT. POSTS (21 2x10 IN DECK BEAM O N 1 — c3 24" DIA PIERS A N Cn o, o MIN. 42" BELOW GRADE 11 0 T DBL. END JOIST EXISTING STRUCTURE PORCH LAYOUT SCALE: 1/4" - 1'-0" NOTE: ADJUSTMENTS MAY BE MADE AT BUILDERS DISCRETION 3' 10 1/4' 2 3/4' 4x4 PT. POSTS 12" DIA PIERS A MIN. 42' BELOW GRADE BUILDER TO VERIFY ALL DIMENSIONS '-8 3/4"-�--6'-I 1/1 1/4 24" DIA PIERS A :............. MIN. 42" BELOW GRADE i �2'-8" EXISTING STRUCTURE PIER LAYOUT SCALE: 1/4" = I'-O" 12" DIA PIERS A MIN. 42" BELOW GRADE NOTE: ADJUSTMENTS MAY BE BUILDER TO VERIFY MADE AT BUILDERS I ALL DIMENSIONS w z m u u NOTE: NOT OFFICIAL SITE PLAN "FOR REFFERENCE USE ONLY" DIMENSIONS SHOWN ARE ACCURATE BUT NOT VERIFIED. 708 DEARBORN ST. NORTH IOWA CITY. IOWA I 3 w 6 _6. J J s EXISTING STRUCTUREH N EXISTING DRIVE laj m GARAGE � m N Ii ri ■ pi 9 'c 3vl m m I� m �- ---125.5'---- I F S iey» Y��roish 4l i� ' 'K` A .° p'�3M"GvbK a q e etYc _?`s t M=���JIIR\EYee l..h. w.'Tk J I. Staff Report May 5, 2020 Historic Review for 510 North Van Buren Street District: Northside Historic District Classification: Non-contributing The applicant, Thomas Agran, is requesting approval for a proposed addition project at 510 North Van Buren Street, a Non-contributing property in the Northside Historic District. The project consists of the reconstruction of a front porch. Applicable Regulations and Guidelines: 4.0 Iowa City Historic Preservation Gwolebnes for Alterations 4.1 Balustrades and Handrails 4.5 Foundations 4.6 Gutters and Downspouts 4.7 Mass and Rooflines 4.8 Masonry 4.10 Porches 4.14 Wood 9..0 Guidelines for Additions 5.1 Expansion of Building Footprint Sta ff Com rn en ts The small group of houses on North Van Buren Street, including 510, 512 and 511 and 515 across the street were all built between 1912 and 1920, the date of the fast Sanborn Fire insurance map on which they are found. The group of houses appear to be catalogue homes that were popular at the time from Sears and Gordon Van Tine amongst others. While the others are contributing to the Historic District, 510 North Van Buren is non-contributing because of its missing porch. This house has a front -facing main gable roof like and large crossing gables like its neighbor at 512 North Van Buren. It has one -over -one individual and paired double -hung windows. While it appears the aluminum siding was added in the late 1960s or early 1970s, the porch was removed prior to 1973. The applicant is proposing to reconstruct the missing front porch with much of it similar to the porch at the neighboring house at 512 North Van Buren. The porch will be a traditional 8 feet wide with a low -sloped hip roof, round columns, block piers a simple balustrade, and traditional porch skirting. In Section 5.1, Expansion of the Building Footprint, the guidelines recommend constructing new porches that are consistent with the historic building or similar to porches of the same architectural style. Foundations, piers in this case, should match the existing as should trim and other details. New balustrades should follow the guidelines in section 4.1, which states that missing balustrades should be replaced in a style that is consistent with both the building and the neighborhood. Porch flooring should consist of vertical grained Douglas Fir. An exception exists for non-contributing properties in Historic Districts to allow for pre-treated porch decking or dimensional lumber for the flooring. An effort was made to find evidence of the original configuration of this porch through photographic evidence or published catalogue plans. While many similar homes were illustrated in some of the resources, this particular house plan was not located. During this era many of the porches were similar. Some had round columns and other had square or battered columns. Some porches had gable roofs and some had hip roofs. Piers either stopped at the porch deck or were balustrade height. When looking at the houses in this group, it did appear that the houses across the street shared similarities such as the square porch columns, lack of crossing gables, and a group of three ganged windows in the second floor. The houses on this side have the crossing gables, paired windows in the second floor, and in the case of S12 North Van Buren, round porch columns. While all of these houses are slightly different from each other, it does appear that there are similarities between the houses on the same side of the street. In Staffs opinion, constructing a porch at S10 North Van Buren that is similar to the porch at S12 North Van Buren is appropriate. This project could make this property a contributing property in the Northside Historic District. For this reason, staff recommends that the porch has a tongue -and -groove porch flooring in wood or an appropriate substitute, piers that match the rock faced block in the foundation, round columns of an appropriate diameter that are either wood or an appropriate substitute. The Commission could approve an alternate for square columns like those across the street, which would then be constructed of wood. Recommended Modon Move to approve a Certificate of Appropriateness for the project at S10 North Van Buren as presented in the application with the following conditions: Final materials are wood or appropriate wood substitutes approve by staff. A .n •I ^w�tii�.�� v Pell L Y AQ I +pfyCj Application for alterations to the historic landmarks or properties located in a historic district or conservation district pursuant to Iowa City Code Section 14-31B. Guidelines for the Historic Review process, explanation of the process and regulations can be found in the Iowa City Historic Preservation Handbook, which is available in the Neighborhood and Development Services office at City Hall or online at:�.icgov.org/historicpreservationresources The HPC does not review applications for compliance with building and zoning codes. Work must comply with all appropriate codes and be reviewed by the building division prior to the issuance of a building permit. Meeting Schedule: The HPC meets the second Thursday of each month. Applications are due in the office of Neighborhood and Development Services by noon on Wednesday three weeks prior to the meeting. See deadlines and meeting dates. Property Owner / Applicant Information Property Owner Property Owner Name Thomas Agran Email* thomasagran@gmail.com Phone * 3195414554 Address * Street Address 512 N. Van Buren Street Address tine 2 Cry Iowa City Rstal / Zip Code 52245 Primary Contact* F Yes r'No Contractor / Consultant Name* Thomas Agran Email* thomasagran@gmail.com Phone * 3195414554 State / Povince / P-gian IA Country United States Address Street Address 512 N VAN BUREN ST Address Line 2 Qty State / Aovince / figion IOWA CITY IA Postal / Zip Cede muntry 52245 United States Primary Contact OYes 0No Proposed Project Information Address* Street Address 510 N. Van Buren Street Address Line 2 Qty State / Aovince / figion Iowa City IA Rstal / Zip Code muntry 52245 United States Use of Property* Residential Date constructed if alawn Historic Designation Maps are located at the following link: wAwv.icgov.org/historicpreservationresources * O This property is a local historic landmark O This property is within a historic or conservation district Please select the district below:* O Brown St. Historic District O College Green Historic District O East College St. Historic District O Jefferson St. Historic District O Longfellow Historic District 6 Northside Historic District O Summit St. Historic District O Woodlawn Historic District O Clark St. Conservation District O College Hill Conservation District O Dearborn St. Conservation District O Goosetown/ Horace Mann Conservation District O Governor -Lucas St. Conservation District Within the district, this property is classified as: O Contributing O Noncontributing r Nonhistoric Application Requirements Choose appropriate project type. In order to ensure application can be processed, please include all listed materials. Applications without necessary materials may be rejected.* O Addition O Alteration O Construction O Demolition O Repair or Restoration O Other Addition Typically projects entailing an addi[im to the building footpdnt such as a roont porch, deck etc. Building Elevations* 510 Photoshop.jpg 2.34MB Floor Plans* 510 Photoshop.jpg 2.34MB Photographs* 510 Ebsting.JPG 3.97MB 510 Photoshop.jpg 2.34MB 512 Porch.JPG 3MB Product Information* 510 Photoshop.jpg 2.34MB Site Plans* 510 Photoshop.jpg 2.34MB Additional Requirements Project Description:* The house currently has a set of pre -cast concrete steps. I want to put the original front porch back on the house. Based on the flat faced block on the front of the house, you can discern the original width of the porch. Our house to the north (512) is a nearly identical house by the same builder, constructed just a fewyears later. This house was built in 1910, 512 was built in 1914. I'd like to reconstruct the front porch to match 512. 1 have provided a really quick hack Photoshop job to showwhat this might roughly look like, though some details with the roofline need to be worked out as 510 is a lower elevation and the roof may need to be flat vs. hip. The aim for this house is to return it to contributing status. If a photo of the original porch can be found, I would use that as the model for the plans. There is a good chance as the house is slightly more modest that it would have had squared off porch columns like the properties to its west, vs. the slightly grander round columns on 512. 510 has more ornate interior millwork than 512, so there is a hit of an unusual tension between formal and informal with the two houses and their stature. This is part of a project that includes a total renovation of the interior of the house to return it to its original build, more or less. I am considering this application a starting point, and would like to have a porch approved so that any work that might need to happen on the front of the building can be done to prepare or advance the final plan. I have not drafted plans yet so they have not been included (had to add images to all sections to get the application to submit, sorry). Materials to be Used:* New piers to match existing foundation, rough faced CMU. Wood framing. Hip roof to match 512 with asphalt shingles to match ebsting roof, architectural style shingles. Wood railings with squared spindles. Round columns to match 512, salvaged. Douglas fir porch floor. Wood steps. All wood painted. Original door and storm door to be retained. Awning to be removed. I currently do not believe that the original siding is under the aluminum. Any newsiding would be done to match any a#ant siding discovered or the exposure of the original siding, some of which has been exposed, on 512. Likely this would mean newsiding on the front of the house, and waiting on the other elevations. Exterior Appearance Changes:* Newfront porch, steps, walk. Potential new lap siding. r -- I, J .y FS C i hAL-UK-A ktoLJlE sob N VP� g��aFn1 5 i ScAI� I CM � � �pUT h1 of+-T1 l t—L Ewa "O r i r, 3 S �( 1 S � 0 -A a a 4y 9 S S a _q 7 s Asa,°; ��8i�O:[�%<>•. ':i-- � _w�4R► Ida a '.-. �� B.�l� 4 Staff Report May 6, 2020 Historic Review for 221 East Washington Street, Englert Theatre District: Central Business District The applicant, the Englert Theatre, is requesting approval for a proposed sign repair project at 221 East Washington Street, The Englert Theatre, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, is also a key contributing property in the National Register Nomination for the Downtown Historic District which is currently in process. The property is not a local landmark designated through the rezoning process. The existing marquee is a non -conforming sign and most follow City Code, Section 14-4E-8C. The intent of this code is that non -conforming signs are eliminated over time. The code specifies that signs that become nonconforming due to a change in zoning or a change in the development regulations are permitted to remain as nonconforming signs. If, however, work beyond periodic maintenance occurs on the sign, it must be brought into compliance with the sign regulations except for non -conforming signs that are deemed historic or are signs for a historic structure. These signs, which would include the Englert sign, may qualify for a special exception from the Board of Adjustment to allow changes to the non -conforming sign instead of bringing it into compliance. Since the property is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is significant to the community and the architecture and history of the building, the changes to the sign must also be approved by the Historic Preservation Commission in order to be granted a special exception from the Board of Adjustment. Applicable Regulations and Guidelines: 10.0 The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabtlttation Staffcomments The Englert Theatre was constructed in 1912 in a Second Renaissance Revival style with classical detailing. The front of the three-story building is divided into three bays. On the upper floors the bays are divided into three large windows. An arched roofline crowns the top of the center bay. The doorways at the ground floor of the center bay are covered by the existing marquee. This marquee was likely added ca. 1950-58 and is at least the third marquee installed at the theatre. While the marquee is not original, it has achieved historic significance and is a contributing element of the theatre and then the potential historic district. A fire destroyed much of the interior of the theatre in 1926 which and it was rebuilt in a Tudor Revival theme. In the 1980s the theater was divided with a wall down the center into two small -screen movie houses. In the early 2000's the theatre was restored. Currently the theatre is undergoing a new rehabilitation project that includes the marquee project under review. The applicant is proposing to remove and restore the neon lighting, replace the electrical infrastructure, update the incandescent bulbs to LED, dean and repaint the metal elements, replace the roof membrane, and improve the roof slope and drainage. The metal facade of the marquee is composed of panels or "cabinets." Those cabinets will be removed and a restoration expert will remove the lead paints and then repaint them to match the historic colors. The changes incurred during the project include the repair and replacement of missing and damaged lighting elements, so the sign is fully functional. Incandescent bulbs will be replaced with looking -a -like LED bulbs. All neon will be repaired in place to match existing/original, with exception of horizontal line of neon below the message board. This line, which is currently missing, is highly susceptible to vandalism/damage due to its height from the ground. For safety and security purposes, this line will be replaced by a non -electric metal tube. During the day it will appear white like the rest of the neon tubes, but will not light up at night. The guidelines are limited in recommendations applicable to this project. In order to review projects that are not covered in individual sections, the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation are included in Section 10. Number Two of the standards states the historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of historic materials or alteration of features and spaces that characterize a property shall be avoided. Number Four states that most properties change over time; those changes that have acquired historic significance in their own right shall be retained and preserved. Number Six states that deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature shall match the old in design, color, texture, and other visual qualities and, where possible, materials. In Staffs opinion, much of this project involves the appropriate repair of elements of the sign. Neon will be repaired and replaced with neon if necessary. Metal elements will be cleaned and recoated. The replacement of the roof membrane in the top of the marquee is appropriate and any changes to the slope and drainage in this area is necessary and will not be visible. Similarly, changes to the electrical system will not be apparent. The replacement of incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs will increase the longevity and efficiency of that portion of the lighting system and since all bulbs will be replaced at once with LED that mimic the appearance of incandescent, any visual impact of this change should be minimal. The new clip system for the letters in the marquee will hopefully make the process of changing the sign easier for the operator. Staff also finds it acceptable to replace the red neon tube along the bottom of the sign as described in the project drawings with a metal tube that will be in place and appear similar to the others during the day but not illuminated at night. Staff finds that the proposed project retains the historic character of the existing marquee while also repairing it and improving its functionality. Staff finds that the Commission should recommend to the Board of Adjustment to approve the special exception to allow these minimal changes to this historic marquee that has achieved such significance it is often found in photographs illustrating the character of historic downtown Iowa City. The loss of this marquee would be a significant loss for the historic character of the Englert Theatre. Recommended Motion Move to approve a Certificate of Appropriateness for the project at 221 East Washington Street as presented in the application with the following condition: Approval of the special exception is granted by the Board Of Adjustment w 221 - f ul I ILI 11, e 1 11 iM:'u APPLICATION FOR HISTORIC REVIEW Application for alterations to the historic landmarks or properties located in a historic district or conservation district pursuant to Iowa City Code Section 14-313. Guidelines for the Historic Review process, explanation of the process and regulations can be found in the Iowa City Historic Preservation Handbook, which is available in the Neighborhood and Development Services office at City Hall or online at: www.icgov.org/historicpreservationresources For Staff Use: Date submitted: 4/21 /2020 ❑ Certificate of No material Effect 0 Certificate of Appropriateness © Major Review ❑ Intermediate Review ❑ Minor Review The HPC does not review applications for compliance with building and zoning codes. Work must comply with all appropriate codes and be reviewed by the building division prior to the issuance of a building permit. Meeting Schedule: The HPC meets the second Thursday of each month. Applications are due in the office of Neighborhood and Development Services by noon on Wednesday three weeks prior to the meeting. See last page of this application for deadlines and meeting dates. PROPERTY OWNER/ APPLICANT INFORMATION (Please check primary contact person) Property Owner Name: I The En lert Theatre Email: andre car en lert.com Phone Number: Address: 221 E. Washington Street City: I Iowa City State: TA Zip Code: 52240 ❑ Contractor/Consultant Name: I Estes Construction Email: Kendall cuestesconstmction.com Phone Number: 563-723-9387 Address: P.O. Box 3608 City: IDavenport State: IA Zip Code: 52240 ROPOSED PROJECT INFORMATION Address: 1221 E. Washington St, Iowa City, IA 52240 Use of Property: I theater I Date Constructed (if known): 1912 100WFiISTORIC DESIGNATION (Maps are located at the following link: www.icgov.org/historicpreservationresources) This Property is a local historic landmark. OR This Property is within a historic or conservation district (choose location): ❑ Brown St. Historic District ❑ Northside Historic District ❑ College Hill Conservation District ❑ College Green Historic District ❑ Summit St. Historic District ❑ Dearborn St. Conservation District ❑ East College St. Historic District ❑ Woodlawn Historic District ❑ Goosetown/ Horace Mann ❑ Jefferson St. Historic District ❑ Clark St. Conservation Conservation District ❑ Longfellow Historic District District ❑ Governor -Lucas St. Conservation District Within the district, this Property is Classified as: ❑ Contributing ❑ Noncontributing ❑ Nonhistoric APPLICATION REtEMENT Choose appropriate project type. In order to ensure application can be processed, please include all listed materials. Applications without necessary materials may be rejected. ❑ Addition (Typically projects entailing an addition to the building footprint such as a room, porch, deck, etc.) ❑ Building Elevations ❑ Floor Plans ❑ Photographs ❑ Product Information ❑ Site Plans ❑ Alteration (Typically projects entailing work such as siding and window replacement, skylights, window opening alterations, deck or porch replacement/construction, baluster repair, or similar. If the project is a minor alteration, photographs and drawings to describe the scope of the project are sufficient.) ❑ Building Elevations ❑ Product Information ❑ Photographs ❑ Construction of a new building ❑ Building Elevations ❑ Floor Plans ❑ Photographs ❑ Product Information ❑ Site Plans ❑ Demolition (Projects entailing the demolition of a primary structure or outbuilding, or any portion of a building, such as porch, chimney, decorative trim, baluster, etc.) ❑ Photographs ❑ Evidence of deterioration ❑ Proposal of Future Plans 0 Repair or Restoration of an existing structure that will not change its appearance. ® Photographs W1 Product Information ❑ Other Please contact the Preservation Specialist at 356-5243 for materials which need to be included with applications PLICATION REQUI Project Description: face work includes removing and restoring the neon lighting, replacing the electrical infrastructure, updating the incandescent s to LED, cleaning and repainting the metal elements, replacing the roof membrane, improving the roof slope and drainage. metal facade of the marquee is composed of panels or "cabinets." Those cabinets will be removed and shipped to restoration it who can remove lead paints within a lead -safe environment following EPA guidelines. Materials to be Used: Sheet metal, paint / high performance coatings, neon lighting, "incandescent -like" LED light bulbs, Acrylic Panel, EPDM roofing membrane (not visible from street). Exterior Appearance Changes: No substantial aesthetic changes to facade or marquee, but the repair and restoration will make a dramatic difference compared to current state of certain elements. On the marquee, missing and damaged lighting elements will be repaired/replaced so the sia is firlly-functional. Incandescent bulbs will be replaced with lookinn a -like LED bulbs. All neon will be repaired in place to match existing / original, with exception of horizontal line of neon below the message board. This line - which is currently missing - is highly susceptible to vandalism/damage due to it's height from the anound. For safety / security purposes, this line will be replaced by a non -electric metal tube. During the day it will appear white like the rest of the neon tubes, but will not light up at night. To Submit Application: Download form, Fill it out and email it to jessica-bristowgiowa-city.org or mail to Historic Preservation, City of Iowa City, 410 E. Washington Street, Iowa City, IA 52240 N r � o s e c c C 1) 0' Staff Report May 7, 2020 Historic Review for 1331 Muscatine Avenue District: Longfellow Historic District Classification: Contributing The applicant, Aaron Thoma, is requesting approval for a proposed alteration project at 1331 Muscatine Avenue, a Contributing property in the Longfellow Historic District. The project consists of the installation of a Commercial sign in the original sign band on the front facade. Applicable Regulations and Guidelines: 10.0 TheSecretarf-of the lnterior'sStandardsfor- RebabRitation Sta, &Comments This two-story brick commercial building was built ca. 1920. The building facade is symmetrical with the upper story facade consisting of two large five -over -one doublehungwindows and a large sign band at the top of the wall. The fast floor has a raised entry door flanked on each side by a display window and covered by a retractable canvas awning. Double concrete stairs with an iron railing lead to the front parking area. A shed -roof addition sits on the south side. The building roof slopes gradually to the rear. The building has historically housed a market with the proprietor living above. The last grocery occupying the space closed in 1996 after 40 years in operation. The applicant is proposing to open the building again as a meat market and install a commercial sign in the original sign band. The sign will be printed on vinyl adhered to aluminum and mounted to the wall. Several options were designed to fit within the existing frame. The applicant has chosen the final sign as shown in the packet. Located in the residential zoning district, the code would require the sign installed within the fast floor and limited to a couple square feet in overall dimension. In order to install a sign in the original location, the applicant must also acquire a special exception from the Board of Adjustment. The guidelines are limited in recommendations applicable to this project. In order to review projects that are not covered in individual sections, the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation are included in Section 10. Number Nine of the standards states that exterior alterations shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property and the new work shall be differentiated from the old and compatible with the massing, size, scale, and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment. For more guidance, the National Park Service has published Preservation Brief 25 which includes a section on new signs on the last page (included in the packet). This Brief states that signs should work with the building rather than against it. Often features or details of the building will suggest a motif for new signs. Signs should not obscure significant features of the historic building. Sign materials should be compatible with those of the historic building. Materials characteristic of the building's period and style, used in contemporary designs, can form effective new signs. In Staffs opinion, the architecture of this building does not include an appropriate location for the installation of a wall sign that would meet code without a special exception. While it is possible to install a wall sign between the fast and second floors if the decorative animal head was removed, that could lead to additional damage to the wall for the installation. In addition, given the fact that the building has a dedicated sign band that was used originally, the most appropriate location for a new sign is in this sign band. The historical inclusion of neighborhood markets in residential neighborhoods provided a readily accessible source of groceries with the need for increased transportation. Returning this building to its original use will encourage the continued preservation and viability of the building while also providing a resource to the neighborhood. Allowing the sign to occupy its originally intended location will enhance the historic character of the building while also preventing further damage to the masonry. For these reasons, staff recommends approval of the application. Recommended Motion Move to approve a Certificate of Appropriateness for the project at 1331 Muscatine Avenue as presented in the application with the following condition: Approval of the special exception is granted by the Board Of Adjustment APPLICATION FOR HISTORIC REVIEW Application for alterations to the historic landmarks or properties located in a historic district or conservation district pursuant to Iowa City Code Section 14-311. Guidelines for the Historic Review process, explanation of the process and regulations can be found in the Iowa City Historic Preservation Handbook, which is available in the Neighborhood and Development Services office at City Hall or online at: www icgov.org/ historicl2reservationresources For Staff Use: Date submitted: ❑ Certificate of No material Effect ❑ Certificate of Appropriateness ❑ Major Review ❑ Intermediate Review ❑ Minor Review The HPC does not review applications for compliance with building and zoning codes. Work must comply with all appropriate codes and be reviewed by the building division prior to the issuance of a building permit. Meeting Schedule: The HPC meets the second Thursday of each month. Applications are due in the office of Neighborhood and Development Services by noon on Wednesday three weeks prior to the meeting. See last page of this application for deadlines and meeting dates. PROPERTY OWNER/ APPLICANT INFORMATION (Please check primary contact person) Property Owner Phone �ftuuress: r—� City: State: L J Zip Code:C� Contractor/Consultant Name:l 1 !Q� I vto ti.� .. • /�.. /_ i -..� r , Phone Number: Address: State:ZipCode:� City: DESIGNATION (Maps are located This Property is a local historic landmark. OR This Property is within a historic or conservation district (choose location): ❑ Brown St Historic District [INorthside Historic District ❑ College Hill Conservation District ❑ College Green Historic District ❑ Summit St. Historic District ❑ Dearborn St Conservation District ❑ East College St Historic District ❑ Woodlawn Historic District ❑ Consery non Horace M ann Clark St Conservation ❑ Jefferson St Historic District ❑ District ❑ Governor -Lucas St Conservation Longfellow Historic District District Within the district, this Property is Classified as: 0 Contributing ❑ Noncontributing ❑ Nonhistoric Choose appropriate project type. In order to ensure application can be processed, please include all listed materials. Applications without necessary materials may be rejected. " Addition (Typically projects entailing an addition to the building footprint such as a room, porch, deck, etc.) ❑ Building Elevations ❑ Floor Plans ❑ Photographs ❑ Product Information ❑ Site Plans Alteration (Typically projects entailing work such as siding and window replacement, skylights, window opening alterations, deck or porch replacement/construction, baluster repair, or similar. If the project is a minor alteration, photographs and drawings to describe the scope of the project are sufficient.) ❑ Building Elevations ❑ Product Information ❑ Photographs Construction of a new building ❑ Building Elevations ❑ Floor Plans ❑ Photographs ❑ Product Information ❑ Site Plans Demolition (Projects entailing the demolition of a primary structure or outbuilding, or any portion of a building, such as porch, chimney, decorative trim, baluster, etc.) ❑ Photographs ❑ Evidence of deterioration ❑ Proposal of Future Plans ❑ Repair or Restoration of an existing structure that will not change its appearance. ❑ Photographs ❑ Product Information Other Please contact the Preservation Specialist at 3%5243 for materials which need to be included with applications AP12UCA Project Description: v `e-0.-\- V v�-V K.R. J% lOV A"— ✓ S'"'1 re— . Materials to be Used: A(.tn.vnsysv..w. O.vtcx v Exterior Appearance Changes: -(fs 14=4 Ors5V.Sa.. C�5 Q Plltc�c A St`�t1 l� A-� UYIJ 1Qr'J V s tar LOCQ_-- On ZJF 4-I••E To Submit Application: Download form, Fill it out and email it to jessica-bristow0iowa-city.org or mail to Historic Preservation, City of Iowa City, 410 E. Washington Street, Iowa City, IA 52240 THOMA'S MEAT MARKET * ruoMA F��E .E.� �1 S Ca tWtALE t�R! C9 111IA11/Yy.�IAII►YIY►Y�U�Y�N�u owl 2 PRESERVATION 5 BRIEFS The Preservation of Historic Signs Michael J. Auer U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Cultural Resources Preservation Assistance "Signs" refers to a great number of verbal, symbolic or figural mark- ers. Posters, billboards, graffiti and traffic signals, corporate logos, flags, decals and bumper stickers, insignia on baseball caps and tee shirts: all of these are "signs." Buildings themselves can be signs, as structures shaped like hot dogs, coffee pots or Chippendale highboys attest. The signs encountered each day are seemingly countless, for language itself is largely symbolic. This Brief, howev ,, will limit its discussion of "signs" to lettered or symbolic messages affixed to historic buildings or associated with them. Signs are everywhere. And everywhere they play an important role in human activity. They identify. They direct and decorate. They promote, inform, and adver- tise. Signs are essentially social. They name a human activity, and often identify who is doing it. Signs allow the owner to communicate with the reader, and the people inside a building to communicate with those outside of it. Signs speak of the people who run the businesses, shops, and firms. Signs are signatures. They reflect the owner's tastes and personality. They often reflect the ethnic makeup of a neighborhood and its character, as well as the social and business activities carried out there. By giving concrete details about daily life in a former era, historic signs allow the past to speak to the present in ways that buildings by themselves do not (Figs. 1 and 2). And multiple surviving historic signs on the same building can indicate several periods in its history or use. In this respect, signs are like archeologi- cal layers that reveal different periods of human occu- pancy and use. Historic signs give continuity to public spaces, be- coming part of the community memory. They some- times become landmarks in themselves, almost without regard for the building to which they are attached, or the property on which they stand. Furthermore, in an age of uniform franchise signs and generic plastic "box" signs, historic signs often attract by their individ- uality: by a clever detail, a daring use of color and mo- tion, or a reference to particular people, shops, or events. 1. Detail from a busy Chicago street market, about 1905. The sign ooer the sidewalk depicts a fish. It also gives the Hebrew letters for the English words "Fish Market." The sign offers information about the people who patronized the store that is not available from looking at the buildings. They were European Jews who were beginning to learn English. Chicago Historical Society, negative number ICHi-19155. Yet historic signs pose problems for those who would save them. Buildings change uses. Businesses undergo change in ownership. New ownership or use normally brings change in signs. Signs are typically part of a business owner's sales strategy, and may be changed to reflect evolving business practices or to project a new image. 2. N. Main Street, Rockford, Illinois, 1929. Signs give a wealth of information about a Particular time and Place. Photo: Lake County (II.) Museum, Curt Teich Postcard Archives. Signs also change to reflect trends in architecture and technology: witness the Art Deco and Depression Modern lettering popular in the 1920s and 1930s, and the use of neon in the 1940s and 1950s. The cultural significance of signs combined with their often transitory nature makes the preservation of his- toric signs fraught with questions, problems, and para- doxes. If the common practice in every period has been to change signs with regularity, when and how should historic signs be kept? If the business is changing hands, how can historic signs be reused? The subject is an important one, and offers opportunities to save elements that convey the texture of daily life from the past. This Brief will attempt to answer some of the preser- vation questions raised by historic signs. It will discuss historic sign practices, and show examples of how his- toric signs have been preserved even when the busi- ness has changed hands or the building itself has been converted to a new use. Historic Sign Types and Practices Pre -Nineteenth Century American sign practices originated largely in Europe. The earliest commercial signs included symbols of the merchant's goods or tradesman's craft. Emblems were mounted on poles, suspended from buildings, or painted on hanging wooden boards. Such symbolic signs were necessary in a society where few could read, although verbal signs were not entirely un- known. A sheep signified a tailor, a tankard a tavern. The red and white striped pole signifying the barber- shop, and the three gold balls outside the pawnshop are two such emblems that can occasionally be seen today (Fig. 3). (The barber's sign survives from an era when barbers were also surgeons; the emblem suggests bloody bandages associated with the craft. The pawn- broker's sign is a sign of a sign: it derives from the coat of arms of the Medici banking family.) 3. (a) Once commonplace, the three balls symbolizing the pawnbroker are now rare. These date from the 1920s (the supports are much more recent, as is the storefront to which they are attached). N Objects associated with a business continue to be used as signs. Photos: Thomas C. fester. Flat signs with lettering mounted flush against the building gradually replaced hanging, symbolic signs. The suspended signs posed safety hazards, and creaked when they swayed in the wind: "The creaking signs not only kept the citizens awake at night, but they knocked them off their horses, and occasionally fell on them too." The result, in England, was a law in 1762 banning large projecting signs. In 1797 all project- ing signs were forbidden, although some establish- ments, notably "public houses," retained the hanging sign tradition."' By the end of the eighteenth century, the hanging sign had declined in popularity. Flat or flush -mounted signs, on the other hand, had become standard. Like symbolic signs, however, the tradition of projecting signs has survived into the present. Nineteenth Century Signs and Sign Practices Surviving nineteenth-century photographs depict a great variety of signs. The list of signs discussed here is by no means exhaustive. Fascia signs, placed on the fascia or horizontal band between the storefront and the second floor, were among the most common. The fascia is often called the "signboard;' and as the word implies, provided a per- fect place for a sign —then as now. The narrowness of the fascia imposed strict limits on the sign maker, how- ever, and such signs usually gave little more than the name of the business and perhaps a street number. Similar to fascia signs were signs between the levels of windows across the upper facade. Such signs were mounted on horizontal boards or painted on the build- ing. Signs of this type tended to use several "lines' of text, the name of business and short description, for example. The message, reading from top to bottom, sometimes covered several stories of the building. Other painted signs presented figures, products, or scenes. Such signs were typically more vertical than horizontal in emphasis. Whether such painted signs featured text or images, they became major features of the building, as their makers intended them to be. The building itself often became a backdrop for the sign. Signs in the form of plaques, shields, and ovals were used on many nineteenth-century buildings (Fig 4). Such signs had the advantage of being easily replaced as tenants came and went. They also easily incorpo- rated images as well as lettering. 4. This circa 1866 view of a San Francisco building shows the range of signs used in the nineteenth century: Symbolic signs (the spectacles over the entrance); fascia signs; plaques, often in the shape of shields and normally used by insurance companies, in part to symbolize the protective function of insurance; posters, wall signs, unndow signs, hanging signs, and rooftop signs. Photo: Library of Congress. Hanging or projecting signs, both lettered and sym- bolic, were also common in the nineteenth century, although less so than previously. Projecting signs were often paired with another at a 450 angle for increased visibility. Occasionally a sign would stretch out from the building across the sidewalk, supported by a post at the street. Goldlea/ signs, and signs painted or etched on glass in windows, doors and transoms were quite common. Porcelain enamel signs were also very popular in the lat- ter half of the nineteenth century and into the mid - twentieth century. Signs carved from stone or wood also appeared frequently, especially on institutional buildings. Painted shutters and even window shades provided additional advertising space. Posters found their way into display windows when they werent pasted onto the building. Sidmiaik signs or "sandwich boards" offered another chance to catch the eye of any passerby not watching the graphics overhead. Nineteenth-century tenants looking for additional advertising space found it in unexpected places. They used the entrance steps to mount signs in a variety of ways: Handrails, risers, skirts, and baluster sported signs that gave businesses on upper levels a chance to attract notice. Awnings offered other opportunities for keeping a name before the public. The fringe or skirt of the awning, as well as the panel at the side were the usual places for a name or street number. Flags, particularly hung from the upper floors, and banner;, sometimes stretching across the sidewalk, also appeared on buildings. Rooftop signs appeared with greater frequency in the second half of the nineteenth century than previously. Earlier rooftop signs tended to be relatively simple — often merely larger versions of the horizontal signs typically found on lower levels. Late in the century the signs became more ornate as well as more numerous. These later rooftop signs were typically found on ho- tels, theaters, banks and other large buildings. The sign types described here were not used in isola- tion. Window and awning signs attracted sidewalk pedestrians and people in the street. Upper level signs reached viewers at greater distances. If signs were nu- merous, however, they were nonetheless usually small in scale. As the century wore on, signs increased in size and scale. Wall signs several stories high were not uncom- mon in the second half of the century (Fig 5). This development reflects changes in urban life as the cen- tury headed to its close. Cities were experiencing rapid population growth. Buildings became bigger and taller. Elevated trains and electric trolleys increased the pace of city life. And when it comes to signs, speed alters scale. The faster people travel, the bigger a sign has to be before they can see it. Twentieth Century Signs and Sign Practices The advent of the twentieth century approximately coincided with the coming of electricity, which gave signs light and, later, movement. Illuminated signs were not unknown before electricity. An advertisement printed about 1700 mentioned a nighttime sign lit by candles, and in 1W the legendary showman P.T. Barnum built a huge sign illuminated by gas.' But elec- tricity was safer and cheaper than candles, kerosene and gas. Its widespread use gave signs a prominence they retain today: illuminated signs dominate the streets at night. Electricity permitted signs to be illuminated by light shining onto them, but the real revolution occurred when lightbulbs were used to form the images and words on signs (Fig 6). Lightbulbs flashing on and off 5. Painted figures and lines of text cover this building in New York City, about 1890. The woman is distributing handbills. The painted wrkman on the ladder is putting up a poster. Altogether the signs are striking examples of the signmaker's art in the late nineteenth century. Photo: Courtesy of the Ne York Historiml Society, New York City. made new demands on the attention of passersby. Lightbulbs blinking in sequence could also simulate movement. Add this property to the mix, and a dra- matic transformation of American streets resulted. Moving signs were not unknown prior to the advent of electricity, for wind -driven signs had made their appearance in the nineteenth century. But electricity gave signs an unparalleled range of motion. This move- ment added yet another element to the life of the street. Neon is another great twentieth-century contribution to the signmaker's art. "Neon," coined from the Greek word for "new," is a "new gas." It has the useful prop- erty of glowing when an electric charge passes through it. (Argon, krypton, xenon and helium share this prop- erty. Only neon and argon, however, are typically used in commercial signs.) Encased in glass tubes shaped into letters or symbols, neon offered signmakers an opportunity to mold light into an infinite variety of shapes, colors, and images. Combined with an electric timer, the neon tubing could present images moving in succession. Neon first appeared in signs in the 1920s, and reached its height of popularity in the 1940s. The first documented neon commercial sign in the United States was at a Packard Motor Car dealership in Los Angeles in 1923.3 After a period of decline, it underwent a ren- aissance, beginning in the 1970s. Artists experimented with neon as a conscious art -form, and several notable architects further helped in its revival! Renewed inter- est in this colorful medium also sparked interest in preserving historic neon signs. Along with such developments as the coming of elec- tricity and then neon, stylistic movements influenced twentieth-century signs. In particular, Art Deco and Streamlined Modeme affected not just buildings, but their signs as well. 6. This view of Cleveland taken about 1910 shows how electricity trans- formed American cities. These dramatic and highly visible signs no doubt provided excellent advertising for 'A b W Electric Signs." Its signs —at the bottom of the photograph —also proclaim the company to be the "exclusive agents" for a maker of "electric on enamel signs. " Photo: Library of Congress. Architects working in these styles often integrated signs and buildings into a unified design. This was particularly true of storefronts built using pigmented structural glass, commonly known as "Carrara glass;' and porcelain enamel on steel panels. These materials allowed words and images to be etched into the glass or enamel, or to be constructed in different colors and patterns as part of an overall design for the building. Such storefronts were popular from the 1920s into the 1940s (Fig.7). As the century advanced, new styles took hold. The late 1950s brought signs with fins, star bursts, and other images reflecting a new fascination with outer space (Fig. 8). In the decades after World War II signs were also transformed by a group of materials now known gener- ically as "plastic." Plastic had several advantages over wood, metal and other traditional sign materials. As the name indicates, "plastic" can take almost any shape. It can also take almost any color. Plastic is trans- lucent. Lit from behind, it appears to glow. It is rela- tively durable. Above all, it is inexpensive, and can be mass produced. Plastic quickly became the dominant sign material. Z In the 1930s and 1940s, signs built into storefronts became popular. This example is from Guthrie, Oklahoma. Photo: H. Ward Mmil. L�- 8. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the country turned its attention to outer space. Wings, fins, and satellite shapes appeared, as in this example in Long Beach, California. Photo: Peter Phillips. Another profound influence on signs in this period stemmed from business trends rather than from tech- nological breakthroughs or design movements: the rise of chain stores and franchises. National firms replaced many local businesses. Standard corporate signs went up; local trademarks came down. The rise of mass culture, of which the national chain is but one expres- sion, has meant the rise of standardization, and the elimination of regional differences and local character. The decline of gold -leafing and other traditional sign techniques contributed to these trends. Mass-produced signs have replaced local signs that differed from owner to owner and from signmaker to signmaker. The result is not just sameness, but impersonality as well: It is becoming rarer, for example, to find owners' names on signs. Whether the trend toward sameness can successfully be resisted is yet to be seen. (Some crafts, such as gold -leafing and porcelain enameling, for example, have experienced a revival of sorts.) But the preservation of historic signs is one way to ensure that at least some of these expressions of local history continue to enliven our streets. Sign Regulation Historic commercial areas have customarily been a riot of signs. Yet if clutter has ample precedent, so do ef- forts to control it. Early attempts to regulate signs in this country include those of professional associations of advertisers, such as the International Bill Posters Organization of North America, founded in St. Louis in 1872.' However, early efforts by municipalities to enact sign regulations met with disfavor in the courts, which tra- ditionally opposed any regulatory effort based on aes- thetic concerns. Early successes in the legal arena, such as the 1911 case, St. Louis Gunning Advertising Company v. City of St. Louis, were realized when proponents of sign controls argued that signs and billboards endan- gered public health and safety. Yet gradually courts found merit in the regulation of private property for aesthetic reasons. In 1954 the U.S. Supreme Court handed down the landmark decision, Berman v. Parker, in which the court declared: "It is within the power of the legislature to determine that the community should be beautiful as well as healthy, spacious as well as clean, well balanced as well as care- fully patrolled."' With the blessing of the courts, communities across the nation have enacted sign controls to reduce "urban blight." And where historic buildings are concerned, the growth of local review commissions has added to the momentum for controls in historic districts. Typically, sign controls regulate the number, size and type of signs. In some cases, moving or projecting signs are prohibited. Often such ordinances also regu- late sign placement —owners are told to line up their signs with others on the block, for example. Materials, likewise, are prescribed: wood is encouraged, plastic discouraged or forbidden altogether. Sign controls of- ten specify lighting sources: indirect illumination (light shining onto the sign) is often required instead of neon tubing, bare lightbulbs, or "backlighting;' used in most plastic signs. Some ordinances forbid fighting com- pletely. (Neon, especially, is still held in disfavor in some areas.) Finally, ordinances sometimes require signs to be "compatible' in color and other design qualities with the facade of the building and the overall appearance of the street. Existing signs frequently do not meet requirements set forth in sign controls. They are too big, for example, or project too far from the building. Typically, sign ordinances permit such "nonconforming" existing signs to remain, but only for a specified period, after which they must be removed. If they need repair be- fore then, or if the business changes owners, they must likewise be removed. Sign controls offer communities the chance to reduce visual blight. They can also assist in producing both a new visibility and a new viability for historic commer- cial districts. Yet sign ordinances are not without prob- lems. Sign controls satisfy contemporary ideas of "good taste." But "bad taste" has ample historic prece- dent. And in any case, tastes change. What is tasteful today may be dated tomorrow. Sign controls can im- pose a uniformity that falsifies history. Most historic districts contain buildings constructed over a long per- iod of time, by different owners for different purposes; the buildings reflect different architectural styles and personal tastes. By requiring a standard sign "image" in such matters as size, material, typeface and other qualities, sign controls can mute the diversity of his- toric districts. Such controls can also sacrifice signs of some age and distinction that have not yet come back into fashion.' Neon serves as an instructive example in this regard: once "in," then "out" then "iri' again. Unfortunately, a great number of notable signs were lost because sign controls were drafted in many com- munities when neon was "out." Increasingly, however, communities are enacting ordinances that recognize older and historic signs and permit them to be kept. The National Park Service encourages this trend. Sign as Icon Signs often become so important to a community that they are valued long after their role as com- mercial markers has ceased. They become land- marks, loved because they have been visible at certain street comers —or from many vantage points across the city —for a long time (Fig. 9). Such signs are valued for their familiarity, their beauty, their humor, their size, or even their gro- tesqueness. In these cases, signs transcend their conventional role as vehicles of information, as identifiers of something else. When signs reach this stage, they accumulate rich layers of mean- ing. They no longer merely advertise, but are valued in and of themselves. They become icons. 9. Signs are often popular neighborhood landmarks. This is one in Butte, Montana. Photo: Jet lame, HAER. Preserving Historic Signs Historic signs can contribute to the character of build- ings and districts. They can also be valued in them- selves, quite apart from the buildings to which they may be attached. However, any program to preserve historic signs must recognize the challenges they present. These challenges are not for the most part technical. Sign preservation is more likely to involve aesthetic concerns and to generate community debate. Added to these concerns are several community goals that often appear to conflict: retaining diverse elements from the past, encouraging artistic expression in new signs, zoning for aesthetic concerns, and reconciling business requirements with preservation. Preserving historic signs is not always easy. But the intrinsic merit of many signs, as well as their contribu- tion to the overall character of a place, make the effort worthwhile. Observing the guidelines given below can help preserve both business and history. Retaining Historic Signs Retain historic signs whenever possible, particularly when they are: • associated with historic figures, events or places (Fig. 10). • significant as evidence of the history of the product, business or service advertised (Fig. 11). • significant as reflecting the history of the building or 10. This fading sign was painted in Baltimore in 1931 or 1932. It survives from the campaign to enact the 21st Amendment to the United States Con- stitution, which repealed Prohibition. Such Jading brick wall signs are known as 'ghost signs."Photo: Thomas C. Jester. the development of the historic district. A sign may be the only indicator of a building's historic use (Fig. 12). • characteristic of a specific historic period, such as gold leaf on glass, neon, or stainless steel lettering. • integral to the building's design or physical fabric, as when a sign is part of a storefront made of Carrara glass or enamel panels, or when the name of the historic firm or the date are rendered in stone, metal 11. (a) Signs for Bull Durham Tobacco once covered walls all over the coun- try. (b) Similarly, Simple Simon and the Pie Man appeared on Howard Johnson signs nationwide. This one has been moved to a shop for repair. Photos: (a) Jack Boucher, HABS; N Len Davidson. or tile (Fig. 13). In such cases, removal can harm the integrity of a historic property's design, or cause sig- nificant damage to its materials. • outstanding examples of the signmakel's art, whether because of their excellent craftsmanship, use of mate- rials, or design (Fig. 14). • local landmarks, that is, signs recognized as popular focal points in a community (Fig. 15). 12. The sign on this historic building gives important information about its past. Photo: Thomas C. Jester. 13. Historic signs wre often built into a property —and often under foot. Photo: Richard Wagner, National Trust for Historic Presermhon. • elements important in defining the character of a district, such as marquees in a theater district. Maintaining and Repairing Historic Signs Maintenance of historic signs is essential for their long- term preservation. Sign maintenance involves periodic inspections for evidence of damage and deterioration. 14. This Ogden, Utah, sign is a superb example of neon. Photo: deTeel Patterson Tiller. 15. The sign for the Busy Bee Cafe is utell-knoum throughout Dubuque, loroa. Photo: National Park Service, Rocky Mountain Regional Office. Lightbulbs may need replacement. Screws and bolts may be weakened, or missing altogether. Dirt and other debris may be accumulating, introduced by birds or insects, and should be cleaned out. Water may be collecting in or on sign cabinets, threatening electrical connections. The source of water penetration should be identified and sealed. Most of these minor repairs are routine maintenance measures, and do not call for spe- cial expertise. All repairs, however, require caution. For example, electricity should be turned off when working around electric signs. More extensive repairs should be undertaken by pro- fessionals. The sign industry is a large and active one. Sign designers, fabricators and skilled craftsmen are located throughout the country. Once in danger of being lost altogether, gold leaf on glass and porcelain enamel are undergoing revivals, and the art of bending neon tubes is now widely practiced. Finding help from qualified sources should not be difficult. Before con- tracting for work on historic signs, however, owners should check references, and view other projects com- pleted by the same company. Major repairs may require removal of the sign to a workshop. Since signs are sometimes damaged while the building is undergoing repair, work on the building should be scheduled while the sign is in the shop. (If the sign remains in place while work on the building is in progress, the sign should be protected.) Repair techniques for specific sign materials are dis- cussed below (see "Repairing Historic Sign Materials" on page 10). The overall goal in repairs such as sup- plying missing letters, replacing broken neon tubing, or splicing in new members for deteriorated sections is to restore a sign that is otherwise whole. Recognize, however, that the apparent age of historic signs is one of their major features; do not "over restore" signs so that all evidence of their age is lost, even though the appearance and form may be recaptured. Reusing Historic Signs If a building or business has changed hands, historic signs associated with former enterprises in the building should be reused if possible by: • keeping the historic sign —unaltered. This is often possible even when the new business is of a different nature from the old. Preferably, the old sign can be left in its historic location; sometimes, however, it may be necessary to move the sign elsewhere on the building to accommodate a new one. Conversely, it may be necessary to relocate new signs to avoid hid- ing or overwhelming historic ones, or to redesign proposed new signs so that the old ones may remain. (The legitimate advertising needs of current tenants, however, must be recognized.) Keeping the old sign is often a good marketing strategy. It can exploit the recognition value of the old name and play upon the public's fondness for the old sign. The advertising value of an old sign can be im- mense. This is especially true when the sign is a community landmark. • relocating the sign to the interior, such as in the lobby or above the bar in a restaurant. This option is less preferable than keeping the sign outside the building, but it does preserve the sign, and leaves open the possibility of putting it back in its historic location. • modifying the sign for use with the new business. This may not be possible without destroying essential features, but in some cases it can be done by chang- ing details only (Fig. 16). In other respects, the sign may be perfectly serviceable as is. If none of these options is possible, the sign could be donated to a local museum, preservation organization or other group. 16. (a) The Jayhawk Hotel in Topeka, Kansas, was built in 1926; (b) Its prominent and popular rooftop signs were deteriorating when the hotel closed; (c) The new owners converted the building to offices, but wre able to keep the historic signs by changing "HOTEL' to "TOWER." The neu; repaired, signs reuse three of the historic letters: T, O, and E. Photos: (a and b) Kim and Bradley; Courtesy, Kansas State Historical Society; (c) Kansas State Historical Society. Repairing Historic Sign Materials on the exterior) typically last about 40 years. Dam - Porcelain Enamel. Porcelain enamel is among the age to these signs occurs from weather and abra- most durable of materials used in signs.° Made of sion. Damage to gilded signs on glass normally glass bonded onto metal (usually steel) at high occurs when the protective coating applied over the temperatures, it keeps both its high gloss and its gilding is removed by harsh cleaning chemicals or colors for decades. Since the surface of the sign is scratched by scrub brushes. The sign can then flake essentially glass, porcelain enamel is virtually upon subsequent cleanings. maintenance free; dirt can be washed off with Historic gilded signs can be repaired, typically soap and water and other glass cleaners. by regilding damaged areas. An oil size is painted Porcelain enamel signs can be damaged by di- on the surface. The gold leaf is applied when the rect blows from stones and other sharp objects. If surface has become sufficiently "tacky." Similarly, both the enamel surface and the undercoat are historic 'reverse on glass' goldleaf signs can be scratched, the metal surface can rust at the impact repaired —by experts. A sample of the flaking sign site. Because the bond between glass and metal is is first taken to determine its composition. Re - so strong, however, the rust does not "travel" verse on glass signs use goldleaf ranging from 12 behind the glass, and the rust is normally con- to 23 karats. The gold is alloyed with copper and fined to localized areas. The sign edges can also silver in varying amounts for differences in color. rust if they were never enamelled. To treat the (Surface gilding —on raised letters, picture frames problem, clean the rust off carefully, and touch-up and statehouse domes —uses 23 karat gold. Pure the area with cold enamel (a type of epoxy used gold, 24 karat, is too soft to use in such applica- mostly in jewelry), or with enamel paints. tions.) The damaged portions of the sign are then Dents in porcelain enamel signs should be left regilded in the same manner as they were done alone. Attempting to hammer them out risks fur- historically: the inside surface of the glass is ther damage. coated with a gelatin; gold leaves about three Goldleaf or gilding. Goldleaf or gilding is both ele- inches square are then spread over the area. The gant and durable. These properties made it among new letter or design is then drawn in reverse on the most popular sign materials in the nineteenth the new leaf, and coated with a backing paint and early twentieth centuries. Surface -gilded signs (normally a chrome yellow). With the new design (for example, gilded raised letters or symbols found thus sealed, the rest of the leaf is removed. The i b (continued next page) 17 Glen Echo Park near Washington, D.C., is an early 20th century amusement park. (It is the home of the first bumper car ride in the world.) Its neon signs needed repair: (a) tubes were broken and the surrounding "metal cans" needed nark also; IN and (c) removal of the back of "Candy Corner' sign revealed debris from insects and binds; (d) preparing the "metal cans` from the "Fbp Corn" sign for remounting; (e) and (f) neon fabricators installing the new tubing in the re- paired and remounted cans; (g) repairs finished, the relit signs enliven the park once again. Photos; (a-) Stan Fowler; (d-f) tarry Kanter; (g) Rebecm Hammel. 10 sign is then sealed with a clear, water-resistant "neon' gas (neon or mercury -argon) added. Neon varnish, gives red light, mercury -argon produces blue. Gilded signs, both surface and reverse on glass, Other colors are produced by using colored glass can be cleaned gently with soap and water, using and any of dozens of phosphor coatings inside a soft cloth. Additionally, for glass signs, the var- the tube. Green, for example, can be produced by nish backing should be replaced every seven years using mercury -argon in yellow glass. Since color at the latest. is so important in neon signs, it is vital to deter - Neon. Neon signs can last 50 years, although mine the original color or colors. A neon studio 20-25 years is more typical. When a neon sign can accomplish this using a number of specialized fails, it is not because the gas has "failed;' but techniques. because the system surrounding it has broken A failing transformer can cause the neon sign to down. The glass tubes have been broken, for ex- flicker intensely, and may have to be replaced. ample, thus letting the gas escape, or the elec- Flickering neon can also indicate a problem with trades or transformers have failed. If the tube is the gas pressure inside the tube. The gas may be broken, a new one must be made by a highly at too high or too low a pressure. If so, the gas skilled "glass bender." After the hot glass tube must be repumped. has been shaped, it must undergo "purification" Repairs to neon signs also include repairs to the before being refilled with gas. The glass and the surrounding components of the sign. The "metal metal electrode at the end of the tube are heated cans" that often serve as backdrops to the tubing in turns. As these elements become hot, surface may need cleaning or, in case of rust, scraping impurities bum off into the tube. The resulting and repainting. vapor is then removed through "evacuation" —the As with gilded signs, repair of neons signs is process of creating a vacuum. Only then is the not a matter for amateurs (Fig. M. New Signs and Historic Buildings Preserving old signs is one thing. Making new ones is another. Closely related to the preservation of historic signs on historic buildings is the subject of new signs for historic buildings. Determining what new signs are appropriate for historic buildings, however, involves a major paradox: Historic sign practices were not always "sympathetic" to buildings. They were often unsympa- thetic to the building, or frankly contemptuous of it. Repeating some historic practices, therefore, would definitely not be recommended. Yet many efforts to control signage lead to bland sameness. For this reason the National Park Service discourages the adoption of local guidelines that are too restrictive, and that effectively dictate uniform signs within commercial districts. Instead, it encourages communities to promote diversity in signs —their sizes, types, colors, lighting, lettering and other qualities. It also encourages business owners to choose signs that reflect their own tastes, values, and personalities. At the same time, tenant sign practices can be stricter than sign ordinances. The National Park Service therefore encourages businesses to fit their sign programs to the building. The following points should be considered when designing and constructing new signs for historic buildings: • signs should be viewed as part of an overall graphics system for the building. They do not have to do all the "work" by themselves. The building's form, name and outstanding features, both decorative and functional, also support the advertising function of a sign. Signs should work with the building, rather than against it. • new signs should respect the size, scale and design of the historic building. Often features or details of the building will suggest a motif for new signs. • sign placement is important: new signs should not obscure significant features of the historic building. (Signs above a storefront should fit within the his- toric signboard, for example.) • new signs should also respect neighboring buildings. They should not shadow or overpower adjacent structures. • sign materials should be compatible with those of the historic building. Materials characteristic of the build- ing's period and style, used in contemporary designs, can form effective new signs. • new signs should be attached to the building care- fully, both to prevent damage to historic fabric, and to ensure the safety of pedestrians. Fittings should pen- etrate mortar joints rather than brick, for example, and signloads should be properly calculated and distributed. Conclusion Historic signs once allowed buyers and sellers to com- municate quickly, using images that were the medium of daily life. Surviving historic signs have not lost their ability to speak. But their message has changed. By communicating names, addresses, prices, products, images and other fragments of daily life, they also bring the past to life (Fig. 18). 18. Sign painters Pausing from their ark, 1932. Photo: Courtesy, Cumquat Publishing Co. and Tettaton Sign Co., St. Louis, Missouri. 11 With halting steps I paced the streets, and passed the sign of "The Crossed Harpoons' —hut it looked too expensive and jolly there. . . . Moving on, 1 at last came to a dim sort of light not far from the docks, and heard a forlorn creaking in the air, and looking up, saw a swinging sign over the door with a white painting upon it, faintly representing a tall straight jet of misty spray, and these words underneath —"The Spouter- Inn:—Peter Coffin. " The creaking wooden sign in Moby Dick identifies public lodging. But it also does a great deal more than that. It projects an image. It sets a mood and defines a place. The ability to convey commercial and symbolic messages is a property of all signs, not just those in novels. Every sign hanging outside a door, standing on a roof, extending over a storefront, or marching across a wall transmits messages from the sign maker to the sign reader. Mixed in with names, addresses, business hours and products are im- ages, personalities, values and beliefs. Selected Reading List Dilan me, Philip. American Streamline: A Handbook of Nom Advertising Design. Cincinnati: ST Publications, 1988. Evans, Bill and Andrew Lawson. Shopfronts. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., 1981. The Gilder's Manual. Washington, D.C.: The Society of Gilders, 1991. (Reprint of The Gilder's Manual; A Practical Guide to Gilding in All its Brunches. New York: Excelsior Publishing House, 1876.) Liebs, Chester. Main Street to Miracle Mile: American Roadside Architec- ture. Boston: Little, Brown and Company/ New York Graphics Soci- ety, 1985. National Main Street Center. Main Street Guidelines: Signs for Main Street. Washington, D.C.: National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1987 Phillips, Peter H. "Sign Controls for Historic Signs;' PAS Memo. Chicago: American Planning Association, November 1988. Smith, Kent. Gold Leaf Techniques. Cincinnati: ST Publications, 1989. Stage, William. Ghost Signs: Brick 1*11 Signs in America. Cincinnati: ST Publications, 1989. Stem, Rudi. Let new Be Neon. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1979. (Rev. 1988). Corner photograph: Term cotta wheel with Studebaker banner, 1926, Lake- wood, Ohio. Photo: Frank Wrenick. NOTES ' Bill Evans and Andrew Lawson, Shopf ants. New York: Van Nostmnd Reinhold Co., 1981, p. 109, 114. r Charles L.H. Wagner, The Story of Signs: An Outline History of the Sign Arts from Earliest Recorded Times to the Present 'Atamlc Age'. Boston: Arthur MacGib- bon, 1954, p. 37. ' Rudi Stem, let There & Neon. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. 1979, p. 19. ' See Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, and Steven Izenour, framing from Las Wgas. Rev. ed. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1977, ' George H. Krame& "Preserving Historic Signs in the Commercial landscape: The Impact of Regulation." (Unpublished Masters Thesis: University of Ore- gon, 1989), p. 15. This section on sign regulation is heavily indebted to this work. See especially Chapter 2, History of Sign Regulation and Chapter 3, Mechanics of Sign Regulation, pp. 7-W. " Berman v. Porker involved the condemnation of an older building for an urban renewal project. The decision "ironically would prove to be a major spur to a new wave of local preservation laws.. ." Christopher J. Duerksen, ed. A Handbook on Historic Preservation Law. Washington, D.C.: The Conservation Foundation and The National Center for Preservation law, 1983, p. 7. 7 A balanced approach to sign controls is offend by Peter H. Phillips, "Sign Controls for Historic Signs," PAS Memo, November 1988, (Published by Amen - can Planning Association, Washington, D.C.). " See John Tymoski, "Porcelain Enamel: The Sign Industrys Most Durable Material;' Signs of the Times, December 1990, pp. 66-71. For goldleaf, see Octo- ber 1984 and November 1990 special issues of Signs of the Times. An excellent short "course' in neon evaluation is offered in "Neon: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly," by Paul R. Davis, Identity. Spring 1991, pp. 56-59. Acknowledgements The author gratefully acknowledges the invaluable assistance of Beth Savage, National Register of Historic Places. The author is also in- debted to Rebecca Shiffer of The Society for Commercial Archeology, and to other colleagues in the cultural resources programs of the National Park Service, sign artists in private practice, and profession- als and preservationists in a number of organizations. These include staff of the Technical Preservation Services Branch, directed by H. Ward Jandl, especially Kay Weeks, Anne Grimmer, Sharon C. Park, and Thomas C. Jester; staff of the National Park Service Regional Offices, especially Michael Crowe, Thomas Keohan, Catherine Colby and Christopher Jones; deTeel Patterson Tiller and Stephen Moms, Interagency Resources Division; Caroline Bedingeq Historic Ameri- can Engineering Record; Catherine Lavoie and Sara Leach, Historic American Buildings Survey, and Stan Fowler of Glen Echo Park. Significant contributions were also made by Peter Phillips, Yuma County Planning Department; Pratt Cassity of the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions; Betsy Jackson, Doug Loescher and Kennedy Smith of the National Trust for Historic Preservation; Rich- ard Longstreth, George Washington University; Richard Wagner, David H. Gleason Associates, Inc.; Michael Jackson, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency; Vance Kelley, Kansas State Historical Society; William Pencek, Maryland Historical Trust; Chem Jiusto, Montana Historical Society, and Gerron Hite and Stan Graves, Texas State Historical Commission (the latter on behalf of the National Confer- ence of State Historic Preservation Officers). The following artists and professionals active in the sign industry offered publications, photographs, technical material, and advice: Lynn Baxter and Tod Swormstedt, ST Publications; Kent Smith, Kent Smith Signs; Craig Kraft, Kraft Studios; Larry Kanter, Neon Projects; Len Davidson, Davidson Neon Design; Thomas Ellis, The Enamelist Society; Timo- thy Pugh, the Porcelain Enamel Institute; William Adair, Goldleaf Studios. This publication has been prepared pursuant to the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, which directs the Secretary of the Interior to develop and make available information concerning historic properties. Preservation Brief 25 was developed under the editorship of H. Ward Jandl, Chief, Technical Preservation Services. Comments on the usefulness of this publication may be directed to Chief, Technical Preservation Services Branch, Preservation Assist- ance Division, National Park Service, P.O. Box 37127, Washington, D.C. 20013-7127. October 1991 12 CITY OF I O WA CITY MEMORANDUM Date: May 14, 2020 To: Historic Preservation Commission From: Anne Russett, Senior Planner Re: 109 E. Market Street, Sanxay-Gilmore House Background Information The Sanxay-Gilmore House, located at 109 E. Market Street, is currently owned by the University of Iowa. The University purchased the property in 2018 from Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. After the change in ownership, there were many concerns regarding the future of the building. Due to the importance of this building and concerns regarding demolition, staff analyzed potential sites for relocation. Attachments 1 and 2 of this memo provide more background on the analysis completed and the sites reviewed. Ultimately, staff identified the vacant City -owned parking lot across the street from the Sanxay- Gilmore House as the most appropriate site for relocation. In addition to the staff analysis, the City pursued and was awarded an Emergency Historical Resources Development Program grant through the State Historical Society. The purpose of this grant was to assess the structural condition of the Sanxay-Gilmore House and determine whether or not it could be relocated and rehabilitated. The City contracted with Doug Steinmetz for the project and his final report concluded that the building could be moved and rehabilitated. Since the completion of the report, staff has been coordinating with the University to identify possible solutions to preserve the building and has reached an agreement with the University to move the building to the City -owned lot across the street. Proposed Agreement The draft transfer agreement [Attachment 3] outlines the obligations of both the City and the University in preserving the Sanxay-Gilmore House. In summary, the agreement requires the following: - The University will be responsible for relocating the Sanxay-Gilmore House to the City -owned parking lot across the street from the home (the vacant surface parking lot between E. 114 and 122 E. Market Street). The University will be responsible for the cost of the move, as well as hiring the required engineers and consultants. The University will remodel the house keeping the Secretary of Interior Standards in mind. The University will be required to maintain and preserve the home with sensitivity to the age, architecture, and historic nature for a minimum of 40 years. If the University no longer has a use for the home within the 40-year period, the home will revert to City ownership. After the 40-year period, the University will either preserve the home on -site or on another suitable property. May 5, 2020 Page 2 Recommendation Staff recommends that the Historic Preservation Commission recommend that the City Council authorize execution of this agreement. Next Steps After the Historic Preservation Commission's recommendation to the City Council. The City Council will hold a public hearing on the draft agreement at an upcoming meeting. Attachments: 1. Memo to the City Manager; July 2, 2018 2. Memo to the City Manager; January 2, 2019 3. Draft Real Estate Transfer Agreement Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission • ' City Hall, 410 E Washington Street, Iowa City. IA. 52240 MEMORANDUM Date: July 2, 2018 To: City Manager, Geoff Fruin From: Ginalie Swaim, out -going Chair, Historic Preservation Commission, and Jessica Bristow, Historic Preservation Planner Re: Potential relocation sites for the Sanxay-Gilmore House Introduction: Following the February 21 letter from the Gloria Dei Church that they will no longer pursue moving the Sanxay-Gilmore House from 109 Market to the Jefferson Street Historic District, staff, Ginalie Swaim, and the City Manager met to discuss alternative sites for the relocation of the house, working from a list of potentially available sites assembled by staff. At the direction of the City Manager, Ginalie Swaim and staff then evaluated the potential sites for the relocation. History/Background: The most appropriate site for any historic building eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places is the original site. The original site maintains the historic relationship to other historic buildings and the environment. With this house, some of the neighboring historic buildings are non -extant. The current site maintains a relationship with the Old Capitol, which is one of the only existing buildings from the same period (1840s), and Old Brick, which was built in 1856 and is associated with the Sanxay family. As is evident from the 1883 through the 1933 Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, the house has always been in a neighborhood that includes both residential and institutional buildings. To evaluate the potential sites, we looked at proximity, orientation and size of the site, and residential and/or institutional character of the site. We photographed the sites and discussed them, taking notes for further reference. The minimum lot size necessary with 5-foot side setbacks, 10-foot front setback and 20-foot rear setback is a 50-foot wide lot that is 80 feet deep. This would require the rear kitchen addition, built prior to 1883, to be removed. A deeper site may be able to keep the house intact. Another main consideration for the move is the route. While we did not look in detail at the feasibility of moving the house to each site, we did make note of readily apparent elements that could impact the move. Power lines, fiber optic cables, and tree canopies all impact either the ability or the cost of using a particular route. The house is about 36 feet wide at grade and has an additional 5-foot entry canopy on one side and a chimney that may mean additional width on the other side. Roof overhangs also add to the 36-foot width and this will impact the route at the height of the tree canopy. Clinton Street is 50 feet wide and has a relatively minimal tree canopy. Other streets possibly involved, including Davenport, Dodge, and Bloomington, are 31 feet wide and usually have an extensive tree canopy. Dodge also has power poles that sit near the curb and would likely need to be temporarily removed. Potential locations removed from consideration: At the initial meeting, all under -developed or undeveloped lots north of Iowa Avenue were considered for their viability. Privately owned parking lots in the Northside Marketplace were removed from consideration because of their development potential. The City -owned parking lot in the 300 block of Market Street and the Mercy -owned parking lot at the corner of Dodge and Bloomington were removed from consideration because of their continual and active use. Several other lots were removed from active consideration because of current development projects or distance from the site. The remaining lots are evaluated below beginning with the closest relationship to the original site and presented in order of preference. Possible new sites for relocation: 1) City -owned parking lot on the north side of the 100-block of Market Street This site is the closest in proximity and preserves the house's relationship to the Old Capitol and Old Brick. It is also city -owned, has the shortest move route and some of the parking could remain at the alley after the move. The house would be rotated 180 degrees from its original position, but the deep lot, 59 feet by 150 feet, might allow the kitchen to be retained. Within the same block as the original, this site would be the best choice for maintaining National Register eligibility and mitigating moving costs. A light pole in front of the site may need to be temporarily removed. As an underutilized lot without a structure, this lot will also necessitate less cost for preparation. 2) 530 N. Clinton Street: University -owned open lot at the corner of Church and Clinton This site has been cleared of its historic house and now includes a diagonal sidewalk to allow pedestrians to cut across the lot. It is in a well -maintained neighborhood with a mixture of 19th- and early 20th-century residential and institutional buildings. The lot is 94 feet east -west and 75 feet north -south and while it may be possible for the house to face north as it currently does, facing west would maintain a better south setback and possibly retain the kitchen addition. Mature pine trees to the east and street trees to the north would provide a handsome park -like setting for the house. While the site is quite a distance from the original site, Clinton Street is 50 feet wide and is the best street to travel on all of the potential routes. One stop light arm will need to be removed, a fiber optic cable would need to be lowered in the first block, and some street trees may need to be trimmed but not removed. This site was viewed favorably because of context, neighborhood quality, potential ease of relocation, and the fact that it is also an undeveloped lot with no structure. 3) 318 E. Bloomington: Privately -owned lot with modern building This lot only came to our attention during the site visit. It is a 70 foot by 150 foot lot with a single - story concrete -block c. 1975 building serving as a daycare center with parking to the rear. The size of the lot would allow the house to be moved intact and retain parking at the rear. The route for this location would likely take the house up Clinton Street to Bloomington (31 feet wide) and may involve the removal of the 3 ash trees in the 300 block of Bloomington Street. It would also require a fiber optic cable and a stop light arm to be lowered on Clinton Street. At the corner of Linn and Bloomington extensive power line work would be required and would be the case for any location east of Linn Street. This setting would place the Sanxay-Gilmore house next to and across from other significant historic brick structures such as the Pagliai's building and 319 Bloomington. However, its availability is unknown. 4) 305 N. Gilbert Street: Russ's Auto Repair This lot was considered based on rumors that the owner may be considering vacating. We have not confirmed this. The corner lot is 80 feet east -west and 75 feet north -south. The house would fit best on the lot facing east. Along Gilbert Street, this is a residential neighborhood. The yellow brick house across the street at 310 N. Gilbert is a c. 1875 house. The balance of the neighborhood is post-1910s and later infill. A potential complication with this site is the possibility that it has underground gas tanks and the costly remediation this would require. Also, while the site is tight and would require that the kitchen addition be removed, it is not currently occupied by a historic structure and is closer than other locations on and past Dodge Street, therefore requiring less cost for relocation. 5) 629 E. Market and 127 N. Dodge: two parking lots owned by Mercy Hospital For this location to be feasible, both lots must be combined. The combined lot would be 50 feet wide by 100 feet deep. This location would require a circuitous route for the move because of the skywalk across Market Street. The most likely route will take the house up Clinton Street (50 feet wide) one block and down Davenport Street (31 feet wide) because of the sparser tree canopy and power lines. It would then travel down Dodge Street (31 feet wide), impacting one or two stop light arms. While any move that includes Dodge Street will increase the cost of the move due to the extensive power lines, fiber optic cable and tree canopy, this area has less tree canopy than that north of Davenport. Even so, along Dodge Street, because of its width, all power poles at the curb would need to be temporarily removed. While this is one of the only locations that allows the house to maintain its north -facing orientation, it is less than ideal because the historic house would be surrounded by open parking lots, multiplexes and a one- story parking structure. The c. 1852 Branch -Linder house is nearby at 120 N. Dodge. 6) 225 N. Gilbert Street: Owned by Mercy Hospital This lot is 55 feet by 80 feet with a slight extension in the southwest corner. It is already occupied by a historic house. The Sanxay-Gilmore House would narrowly fit but only if the kitchen addition were removed. This house was built by Christian and Clara Hohenschuh five years after they built their own house next door and likely served as rental property. The house originally had a shallow front porch on the left side that was removed in the early 1940s. Otherwise, it maintains many of its original details and is still significant under National Register eligibility criteria though not individually eligible. Because of the existence of a historic house on the lot, the Commission may not consider this lot an appropriate location if undeveloped and under -developed lots are available. The route to this location would be similar to the route to 305 N. Gilbert but would also likely include the need to impact the emergency parking lot and landscaping at the hospital to back onto the site. 7) 719 Church Street: Parking lot owned by Ace Hardware This large, sloped lot is 120 feet wide and 150 feet long and could be subdivided. It is located across from Ace Hardware and surrounded by an apartment building, a historic house, a business, an alley and garages. In this location the house could maintain its north -facing orientation and the lot is large enough that some parking could remain. The slope would potentially create a walk -out basement or retaining wall situation. The house would be near a school and a mix of commercial and residential structures. The route would include the same complications as the route to the Mercy parking lots to the south but would be even more difficult and expensive because of the travel distance on Dodge. To travel on Dodge in this area, significant tree canopy would be removed, and power lines/poles and fiber optic cable temporarily moved. A stop light arm would also be moved at Church Street. 8) 229 N. Gilbert Street: Owned by Mercy Hospital This is the corner lot and the larger of the two houses owned by Mercy. At 50 feet by 80 feet, this lot is the minimum needed for the Sanxay-Gilmore House. It is currently occupied by the well-preserved 1898 Queen Anne originally owned by Christian and Clara Hohenschuh. Christian Hohenschuh was a downtown merchant. It was built by one of Iowa City's most successful contractors and featured in a magazine published in Chicago the year of its construction. With the exception of the siding and the boxed -in chimney, both which could be rehabilitated, the house has many details intact and is eligible for listing in the National Register for its architecture. The move would face the same complications as the previously discussed locations on Bloomington Street and the house next door but may not impact the Mercy emergency parking lot because of street access to back onto the site. This house is more historically significant that the house next door (6), and the Commission may still not find it appropriate to demolish a historic house if undeveloped and under -developed lots are available. 9) 520 and 522 N. Dodge: privately owned for sale Each lot is 37'/2 feet by 80 feet so they would need to be combined. 522 N. Dodge is a historic house with much original detail but is in poor condition. The house at 520 N. Dodge was built in the 1860s but is in poor condition. It is the twin of the house to the south across the alley which is in better condition, with better historic integrity, and possibly National Register eligible. These lots are not ideal, partly because they would require the demolition of historic houses, even ones in bad repair, but also because of the cost to move along Dodge Street north of Davenport. Backing onto the lot may impact the trees at Horace Mann School across the street. 10) 724 Ronalds Street: City -owned property This large original -sized lot currently has a historic house that was recently determined to be non-contributing to the Brown Street Historic District by the Commission. While this lot would provide a residential context, with several brick structures nearby, and the protection of the historic district, it is not ideal for several reasons. The lot slopes down severely from the sidewalk, forming a basin which would require significant fill and/or a walk -out basement situation to create the appropriate relationship between the house and grade. In addition, the relocation process would likely travel up Clinton Street to Davenport and along Dodge to Ronalds. As discussed above, the removal of street trees, power lines, fiber optic cables and stop lights would be required along the route. Ronalds Street has a significant tree canopy that may require tree removal for 1 '/. blocks. The increased distance on Dodge Street would also close the Highway 1 for a longer period of time. This is also the most distant property from the original location, increasing the potential risk for an unsuccessful move and divorcing the house from any relationship to its original context. Conclusion: Moving a historic house to prevent demolition is always a last resort. If the Sanxay-Gilmore House may not remain on its original site, the City -owned parking lot across the street is the best location because it maintains the relationship between extant historic structures and would likely be the least complicated move. The University lot at Clinton and Church Streets provides an ideal setting worthy of the importance of the house and would likely allow an uncomplicated move. Any move beyond Clinton Street would require the loss of street trees. While the Mercy - owned lots on Gilbert may be available and acceptable, the Commission would be reluctant to promote the demolition of a National Register- eligible house for the move. The privately -owned lots on Bloomington may be better options but their availability is unknown. The remaining lots reviewed would incur larger costs for relocation. Potential Locations for the Sanxay-Gilmore House ' ■ , + July z, 2018 �� ! 1 . ! r ��F� C�� 7!e90 ���r�� d���►� d���0 i ❑77 a JYR9 E�Bh v9Ir� EAT'A�IB A 0 Kara 9351!n dh�n M115 IVA L �d�JB� �6M "plop ®� ��IR� oWQ� MMa9 a�8:Q E® a9�U MEMN Yi0 YGL1G � v� E;CAW �dQ�; a0 �i: v5�� d59�d ?GLO`�iG�9� Y`p�� :000OG �. o 3���E9. ��t��Eea�65� E�E�o 5�8C a �8� ,� r11w Q�©: u 6GEi8f`�bI9y GY9�4G �G�IGG�i��GGOG oS�GU nr "PTV EE��EPhEE�l�� e! a 1S�ea � f ��p ��: 1, ; �: °- vYA�q ■ NaE� GEG ib eEEr lit] Mill N7 _I1 '7 PEN` � t o��E �i0 OFFa o11i ikku, SM119R ■p�t ri! h C] 3,10111M o t G� I uo C3 OB�Ej� der��� ed !@!� 06�_o a�G�oi�Ei��60G v� !� e n ©E,r�S `'reto !Jr ;��AI!R ��e� � r - . -V.ter CITY OF I O WA CITY 1=4Me MEMORANDUM Date: January 2, 2019 To: Geoff Fruin, City Manager From: Jessica Bristow, Historic Preservation Planner Re: 109 Market, Sanxay-Gilmore House, relocation project Introduction: The Sanxay-Gilmore House at 109 Market Street, an important piece of Iowa City history, is located on its original site and was recently purchased by the University of Iowa from Gloria Dei Lutheran Church for future campus needs. Gloria Dei originally proposed relocating the house at their expense to a nearby courtyard in the Jefferson Street Historic District. The church backed off that plan after receiving negative feedback from the City. In a February 21, 2018 letter to the Mayor and Historic Preservation Chair, the church expressed a desire to gift the house to an entity wishing to preserve the structure and further committed to donating $50,000 for that purpose. If the house is not moved, the University has indicated that it will demolish the structure in the summer of 2019. The City Council previously asked staff to investigate options for moving the house. This memo provides the Council with such options as well as associated cost estimates that were developed by an architect and structural engineer with expertise in historic structures. History/Background: Built by 1843, the Sanxay (pronounced Sanksay) Gilmore House is the oldest -known residence remaining in Iowa City. Along with the Old Capitol, the Park House Hotel (130 East Jefferson Street) and Old Brick (20 East Market Street) it is among the most historic buildings in Iowa City. It is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places primarily for its historic association with the Sanxay and Gilmore families in addition to its architecture. The Sanxays were one of the founding families of Iowa City, emigrating to Iowa from Cincinnati to sell merchandise in the newly founded territorial capital city. Additional information on the history of the house can be found in the attached article, "Saving Iowa City's Oldest House." The historic importance of the Sanxay-Gilmore House has long been recognized in the community. Margaret Keyes, the University of Iowa Professor who coordinated the restoration of Old Capitol, featured the house at 109 Market Street in her 1967 book, Nineteenth -Century Home Architecture of Iowa City. Historian Irving Weber wrote of the house multiple times in his column for the Iowa City Press -Citizen. Recent research revealed that the construction of the house occurred at the same time that the Capitol building was being built, affirming the fact that it is one of the oldest structures in Iowa City. After the loss of the historic cottages in the 600 block of South Dubuque Street, City Council directed the Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) to be proactive in their local landmark process. So, in 2015, the HPC identified the Sanxay-Gilmore House as the number one priority for historic landmark designation. That year the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council also recognized it in the Central District Comprehensive Plan update as a historic building worthy of preservation. The HPC was planning to commence the process of communicating with property owners of eligible properties about landmark designation when news broke August 2017 indicating the Church was planning to sell the building to the University of Iowa. While the process for this building was paused, several other brick structures continued through the landmark process and were designated Iowa City Historic Landmarks in early 2018. January 2, 2019 Page 2 The original intent of the joint plan between the University of Iowa and Gloria Dei Lutheran Church was to relocate the house at 109 Market Street to the historic open space located next to 130 Jefferson Street and included in the Jefferson Street Historic District. This relocation would undermine the historic integrity of both the house and the Historic District. The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) provided a formal opinion on the impact of the relocation on the house and Historic District and the HPC and Staff worked to find alternative locations for the house. On February 12, 2018, Preservation Iowa included the house in the 2018 list of Iowa's most endangered properties. On February 21, 2018, Gloria Dei wrote a letter to the Chair of the Historic Preservation Commission that they will no longer pursue moving the house from 109 Market Street to the historic courtyard. They would also no longer take responsibility for relocating the house but would gift the structure to entity interested in preservation and contribute $50,000 toward that effort. Potential Relocation Sites: Staff assembled a list of potentially available sites, expanded from the original, adjacent, alternate sites and evaluated them with the Chair of the HPC at the direction of the City Manager. Potential sites included any open, non -historic, and/or underdeveloped sites north of Iowa Avenue and west of Governor street. To evaluate the potential sites, several factors were reviewed: proximity, orientation, and size of the site, and residential and/or institutional character of the site. A list of potential locations was communicated to the City Manager in a July 2, 2018 memo (attached). The most appropriate site for any historic building eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places is the original site. The original site maintains the historic relationship to other historic buildings and the environment. With this house, some of the neighboring historic buildings are non -extant. The current site maintains a relationship with the Old Capitol, which is one of the only existing buildings from the same period (1840s), and Old Brick, which was built in 1856 and is associated with the Sanxay family. As is evident from the 1883 through the 1933 Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, the house has always been in a neighborhood that includes both residential and institutional buildings. Because the University intends to demolish the structure, alternative sites must be considered. During an executive session with Council on July 17, 2018, to discuss purchase of potential relocation sites, the sites identified in the July 2"1 memo were discussed including several in the North Marketplace Neighborhood and several that were for sale or already owned by the City. In the time since the Executive Session, staff has identified the following as potential relocation sites (see attached map): • City -owned parking lot on the north side of the 100-block of Market Street • City -owned home at 225 N. Gilbert Street • City owned home at 229 N. Gilbert Street • City owned home at 724 Ronalds Street Financial Impact: Staff and the HPC applied for an Emergency Historic Resource Development Program (HRDP) grant from the state to hire a consultant to evaluate and assess the structural requirements for relocating the house and the scope of work for the relocation and mothballing of the house. Historic architect, Doug Steinmetz, and his structural engineer, Todd Birkel, were hired to complete the assessment. Coordination between the structural engineer and the movers, Goodwin Housemoving, is ongoing and should be complete in January. The Consultant has provided draft estimates for structural stabilization during and after the move, mothballing the house after the move, abandoning the old site, and full rehabilitation and adaptive reuse. Staff has estimated the relocation costs. These costs may change depending on the final site chosen and the route. January 2, 2019 Page 3 Breakdown of included costs: Building relocation cost estimates: Mover's costs (narrow or distant sites will have additional costs) Power line work (Mid American Energy) Fiber-optic cable (Century Link) Tree trimming and removal on route (scope unknown until site determined) Management/coordination of move (about 200 hours additional HP staff time) Structural Stabilization, landscaping, mothballing and new foundation: New full 8-foot basement with above grade appropriate detailing New beams and columns New below -grade utilities Concrete floor Basement windows matching historic windows and locations New porch foundations and slabs or piers Landscape backfill, paving, and seeding at new site Mothballing Brick repair from move Spot roof repair and downspout installation Reattachment of kitchen Porch repair/reconstruction New porch roofs and internal gutters Exterior wood painting New HVAC, electrical and plumbing attached to existing systems Additional Structural needs- unknown for now but may be covered in cost Old Site Abandonment: Repair sidewalk Remove foundation, utility Backfill and seed City costs not included at this time: Street sign removal and reinstallation (City- not included at this time) Signal arm removal and reinstallation (City- not included at this time) Parking meter removal and reinstallation (City- not included at this time) Cost Tables: Building Relocation Goodwin Housemovers $100,000 Mid -American Energy $70,000 Centurylink $12,000 Tree estimate $12,000 Contingency 20% $38,800 Additional staff time for PM $9,000 Total $241,800 Foundation, Landscaping, and Mothballing at new site Cost Estimate for work $225,600 Contingency 20% $45,120 Professional Fees 15% $40,608 Total $311,328 January 2, 2019 Page 4 Old Site Abandonment Cost Estimate for work $20,000 Total $20,000 Other: Hazardous materials removal at either site is not addressed. The building relocation costs are likely to vary a great deal depending on the final site chosen. The estimates are based on a move to the neighborhood of the Gilbert Street locations. The site across Market Street should allow for a much greater reduction in move costs, especially through Mid -American Energy. The site in the 700 block of Ronalds Street would have much higher costs for the relocation and for the Foundation, Landscaping and Mothballing portion of the project because of unique site conditions. This location would also lead to a substantial impact on the tree canopy along the route. The original discussion with the consultant about the professional fees included an additional $24,000 for the coordination during the move. It was discussed that Historic Preservation Staff may be better positioned to perform this task with greater efficiency and reduced cost so an estimate of the cost for additional staff time (over the existing 20 hours per week) was included in the table. If an outside consultant provided this coordination, the cost would be an estimated $24,000 instead of the $9,000 included in the table. Additionally, with the exception of the design of the new basement and structural systems, HP Staff could act as project manager and general contractor for the Foundation, Landscaping and Mothballing portions and reduce the costs for professional fees. Coordination of subcontractors for this work is something with which staff has considerable experience. It would likely take an additional 200 hours of staff time (over staff's existing 20 hours per week). This is in addition to the potential 200 hours Project Management for the move and is estimated based on a past move project. If the City were to proceed in this direction, the $40,600 Professional Fee would be reduced to the cost required for the design of the basement and structural systems plus an amount estimated to be roughly $9,000 for additional HP staff time to perform this service. It may be possible for the site abandonment costs to be reduced through coordination with the University when they plan to demolish adjacent remaining houses on Clinton Street next summer. Finally, the consultant has a preliminary estimate for a complete rehabilitation and adaptive commercial reuse of the building following the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and includes steps such as re -opening the main staircase, repairing and refinishing interior materials, and replacing all interior MEP systems. This portion of the project does not need to be completed or planned for immediately. The mothballing portion of the project listed above would be sufficient to allow the house to sit in stasis on a new site without further deterioration. Ultimately a rehabilitation project would need to be completed prior to reuse by the City or another entity/owner. It is possible that the City could find cost savings once a final use is determined. These potential costs in a rough estimate are as follows: Full Rehabilitation and Adaptive Reuse Cost Estimate for work $480,000 Contingency 20% $96,000 Professional Fees 15% $86,400 Total $662,400 January 2, 2019 Page 5 City Council Direction Requested: Staff is requesting City Council direction on the next steps for this project. The proposed FY20 budget includes $330,000 for the relocation of the house. This cost estimate was a placeholder while we were waiting on the official estimates from the consultant. These dollars combined with $50,000 brings the total available funding to $380k, which is short of the $573,128 estimate for moving and mothballing. If the Council wishes to pursue the move further, it will need to amend staff's recommended budget by adding $193,128 or by $855,528 if full rehabilitation is desired. These expenses include some contingency dollars but do not include ongoing maintenance of the building. The four sites under consideration are all city -owned, thus land acquisition is not required. However, it should be pointed out that the City -owned parking lot on Market Street likely has a value near $1 million and that the two homes on N. Gilbert were recently bought for $185,000 (225 Gilbert) and $250,000 (229 Gilbert). The two homes on Gilbert Street were purchased with loan funds from our UniverCity lenders. If either of the homes on Gilbert Street are chosen as the new site, City funds must be used to repay the loan. The City will also need to include demolition costs. The home on Ronalds Street was purchased a few years ago through a condemnation and the City has previously discussed using it for a missing middle housing demonstration site. This site would also need to include demolition costs as well as additional route and landscaping costs. Prior to proceeding with any further plans, staff is requesting City Council direction on whether the City still wishes to proceed with relocation given the costs and available sites. If so, it will be important to amend the proposed budget and select a location so that the move can take place this summer. Attachments: Map of remaining relocation sites November 29, 2017 article "Saving Iowa City's Oldest House" by Alicia Trimble and Ginalie Swaim February 15, 2018 letter from the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs February 21, 2018 letter from Gloria Dei Lutheran Church March 5, 2018 letter from Mayor Throgmorton to Gloria Dei Lutheran Church July 2, 2018 memo from City staff and the HPC Chair to the City Manager Remaining relocation sites for the Sanxay-Gilmore House, 109 Market Street f"r f_ r rr— rr rr r r� r r rr rrrr rr r r "rrr r" r rrr rrrr-rr, r rrr f r rrlrrr RONAI rIS ST a rr rrr rr rf r� rr rrr r �r rrr rr rF••r ' r r 11nr lrlr r •rrr F r r rr ^ r� r r r�rrrr rrr rrrri fr rrf r r I ffr CMRCrIST r`irrr— �.r�rr�r W rfrrrr r r` rr + r r— r r r !�r r rr r— =r r r'r rrrr rr rr I F— rrrrrf r rrr rrr r m r-r_ a r _ Ir r r r rlrr t" I r{.._ rr I r r r r r' r r r r rr r— r•r r r'rr�r� r f r rr r r+r r r r r-• r r rr r l r' r' r r ,- I r { � � rrrri .rl C r r naaacr Hann r ELrFaN�aav sc rr r - r, 1 r r r r r' rrl r r 1 .rrrr rr' r zr r iL�Ma0.NET ra1fr' rir rRRn �rrrf �mr:r� r I r z I' rT r r r z,.__�r•_rr Fr =r'�rl'!r rffrrr rrf rr r=r'rri'rr rD4 ENPORTST rr r.r f 3 V r! r. i r f[rrF sfr r r I r r FQr r zr rrl l r r r rr o rrr r-rrr rrr r� rrr _r �r tr IrrrlfRr r, r r_ f— z rr rrrri' rf ��'� r r r"r� f Fr rrrr' lrffrfrr rrr r{ f r' F r f rYrr r rrrr - { �� �rrrn, r I F 6L00MINGTON ST (Y �� r'^ r rrrrrr r r �' rr] Fr r _ �� rr r rr r Ffi r r r C�7�� .rfrl F Ei 6T rrr rIr— rr r r r.rrr r r r! r r L frrr r _ r 'rr-r A: existing/original site at 109 Market B: optional new site 100 block Market C: optional new site 225 N Gilbert D: optional new site 229 N Gilbert E: optional new site 724 Ronalds Built by March 1843, the house at 109 East Market was home to the Sanxay family (pronounced Sank -say), who played important roles in early Iowa City, and to Eugene Gilmore, retired University of Iowa president, in the 1940s. Saving Iowa City's Oldest House by Alicia Trimble (executive director, Friends of Historic Preservation) and Ginalie Swaim (chairperson, Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission) ACTING UPON RECOMMENDATIONS from the Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission and the Plan- ning and Zoning Commission, the City Council in 2015 amended the comprehensive plan to include identifica- tion of the house at 109 East Market Street as a historic property worthy of preservation. The Sanxay-Gilmore House was long believed to date as far back as the late 1850s. Compelling new evidence tells us that the house was built much earlier, and therefore is even more significant. We now know that it is likely the oldest remaining house within the original city limits. It stands with Old Capitol as the town's oldest structures. This new research in tax records and newspapers re- veals that the Sanxay-Gilmore House was built by 1843. That discovery makes its protection imperative. We be- lieve that every effort must be made to keep the house where it is, where its history unfolded. A building's his- toric significance lies in its architectural integrity and in its association with the people and events from the past. The Sanxay-Gilmore House is rich in both. The physical house and the story of the people who lived in it tell us much about Iowa City's past. Helping a Town Grow and Flourish THE SANXAY FAMILY, for whom the house is named, is interwoven in Iowa City's history almost from the begin- ning. The year before the Sanxays arrived, the town had been platted, Robert Lucas as territorial governor had made his first visit, and Chauncey Swan had contracted with an architect for a new capitol. In February 1840, Frederic Sanxay and his twenty- one -year -old son, Theodore, arrived with a stock of goods to sell to the emigrants pouring into this "embryo city," as one town founder called it. The first sawmill couldn't keep up with carpenters' demands. Fortunately that April Sylvanus Johnson began making bricks, such that on July 4, the Sanxays and business partner Malcolm Murray dedicated their store, the towns first two-story brick structure. The same day the cornerstone of the capi- tol was set in place. By 1841, young Theodore Sanxay had purchased Lot 3 at Clinton and Market streets, envisioning a family home there. He married Hettie Perry in 1842. The two- story house built for the couple (probably of Sylvanus Johnson's bricks) was finished in time for the birth of their first son, Theodore Frederic Sanxay, in March 1843. Sec- ond son James Perry Sanxay was also born in the house, in 1846. Another son died before age three_ The house was built in the popular and elegant Greek Revival style, as was the nearby capitol. As the family's economic standing grew, so did their home. The adjoining Lot 4 was purchased. An addition with Italianate details was added to the west. Two more additions followed. Every morning, from his fine brick home at 109 East Market, Theodore Sanxay strode out into the busy world of Iowa City civic life and commerce. He was quickly be- coming a mover and shaker. By 1844, he was a trustee and founding member of First Presbyterian Church. (Twelve years later, the stately building we now call Old Brick would be built diagonally across Market Street from his home.) Starting in the 1850s he helped push local man- ufacturing, plan a high school, and promote the town s first railroad. He served as a director, vice president, and acting president of the Johnson County Savings Bank. The store the Sanxays had started in 1840 had shifted to selling hardware and iron in a new location at Clinton and Washington. The brick building there grew from two stories to three, and expanded to the east. fears later the building became known as Whetstone's and it now hous- es Panchero's. But for decades it was referred to simply as Sanxay's Comer, so integral was the family to the town. Although J. P. Sanxay, the second son, ran the store, he "developed for everything like business, and all its ac- tivities, such intense antipathy, to render him almost mor- bid," according to his brother. Although he took up other interests and moved away, J. P. and his wife retired to the family home at 109 E. Market, where he died in 1901. Meanwhile, his brother, Theodore Frederic, had become an attorney in the East. He still read Iowa City newspapers and tried to visit every year. He wrote the Old Settlers Association in 1908, "The circumstance of my birth in Iowa City gives me a great affection for the place, and I confess that, though the major part of my life has been lived elsewhere, as the years roll on I find my thoughts turning more and more to the old home of my boyhood, and I begin to feel that I should like to end mv life there, where it began." He died in New York in 1925 but was buried here in Oakland Cemetery. An impressive monument marks his grave. His love of his hometown extended to the Univer- sity of Iowa. His estate established an annual award for a liberal arts graduate, the award still exists as the Sanxay Prize. The initial gift for the prize was $15,000—equal to $210,000 in todav's dollars. Sharing a History with the University IN 1946, EUGENE .AND BLANCHE GILMORE bought "the little neo-classic house on East Market street," as Blanche described it. Eugene Gilmore served as Univer- sity of Iowa president from 1934 to 1940 (and before that, as vice governor-general of the Philippine Islands, and then professor and dean of the UI law school). Despite the troubling economic times of the Great Depression, the university under his leadership acted entrepreneurially, adding the Law Commons, Hillcrest Residence Hall, the Theatre Building, and the Art Building to the campus. According to Blanche Gilmore, the Sanxay-Gilmore Houses unusually large foundation stones were "left over from the construction of the capitol building." That certainly seems fitting, because the Sanxays, arriving here even before Old Capitol was begun, were certainly part of the foundation of this community. Their 1843 house — and its juxtaposition to the downtown and campus —is a compelling reminder of the early daps in Iowa City, when bricks were just becoming available but entrepreneurship and civic values were already paramount. Gloria Dei Lutheran Church has owned the house in recent decades and has been a good steward. Now the church is selling the lot to the University of Iowa and pro- posing to move the house (with university assistance) to the courtyard at 130 E. Jefferson Street. At first glance, this might seem like a good solution_ The National Park Service, however, states that historic buildings should remain where their history happened. In other words, the locution acid orientation of the Sanxay- Gilmore House is indeed part of its story and key to its significance. Protecting a Historic Green Space FURTHERMORE, THE COURTYARD at 130 E. Jeffer- son (the proposed receiving site) is part of another story - The State Historic Preservation Office, representing the National Park Service, has delineated several issues re- lated to inserting the house here. One of these issues is the courtyard's association with the adjoining building, known historically as the Park House Hotel (1852-1857) 130 E.Jefferson Street was St.Agatha's Female Seminary for Girls for five decades, and then Svendi Hall, a private dormitory for women. This photo, circa 1891, shows the courtyard west of the building. and St. Agatha's Female Seminary. St. Agatha's was a girls' boarding and day school operated by the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Sisters of Charity in the Midwest —like Cathe- rine Beecher and other 19th-century educators — valued natural spaces for its female students. Physical exercise in the outdoors was essential; so were opportunities to study botany and contemplate nature. When the Sisters of Charity started advertising another Iowa school simi- lar to St. Agatha's in 1858, they extolled its location "in the midst of a grove of luxuriant timber, the shady walks of which, together with the grounds which are elegantly laid out, render it a most eligible place for the instruction of young Ladies." After St. Agatha's opened on Jefferson Street in 1861,a stable was moved from the courtyard and a board fence erected, granting the students and teachers some privacy and protection. Later, an arbor appeared. According to 1880s catalogs for St. Agatha's, the school "derives many advantages from its location in Iowa City, Even today, the courtyard at 130 Jefferson holds true to its ori- gins as a treasured green space in the oldest part of Iowa City. is beautifully and healthfully situated between groves, woods, and on a winding river." St. Agatha's closed in 1909 and the large building be- came Svendi Hall (and later Burkley Place), a privately owned women's dormitory. The women boarders would have enjoyed the courtyard as a remnant of nature. Over all these decades, the courtyard has functioned as a tranquil, restorative green space in a heavily built area of town. Inserting an 1843 house here would be a dis- service not only to the needs of today s urban dwellers, but also to the history of both the Sanxay-Gilmore House and St. Agatha's. The significance of tuvo historic proper- ties would be diminished. Honoring a Sense of Place WE ENCOURAGE the University of Iowa to build upon its long commitment to historic properties and its part- nership with the Iowa City community. As the university conducts feasibility studies for construction of an entre- preneurial center in the area, we believe that its leaders should indeed embrace its entrepreneurial and innova- tive spirit and build around this historic home at 109 East Market —just as the Pappajohn Building was built around Gilmore Hall on campus. There are plenty of national examples of new architecture juxtaposed with historic structures, where new and old complement each other. It can be done. Here lies a wonderful opportunity for the university and creative architects to do something truly stellar, in honor of our shared history. And we urge the City of Iowa City to work with all parties to protect the Sanxay-Gilmore House, the oldest house within our original city limits, and to keep it where it first arose in 1843—a contemporary in time, space, and story of Old Capitol itself. IOWA DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS CHRIS KRAMER, ACTING DIRECTOR IOWA ARTS COUNCIL STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF IOIAIA STATE HISTORICAL MUSEUM OF IOWA STATE HISTORICAL LIBRARY& ARCHIVES STATE HISTORIC SITES STATEHIS4'ORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE OF IOWA IOWA HISTORICAL FOUNDATION KIM REYNOLDS, GOVERNOR ADAM GREGG, LT. GOVERNOR February 15, 2018 Robert Miklo, Senior Planner Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission 410 E. Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240 Dear Mr. Miklo, We are writing to provide the State Historic Preservation Office's perspective on various options under consideration for the Sanxay-Gilmore House at 109 Market Street. This letter supplements an earlier letter we sent you in September 2017. We commend Iowa City for exploring all avenues to preserve this extremely important property. Recent research had documented that the house was constructed by 1843 and is contemporary with the Old Capitol. As a rare survival of Iowa City's earliest history, the Sanxay-Gilmore House speaks to the city's founding and role as the territorial capital and first state capital of Iowa. Additionally, as the residence of President Eugene Gilmore and his wife Blanche, the house has an important link to the twentieth-century history of the University of Iowa. We also would like to thank Gloria Dei Lutheran Church for being good stewards of the 175-year old Sanxay-Gilmore House. It is because they have cared for the house and have used it, that it remains today as a reminder of our state's early development. We understand that there are three options under consideration currently. For each option we have noted below our comments with respect to historic preservation and National Register eligibility. Leave the house in its original location. Always, the best preservation practice is to leave a historic property in its original location so the important connection between property and site is preserved. Leaving the Sanxay-Gilmore House in place also preserves its historic orientation. If the house remains on its original lot, it would remain eligible for the National Register, preservation grants and historic tax credits. Finally, this option does not expose the house to the physical risk associated with moving a historic building. Move the house on to the adjacent property either completely or partially. This option would preserve the property's historic orientation. This option also preserves the property's National Register eligibility as well as eligibility for preservation grants and historic tax credits. This option exposes the house to the potential for physical damage but because of the relative short distance the house would travel that risk is minimized. Move the house into the courtyard between the Park House/St. Agatha's and St. Mary's Convent. This is the least desirable option because it will have an adverse effect on three historic properties: the Sanxay-Gilmore House, the Jefferson Street Historic District (listed in 2004) and Park House/St. Agatha's (individually listed in 1978). The STATE HISTORICAL BUILDING • 600 E. LOCUST ST. • DES MOINES, IA 50319 • 515.281.5111 • IOWACULTURE.GOV adverse effect on the three properties will be taken in turn below. Adverse effect on the Sanxav-Gilmore House: Moving the house to Jefferson Street will destroy the connection between the house and its historic site. The house would also need to be rotated 180 degrees changing the historic orientation facing north to facing south. Further analysis would need to be done to determine how this would affect the National Register eligibility of the house itself. However, the most serious impact is on the district itself and the Park House which is detailed below. Adverse effect on the Jefferson Street Historic District and Park House/St. Agatha's Female Seminary: The more serious concern posed by this option is the loss of the green space within the historic district and adjacent to the Park House House/St. Agatha Female Seminary. According to Sanborn maps, the courtyard has been open space since at least 1883 and probably much earlier. The 1888 Sanborn Map shows the presence of an arbor documenting the value of the space as a restorative landscape for the students enrolled in the seminary and later for the residents of the apartment following the closure of the seminary. Additionally, inserting the Sanxay-Gilmore House into this green space will disrupt the historical rhythm of the streetscape and remove the last remaining green space in the district. The other open spaces noted on the 1839 map of Iowa City in this immediate area —City Park and Center Market —are no longer extant. As a result, it is particularly important to preserve this rare surviving green space. While architecturally the Sanxay-Gilmore House appears compatible with the other buildings in the Jefferson Street Historic District, its construction date of 1843 is outside the district's 1850-1954 period of significance. Relocating the house into the district would change the number of resources within the district and require that the period of significance be extended. For these reasons, an amendment to the district would need to be provided to the State Nominations Review Committee. The Committee would consider the proposed relocation of the house into the district and in turn would make a recommendation to the National Park Service as to whether the relocation would affect the eligibility of the district and the individually listed Park Hotel. Depending on the outcome of the Committee's recommendations and the National Park Service's decision, this option may jeopardize future preservation funding and historic tax credits for these properties. We also recommend that if this option is selected, an archaeological survey should be done to ascertain whether there are archaeological resources that will be disturbed by the project. Further documentation and data recovery may be needed. Thank you again for giving our office the opportunity to provide comment on this project. Sincerely, Paula Mohr, Ph.D. 4 0 Steve King, AIA CLG Coordinator and Architectural Historian Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer IOWA DEPARTMENT OFCULTURAL AFFAIRS STATE HISTORICAL BUILDING • 600 E. LOCUST ST. • DES MOINES, IA 50319 • 515.281.5111 • IOWACULTURE.GOV GLORIA DEI LUTHERAN CHURCH A Congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 123 EAST MARKET STREET IOWA CITY, IOWA 52245-1731 (319) 338-2893 FAX (319) 338-1899 February 21, 2018 To: The Honorable Mayor, James Throgmorton; City of Iowa City Ms. Ginalie Swaim; Chairperson, Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission Re: Gloria Dei Christus House (Sanxay-Gilmore House) 109 East Market Street Representatives of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church appreciate the thoughtful dialogue we have shared over the last several weeks in regard to our proposal to relocate and to restore the Christus House on the green space on the north side of the 100 block of East Jefferson Street. The history of the house, believed to have been built in 1843, and the significance of green space within the Jefferson Street Historic District have been highlighted. We have heard the concerns you expressed of the negative impact of relocating the house to the green space might have on the neighborhood and on the entire historic district. Based on the information we have received from The State Office of Historic Preservation, The Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission, and The Friends of Historic Preservation as well as concerns expressed by Iowa City Councilors, we have reconsidered our proposal. Gloria Dei congregation will no longer pursue nor support moving the house to the green space on the 100 block of Jefferson Street or to any other location on the current block. The congregation wishes to thank the Hodge Family for their willingness to consider donating their land for the move. It was a wonderful offer we now find the congregation must decline. Having been good stewards of the historic house for over 25 years, Gloria Dei congregation has determined that we can no longer continue in that role. The stewardship of the house must be passed on to others whose mission and expertise match the need. Since 1858, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church's mission on the corner of Dubuque and Market Streets has been to spread the good news of Jesus Christ to our community. These last few months have been spent in discernment on how best to continue our support for the Lutheran Campus Ministry — to whom we have gifted the use of the Christus House — and their mission to work with the students of the University of Iowa. We must clearly declare our mission is not about a historic structure; our mission is sharing the message of God's saving grace! GLORIA DEI LUTHERAN CHURCH A Congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 123 EAST MARKET STREET IOWA CITY, IOWA 52245-1731 (319) 338-2893 FAX (319) 338-1899 We are thankful to the leadership of the University of Iowa for their support in the purchase of our two houses which will allow the congregation to maintain our facilities and continue our mission to serve all people, especially students and members of the University of Iowa community. Their expressed and steadfast support for faith -based churches in the heart of our community and near the campus is deeply appreciated. Therefore, the Gloria Dei congregation desires to gift the Christus House (Sanxay-Gilmore House) to an entity whose mission is to preserve Iowa City's historic properties and who has the financial resources to relocate, restore, and maintain the house in a safe location beyond the current block in which it is located. We will assist in the relocation effort to an approved site by donating $50,000 for that purpose. We invite you to find a qualified steward and a safe location, out of development's way, so that the house may be preserved for future generations. Jean Donham Vice President, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church cc: Geoff Fruin, City of Iowa City David Kieft, Jessup Hall, The University of Iowa Alicia Trimble, Friends of Historic Preservation Iowa City Press Citizen The Gazette Roger Dykstra Senior Pastor, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church 1r t CITY OF IOWA CITY March 5, 2018 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1826 (319)356-5000 (319) 356-5009 FAX www.icgov.org Vice -President Jean Dykstra and Senior Pastor Roger Dykstra Gloria Dei Lutheran Church 128 E. Market Street Iowa City, Iowa 52245-1731 Dear Jean and Roger, Thank you for your very thoughtful February 21 memo concerning Gloria Dei Christus House (Sanxay-Gihnore House) at 109 Market Street. As I write this letter, I am looking at the brochure you gave me when we met back in January. The brochure vividly reveals that Gloria Dei has been a very important part of Iowa City from the date First English Lutheran Church was built in 1858, through the moment in 1962 when a fire destroyed the first brick church, to the present day. We in City government want to see Gloria Dei thrive in its present location and thereby to continue fulfilling its mission of serving all people, especially students and members of the University of Iowa community. As you have been looking to the future, you have had to decide what to do with the Christus House. In addition to deliberating as a congregation, you have reached out to members of the Historic Preservation Commission and Friends of Historic Preservation, and to City government officials, including City Manager Geoff Fruin and me. I understand the complexities associated with the decision and presume it was a difficult one to make. But it was made with considerable thought and care. As a result of these deliberations, you have decided not to pursue or support the original idea of moving the house to the green space on the 100 block of Jefferson Street or to any other location on the current Market Street block. You have also decided to gift the house to an entity whose mission is to preserve Iowa City's historic properties and who has the financial resources to relocate, restore, and maintain the house in a safe location beyond the current block in which it is located. Moreover, you have committed to donating $50,000 to assist in moving the house to an approved location. In the coming weeks City staff, along with representatives of the Historic Preservation Commission and Friends of Historic Preservation, will actively investigate possible sites for the relocated home. We greatly appreciate your commitment to working with us as we assess possible sites for the house's preservation. We ask that the Church and the University of Iowa continue to be supportive and patient with us as we find a new location for this vitally important piece of our community's history. Best re ds, Jim ogmorton Mayor of Iowa City Cc: Geoff Fruin, Iowa City City Manager Ginalie Swaim, Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission Alicia Trimble, Friends of Historic Preservation David Kieft, The University of Iowa AGREEMENT TO TRANSFER REAL ESTATE BETWEEN THE CITY OF IOWA CITY AND THE BOARD OF REGENTS, STATE OF IOWA WHEREAS, the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, for the use and benefit of the University of Iowa (hereinafter "UI) purchased real property located at 109 E. Market Street, Iowa City, Towa for future growth and development of the UT campus; and WHEREAS, located on the above referenced land is an older home referred to by City as the Saoxay-Gilmore home (hereinafter "Home") determined by the City of Iowa City (hereinafter "City") to be of significance and value to the City and community; and WHEREAS, UI has agreed not to raze the Home if the Home could be moved, at a reasonable cost, to a suitable alternative location; and WHEREAS, City owns the metered parking lot across the street from the Home, and such otherwise vacant parcel is approximately the same size as the parcel where the Home now sits; and WHEREAS City and UT have determined the City owned parking lot site can accommodate and is a suitable location for the Home. THEREFORE, City and UI enter into this Agreement to Transfer Real Estate (hereinafter "Agreement") whereby under certain teens and conditions agreed to by the parties as set forth within this Agreement, City shall transfer to UI a parcel of land identified as Parcel# 1010305002 and further described as the East 59' of the West 63', Lot 7, Block 77 Original Town, Iowa City, Iowa. All as described and depicted on Exhibit A, attached to and incorporated into this Agreement, (hereinafter the "Property"). 1. Transfer Price. As UT will be paying for the cost of the Home relocation, remodeling the Home, and the upkeep and maintenance of the Home into the future; and under the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, City shall transfer the Home to UI for no cost ($0.00) upon the satisfaction and waiver of all of UI's obligations and conditions specified herein. 2. Ui Pre -Transfer Obligations. • Ul, at its sole cost and expense shall contract to initiate a Phase I environmental assessment. Any negative findings in such assessment shall be shared with City within 3 days of receipt of the report. UT, at its sole cost and expense shall retain the services of an engineering, structural, and/or design professional to develop plans and specifications for: a) the physical move/relocation of the Home from its current location at 109 Market Sheet, Iowa City to the Property; and b) a new foundation to be built on the Property to support the Home; and c) all new utility connections for the Home on the Property; and d) plans for final site development, including parking, of the home at the Property; and e) interior and exterior renovations of the Home to support new programmatic space for UT that are sensitive to the age and architecture of the Home, with the further understanding that UT shall consult the guidelines of the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Historic Properties as it plans any exterior renovations to the Property; and f) site restoration of the Home's former site on University property. The City may designate a staff member to be part of the UT project team that develops such plans and specifications. As plans are developed, City shall make the Property available to UT for necessary testing and inspections. UT shall only be obligated to restore the property following any such testing if UT elects not to move forward with Home relocation or if such testing leaves one or more revenue generating parking spaces usable for a period of more than seven days. • Upon completion of the above specified plans and specifications, UI shall issue the documents for public bidding thru its regular policy and procedures for bidding capital projects per State of Iowa Code; but will not award the contract until the Property is transferred as set forth below under Section 4. 3. City Pre -Transfer Representations & Obligations. • City represents that to the best of its knowledge and belief there are no encumbrances, liens or mortgages on the Property; and City shall not further encumber the Property with any mortgages or liens without prior written approval from UI. • City, at its expense, shall obtain an abstract of title to the Property continued through a date not more than 30 days prior to the scheduled closing of this transaction and deliver it to UI. It shall show marketable title in City in conformity with this Agreement, Iowa law and title standards of the Iowa Bar Association. City shall make every reasonable effort to promptly perfect title. If closing is delayed due to City's inability to provide marketable title, this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect until either party tern- inates the Agreement after giving ten days written notice to the other party. The abstract shall become the property of UI when the conveyance instrument from City to UI is recorded • City warrants to the best of its knowledge and belief there are no abandoned wells, solid waste disposal sites, hazardous wastes or substances, or underground storage tanks located on the Property, and City has done nothing to contaminate the Property with hazardous wastes or materials. City warrants the Property is not subject to any local, state or federal judicial or administrative action, investigation or order, as the case may be, regarding wells, solid waste disposal sites, hazardous wastes or substances, or underground storage tanks. If there exists any abandoned wells, UI may require City to cap the well in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations. • City shall bear the risk of loss or damage to the Property prior to closing and possession. City agrees to maintain existing liability insurance on the entire Property 4. Closing and Transfer. Closing shall occur after the plans and specifications are developed and bid in Section 2 above of this Agreement but before UT awards the contract in accordance with Board of Regents policies and processes. This transaction shall be considered closed upon the delivery of the title transfer documents to UT. City shall convey the Property to UT via warranty deed, free and clear of all liens, restrictions and encumbrances except as provided in Section 5 of this Agreement. City and UT are both exempt fi-om real estate taxes, and as such, there are no real estate taxes to pro -rate at the time of transfer from City to UT. 5. UT Post Closing Obligation. UT shall maintain and preserve the Home with sensitivity to the age, architecture, and historic nature of the Home for a minimum period of forty (40) years following the transfer date from City to UT. If the UT determines it no longer has use for the home within the forty year period the home and property shall revert to City ownership and the UT shall transfer the property to City by warranty deed free and clear of all liens, restrictions and encumbrances.. After the forty year preservation period the UT agrees to either preserve the home on -site or on another suitable property, or provide the City the ability to relocate the home with an accompanying two-year period to accomplish the move. Should the city not exercise the option to relocate the home and the UT moves forward with sale of both the home and property, the UT agrees not to object to any City led effort to designate the structure as a national and/or local historic landmark. 6. General Provisions. In the performance of each part of this Agreement, time shall be of the essence. This Agreement shall apply to and bind the successors in interest of the parties. This Agreement contains the entire agreement of the parties and shall not be amended except by a written instrument duly signed by City and UI. Paragraphs and headings are for convenience of reference and shall not limit or affect the meaning of this Agreement. Words and phrases herein shall be construed as in the singular or plural number, and as masculine, feminine or neuter gender according to the context. 7. Survival. Provisions of this Agreement intended by their terms and conditions to (i) take effect after closing or (ii) continue in effect after closing, shall survive the closing on this transaction. Approved for UT: David Kieft Date Business Manager, University of Iowa Approved for City: Bruce Teague Date Mayor, City of Iowa City Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission • ' City Hall, 410 E Washington Street, Iowa City. IA. 52240 MEMORANDUM Date: April 28, 2020 To: Historic Preservation Commission From: Kevin Boyd, Chair, Historic Preservation Commission Re: Montgomery -Butler House Request: We ask City Staff to help form a working group of relevant city departments and citizens out a plan and recommendation for an adaptive reuse and path forward for the Montgomery -Butler House. Background: The City acquired this historic asset in the 1990s as part of the land acquisitions for the water plant site. Shortly after, the City received a grant to moth -ball the property to preserve it for future use. While it is located in Waterworks Prairie Park, the land surrounding the water treatment facility at the park is maintained by the Public Works Department. We likely need representatives of all relevant City Departments as well as citizens including someone from our commission, someone from Parks and Recreation Commission, perhaps some of the regular users of Waterworks park (many of whom recently engage the City Council over an unrelated issue). It's our job to provide concrete direction and let the City Staff map out the details. Why find an adaptive reuse of the Montgomery -Butler House? 1. Previous City leaders made this commitment. The City acquired a historic asset in the late 1990s as part of the land acquisition for the water plant site. The City received a grant to moth -ball the property for future reuse. That moth -balling is showing signs of failure. We need to act. 2. The City has had recent success in adaptive reuse of historic properties. Public Space One's new home at 225 and 229 N Gilbert is a great example of the City preserving historic resources and opening up discussions and ideas from the community about what the use for this historic asset might be. The group should invite a community discussion about how to use this historic asset. While the result might simply be a shelter or trail head, the creative minds of our community may result in a great idea. 3. It's the right thing to do during the climate crisis. The structure already contains the embodied energy, the energy it used to construct the building - its materials, transport, and assembly. If the building is demolished because of neglect, that energy is lost. Let's keep this city -owned resource out of the landfill and find another use for this structure. It's an opportunity to lead by example - get the community thinking about how to reuse buildings instead of demolishing them and adding to our landfill. 4. It's part of our shared history. Cultural continuity between generations, stitch together our past and our future. Walter and Elizabeth Butler were a little like the godparents of Iowa City. When the territorial legislature needed a place to meet in Iowa City, the Butlers built what came to be known as Butler's Capitol. After Walter's death, Elizabeth lived in this house and with her second husband, Martin Montgomery, they operated a ferry to cross the Iowa River at this point on Dubuque Road. This structure was likely built between 1856 and 1859. Finding an adaptive reuse is part of the Historic Preservation Commission's Annual Work Plan and the City's Historic Preservation Plan. Montgomery -Butler House & Farmstead Waterworks Prairie Park ��� t3nPir h-'"e'1 Corn Crib (looking northeast) One of the oldest structures in Johnson County, the Montgomery -Butler house was built around 1858 for the family of Elizabeth (Galbreath) Butler Montgomery (widow of Martin Montgomery) and her Butler children. This area is also historically significant for its support of a steam -powered saw mill and a ferry service across the Iowa River (known as "Butler's Landing") , which began in 1854. The Montgomery - Butler House is noted architecturally as an example of a vernacular stone dwelling with Greek Revival features that were typical of residential architecture predating the Civil War in Iowa City and Johnson County. The property also includes a partially collapsed double corncrib dating from the first half of the twentieth century and several stone and concrete foundations of former outbuildings built between the mid - nineteenth and mid -twentieth centuries. An important pioneer family in Johnson County, Walter and Elizabeth Butler came to Iowa City in 1839. Mr. Butler was a local businessperson and real estate investor. He died in 1844. Elizabeth married Martin Montgomery in 1850. Members of the Butler family lived on the site until after Elizabeth's death in 1888. Since then, the house and farm were rented to tenants who grew melons on the fertile river boftomland, raised livestock and operated a wood lot. The Butler descendents sold the property in 1944. The house was vacant for about twenty years before the City of Iowa City acquired it in 1995 as part of land purchased for the construction of the new Iowa City Water Treatment Plant. Butler -Montgomery House, southwest side Mrs_ Stevens on river, Bend in river near farm, Glen & Guy Stevens Glen & Guy Stevens c. 1890s C. 1890s feeding pigs, c. 1890s at woodpile, c. 1890s ToMh 'I fgrmery�lhimrees NryS dy Report; Svmdtl n Tyler, Inc,, Ssnne,Wl, Sept 2001 Unless otherwise npteQ photos xere taken in 1978 by Mane Neuheuer MINUTES HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION EMMA J. HARVAT HALL April 9, 2020 PRELIMINARY MEMBERS PRESENT: Thomas Agran, Kevin Boyd, Helen Burford, Gosia Clore, Sharon DeGraw, Lyndi Kiple, Cecile Kuenzli, Quentin Pitzen, Jordan Sellergren MEMBERS ABSENT: Austin Wu STAFF PRESENT: Jessica Bristow, Anne Russett OTHERS PRESENT: None Electronic Meeting (Pursuant to Iowa Code section 21.8) An electronic meeting was held because a meeting in person was impossible or impractical due to concerns for the health and safety of Commission members, staff and the public presented by COVID-19. RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: (become effective only after separate Council action) CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Boyd called the electronic meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. utilizing Zoom. An electronic meeting was held because a meeting in person was impossible or impractical due to concerns for the health and safety of Commission members, staff, and the public presented by COVID-19. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANYTHING NOT ON THE AGENDA: There was none. CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS — CONSENT AGENDA: 922 Rundell Street — Dearborn Street Conservation District (entry Dorch modification MOTION: Kuenzli moved to approve the Consent Agenda. Agran seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 9-0. REPORT ON CERTIFICATES ISSUED BY CHAIR AND STAFF Certificate of No Material Effect — Chair and Staff Review. 809 Ronalds Street — Brown Street Historic District (roof shinale reolacement). Bristow said asphalt shingles were replaced with new asphalt shingles, switching from three -tab to architectural shingles. Minor Review — Staff Review. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION April 9, 2020 Page 2 of 5 920 Dearborn Street — Dearborn Street Conservation District (front stoop and step replacement). Bristow explained this property had a slab spanning from under the pair of front windows all the way to the driveway. She said it would be replaced with a new slab that is just in front of the entryway, with stairs coming off forward and the sidewalk going off to the side. Intermediate Review— Chair and Staff Review. 813 Rundell Street — Dearborn Street Conservation District (rear basement egress window). Bristow noted whole Commission review was not needed for this rear egress window since the property was in a conservation district. She said the window would not be visible based on its location. 820 Ronalds Street — Brown Street Historic District (minor change to a previous COA — revisions to opening configuration on new outbuilding). Bristow explained this outbuilding was approved a few years ago by the Commission. Since the owner decided to change the upper floor to an accessory apartment, there will now be an exterior door placed on the west side of the outbuilding. CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES FOR MARCH 12, 2020 MOTION: Agran moved to approve the minutes of the Historic Preservation Commission's March 12, 2020 meeting. Clore seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 9-0. COMMISSION INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION: Historic Preservation Fund Report (deferred from March 12, 2020 meeting). Bristow shared a pie chart showing the number of Historic Preservation Fund projects approved in each of the districts. Bristow noted that funding began in the first six months of 2017, with only one project, a porch repair. In calendar year 2018, which bridged two fiscal years, approved projects included siding repair and replacement, some storm window repair, repair of regular windows, roof replacement - a wood shingle roof, an exterior stair replacement, some painting, and some general wood repairs. Projects in calendar year 2019 included some porch repair, window repair, and roof replacement. Bristow shared costs of different types of work. Siding repair and replacement is an expensive project. General repair included work on things like columns and trim. Storm windows were a lower cost item. Bristow explained project costs based on fiscal year. With a 50% match, the total available for loans/grants is $40,000. She noted the amount paid out has been less than the available amount, in part due to a project price cap. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION April 9, 2020 Page 3 of 5 Bristow said there are still four projects outstanding from last fiscal year. She said some were approved toward the end of the fiscal year and they also had a problem with a window repair contractor. In the previous year, all seven approved projects were completed. In the current fiscal year, Bristow said five projects have been approved. She said two additional applications were submitted last week. Bristow noted the amount paid out over time has been around the $30,000 range even though there is $40,000 available. She said she pushes this funding for any project where it is applicable, but not everybody wants to apply. She wondered if raising the threshold would help. Currently the Commission is paying a maximum of 50% ($5,000) on a $10,000 project. Bristow said some of the approved projects came in higher than the current cap, helping explain why not all funds were paid out. She also believed more applicants were needed. She said at least one more project could have been taken on for each year so far. Agran wondered if there were people interested in doing $2000 projects who could not afford their $1000 share. He thought another way to look at it would be to fund projects under $4000 at a 75% rate and a $10,000 project could still be at the 50% rate. Bristow thought that was a good idea. She said applicants can split projects up and can do two projects in a fiscal year. Boyd asked if there was a website that explained the program. Bristow said all documents can be found on the City's website, doing a search for Historic Preservation. Boyd suggested leaders of historic neighborhoods be made aware of the Historic Preservation Fund. Kuenzli said if neighborhood associations were still meeting, it would be nice if Commission members could attend a meeting to talk about the Historic Preservation Fund. Burford asked what happened to funds that were not dispersed. Bristow said if an approved project is not complete, a request is submitted to the City to roll those earmarked funds to the next fiscal year so payment can be made upon completion and the Commission would still have a $40,000 pool for new projects. She said so far those have all been approved. The $9000 that was not allocated in the first fiscal year rolled into other City funds. DeGraw asked if any program changes would be considered based on new circumstances with applicant employment or income, as an example citing the many challenges caused by Coronavirus this year. Bristow said there is an income cap. Above that amount it is a loan and below that amount it is a grant. Loss of employment may drop someone below the cap, making project funding a grant instead of a loan. Kuenzli asked if the grant cap was $5000, which was verified by Bristow HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION April 9, 2020 Page 4 of 5 Burford wondered if unused funds could be dedicated to the Montgomery -Butler House instead of going back to the City's general fund. Bristow said she could ask but was not sure that would be an option based on Finance policies. Preserve Iowa Summit, Dubuque, June 4-6, 2020. Bristow explained the summit will now be virtual. Because of that they are going to lower the registration costs. The exact amount is not known yet. Since it will be virtual, attendees will not have costs for food, transportation, or lodging. Since costs will be much less, more Commissioners may be able to attend/view the sessions. She asked that Commissioners send her an email if they are interested. The early bird deadline is May 11th. Annual Historic Preservation Awards Update. Bristow said she sent out notification to the awardees and she has started hearing back from them. Bristow said Channel 4, who normally films the awards, is looking at doing more of a Zoom presentation. That way people could present the different projects from the comfort of their own home. Bristow said filming at the Library with just two or three people in an empty room might be awkward. She said she would send an email to the award committee to set up a meeting to discuss options. ADJOURNMENT: Kuenzli moved to adjourn the meeting. Seconded by Clore The meeting was adjourned at 5:55 p.m. Minutes submitted by Judy Jones HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION April 9, 2020 Page 5 of 5 HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION ATTENDANCE RECORD 2019-2020 TERM NAME EXP. 5/09 5/23 6/13 8/08 8/19 9/12 10/10 11/14 12/12 1/09 2/13 3/12 4/09 AGRAN, THOMAS 6/30/20 O/E X X X X X X X X X O/E X X BOYD, KEVIN 6/30/20 X O/E X X X X O/E X O/E X X X X BUILTA, ZACH 6/30/19 X X X -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- BURFORD, 6/30/21 X X X X X X X X X X X O/E X HELEN CLORE, 6/30/20 O/E X O/E O/E X X X X O/E X X X X GOSIA DEGRAW, 6/30/19 X X O/E X X O/E O/E X O/E X X O/E X SHARON KARR, G. T. 6/30/20 X X X X X X -- KUENZLI, 6/30/19 X X O/E X X O/E O/E X X X X O/E X CECILE KIPLE, LYNDI 6/30/22 X X X X X X O/E O/E X X PITZEN, 6/30/21 X X X X X X X X X X X O/E X QUENTIN SELLERGREN, 6/30/22 -- -- -- X X X X X X O/E O/E X X JORDAN SHOPE, LEE 6/30/21 X X O/E -- WU, AUSTIN 6/30/20 __ __ __ __ __ __ __ - O/E X X O/E