Apperson Iowa Motor Car Company Building

Last updated
Apperson Iowa Motor Car Company Building
Apperson-Iowa Motor Car Company Building.jpg
USA Iowa location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location1420 Locust St.
Des Moines, Iowa
Coordinates 41°35′03.4″N93°38′7.7″W / 41.584278°N 93.635472°W / 41.584278; -93.635472
Arealess than one acre
Built1921
Architect Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson
Architectural style Early Commercial
Classical Revival
MPS Architectural Legacy of Proudfoot & Bird in Iowa MPS
NRHP reference No. 16000363 [1]
Added to NRHPJune 14, 2016

The Apperson Iowa Motor Car Company Building, also known as the Garage Building for Rawson Brothers, is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It is significant for its association with the prominent Des Moines architectural firm that designed it, Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson. Completed in 1921, it was designed and built within the period of time the firm was at its most prolific (1910–1925). [2] It is also significant for its association with the rise of the Automobile Industry in the city. Auto dealerships and distributorships leased the building from 1921 to 1951. Architect Harry D. Rawson and his brothers owned the building from 1921 to 1938. The two-story structure is located on a midblock lot in the midst of what was the automobile sales, service, and manufacturing district on the western edge of the downtown area. The first floor housed a showroom in the front with offices on a mezzanine. The back of the first floor and the second floor was used for assembling and servicing automobiles. [2] The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liberty Building (Des Moines, Iowa)</span> United States historic place

The Liberty Building is a historic building located in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It has been a downtown landmark since 1923. The Liberty Building is located at the SW corner of 6th Avenue and Grand Avenue in the heart of downtown Des Moines. The building was originally home to Bankers Life Insurance & WHO (AM) Radio. Designed by the prominent Des Moines architectural firm of Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson, the 12-story building rises to a height of 174 feet (53 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masonic Temple of Des Moines</span> United States historic place

The Masonic Temple of Des Moines is a historic Beaux Arts style building located in Des Moines, Iowa. Constructed in 1913, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Proudfoot & Bird</span> American architectural firm

Proudfoot & Bird was an American architectural firm that designed many buildings throughout the Midwest region of the United States. Originally established in 1882, it remains active through its several successors, and since 2017 has been known as BBS Architects | Engineers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pocahontas County Courthouse (Iowa)</span> Historic government building in Iowa, United States

The Pocahontas County Courthouse located in Pocahontas, Iowa, United States, was built in 1923. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. The courthouse is the third building the county has used for court functions and county administration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwestern Hotel (Des Moines, Iowa)</span> United States historic place

The Northwestern Hotel is a historic building located in the East Village of Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. In 2017 it was included as a contributing property in the East Des Moines Industrial Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teachout Building</span> United States historic place

The Teachout Building is a historic building located in the East Village of Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. In 2019 the building was included as a contributing property in the East Des Moines Commercial Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hubbell Building (Des Moines, Iowa)</span> United States historic place

The Hubbell Building is a historic building located in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. It has been featured on the Discovery Channel show Dirty Jobs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D.S. Chamberlain Building</span> United States historic place

The D.S. Chamberlain Building, also known as the L. W. Taylor Motor Company and Payne Motor Company Building, is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. The two-story brick structure was designed by the prominent Des Moines architectural firm of Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson. Completed in 1917, it features elongated Chicago-style windows on the upper floors and simple geometric details on the cornice level that reflect the Collegiate Gothic style. The building was built as a speculative venture by Davis S. Chamberlain, who was one of the founders of his family's drug manufacturing company. It is located in the city's "Motor Row" or "Auto Row" on the west side of downtown. In 1916 there were 111 motor related firms in Des Moines that was valued at $12 million in annual trade. Both the Taylor Motor Company and the Payne Motor Company were housed in the double storefront building for many years. Other car dealerships followed. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clemens Automobile Company Building</span> United States historic place

The Clemens Automobile Company Building is a historic building located in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It was completed in 1916 as an "automotive department store" operated by the Clemens Automobile Company. They sold cars here that were produced by Willys-Overland Motors from 1916 to 1923. There was a claim that this was the largest building in the city that was devoted to automobiles. The first floor was used for the main sales room and offices, the second floor was used for used car sales and the service department, the fourth floor was used for a paint department, and the remaining three floors and the basement were used for storage. The Clemens family was involved in a variety of business enterprises and another one of their companies, the Standard Glass and Paint Company, was housed here from 1924 to 1979. The building was part of the Hotel Fort Des Moines until 2016, the two buildings were linked across the alley in 1985. The first and second floors housed Raccoon River Brewing Co. from May 1997 to March 2015. The building underwent a renovation in 2015 when it was converted to 44 apartments. At that time, the connection to the Hotel Fort Des Moines was sealed off. The first floor has been home to southern restaurant Bubba https://bubbadsm.com/ since July 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schmitt and Henry Manufacturing Company</span> United States historic place

The Schmitt and Henry Manufacturing Company is a complex of three historic buildings located in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, United States. The complex was built in three stages from 1901 to 1914 by Schmitt-Henry, who manufactured furniture. It was designed by Des Moines architect Harry D. Rawson of the firm Proudfoot, Bird and Rawson. Sealy Mattress Company took over the building in 1973 after Schmitt-Henry moved to West Des Moines. Hubbell Reality purchased the complex in 1994 for $75.000. Plans were approved in 2009 to convert the complex, as well as the Hawkeye Transfer Company Warehouse, into loft apartments. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herring Motor Car Company Building</span> United States historic place

The Herring Motor Car Company Building, now known as 10th Street Lofts, is a historic building located in downtown Des Moines, Iowa. The building is a six-story brick structure rising 90 feet (27 m) tall. It was designed by the Des Moines architectural firm of Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson in the Classical Revival style. Clyde L. Herring had the building built in 1912 and it was completed the following year. It was originally a four-story building with two more floors added 18 months after it was originally built. By 1915, the company was building 32 Ford automobiles a day, and had delivered “more automobiles than any other one automobile agency in the United States.” Along with the neighboring Standard Glass and Paint Company Building, today it is part of the same loft apartment complex. The National Biscuit Company Building on the other side of the building has likewise been converted into an apartment building. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Standard Glass and Paint Company Building</span> United States historic place

The Standard Glass and Paint Company Building, also known as 10th Street Lofts, is a historic building located in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, United States. Ashton and Ross Clemens, who were brothers, had the building built in 1913 to house their company, which was said to be the largest glass and paint business west of Chicago. Local contractor J.E. Lovejoy was responsible for its construction. It was one of several warehouse buildings on the southwest corner of the downtown area. Established by the Clemens brothers, Standard Glass and Paint Company was in existence from 1903 to 1979. It was Des Moines' leading wholesale and retail supplier of a variety of building and remodeling supplies. The company remained in this building until the mid-1920s when they moved to the Clemens Automobile Company Building, which was owned by the same family. After it sat empty until 1931 various wholesale companies occupied this building over the succeeding years. Along with the neighboring Herring Motor Car Company Building it has been converted into loft apartments. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hallett & Rawson</span>

Hallett & Rawson was an architectural partnership in Iowa. George E. Hallett and Harry Rawson were partners. BBS Architects | Engineers is the continuing, successor firm; its archives hold plans of the original Hallett & Rawson firm. Works by the individual architects and the firm include a number that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Des Moines Building</span> United States historic place

The Des Moines Building is a historic building located in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, United States built in 1930 and based on the designs of the Des Moines architectural firm of Proudfoot, Rawson, Souers & Thomas. It is a combination of the Art deco and Art Moderne styles. The 14-story structure rises to a height of 190 feet (58 m). The former office building was abandoned and in May 2011 the city of Des Moines declared it a public nuisance so as to acquire it to be redeveloped. In November of the same year they sold the building for $150,000 to Des Moines Apartments, LP who developed it into 146 loft apartments. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013. The basement has a fitness center, laundry room, storage, bicycle storage, and a community room. The rooftop is accessible via the 14th floor and has a great 360 degree view of Des Moines. The building is also connected to the city's extensive skywalk system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnie Y. and Frank P. Mattes House</span> Historic house in Iowa, United States

The Minnie Y. and Frank P. Mattes House is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. Its significance is attributed to its association with the prominent Des Moines architectural firm of Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson, and it calls attention to their residential work. The historic designation includes the large scale Tudor Revival house, automobile garage, and the retaining wall and entrance steps that were all constructed in 1910 for the Mattes. Both Frank and Minnie were from prominent Des Moines German-American families. He was a brewer until prohibition in the city, and he was then involved with real estate. The property was sold to Guy M. and Madeline Lambert in 1944, who sold it to the Drake University sorority Kappa Kappa Gamma in 1959. Other houses in the neighborhood were converted in a similar manner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hawkeye Insurance Company Building</span> United States historic place

The Hawkeye Insurance Company Building is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. Completed in 1869, the building housed the first successful casualty insurance company in the city, which grew to be the largest center for insurance companies outside of the east coast. Prominent local architect William Foster designed the building, and it may be the oldest surviving example of his work. It is also the oldest commercial building in the downtown area that maintains its original integrity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iowa-Des Moines National Bank Building</span> United States historic place

The Iowa-Des Moines National Bank Building, also known as the Valley National Bank Building and U.S. Bank, is a historic building located in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, United States. Designed by the prominent Des Moines architectural firm of Proudfoot, Rawson, Souers & Thomas, it was designed to be a 21- or 22-story building. It is one of the few downtown commercial buildings built in the Art Deco style. It is also thought to be one of the first bank buildings to put the banking room on the second floor while placing retail space on the first floor. Given its location in an area dominated by retail this made sense. This location had a bank on it since 1882 when the Des Moines National Bank built here. The present building was the result when Des Moines National Bank merged with Iowa National Bank and Des Moines Savings Bank and Trust Company in 1929. The original design for the building was a five-story base and a set-back rental office tower on top of it. The base was begun in 1931 and completed a year later. The building is composed of black polished granite on the first floor and the upper floors are Bedford stone. There is a recessed entrance in the center bay of the main facade. The fifth floor was meant to be the base of the office tower that was never built.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">G.W. Jones Building</span> United States historic place

The G.W. Jones Building, also known as the Electric Farm Lighting Co. and the Laster Motor Company, is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It is significant for its association with the rise of the automobile industry in the city. George W. Jones was a pioneering Des Moines auto dealer and Delco-Light generator distributor who occupied the building from 1920 to 1922. In this building he sold generators and appliances that were manufactured by General Motors, and they were sold by regional distributor-dealers in a similar fashion to automobiles. Jones continued to own the building until 1943 and he leased it to other automobile-related businesses. It is also significant for its association with the prominent Des Moines architectural firm that designed it, Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson. Completed in 1920, it was designed and built within the period of time the firm was at its most prolific (1910-1925). Local contractor A.H. Neumann built the two-story brick structure. It features a symmetrical facade, large square window openings, restrained Neoclassical details, and parapet walls. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Studebaker Corporation Branch Office Building</span> United States historic place

The Studebaker Corporation Branch Office Building, also known as the Iowa Truck and Tractor Co., Apperson Iowa Motor Car Co., Sears Auto Co., and the Sanders Motor Co., is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. This is actually two adjacent buildings, built four years apart. The building at 1442 Locust Street was completed in 1918 to house a Studebaker dealership, auto repair shop, and a corporate branch office. The addition of the corporate office made this building different from the others on Des Moines' "Auto Row," where it is located. The building was designed by the prominent local architectural firm of Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson, and built for the Hubbell Building Company who leased it out. The first floor was the location for Glass & Patton, the local Studebaker dealer. The second floor was where Studebaker's wholesale business in the state of Iowa was conducted. The third floor was a store room for automobiles. Studebaker's tenure here was short-lived, and by 1919 other auto and truck related businesses started to occupy the building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryn Mawr Apartments</span> Historic building in Des Moines, Iowa, United States

Bryn Mawr Apartments is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. Built in 1918, it is significant as an example of the "kitchenette" type apartment building from the early years of the city's apartment boom. Designed by the prominent Des Moines architectural firm of Proudfoot, Bird and Rawson, "it is representative of the effort to increase profit on residential construction by eliminating the number of rooms in each unit."

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. 1 2 Jennifer James. "Apperson-Iowa Motor Car Company Building" (PDF). National Park Service . Retrieved 2017-10-26.