Fort Armstrong Hotel

Last updated
Fort Armstrong Hotel
Ft Armstrong Hotel RI IL.jpg
USA Illinois location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location3rd Ave. and 19th St.
Rock Island, Illinois
Coordinates 41°30′34″N90°34′23″W / 41.50944°N 90.57306°W / 41.50944; -90.57306
Built1926
ArchitectCharles W. Nicol
Architectural styleLate 19th and early 20th century Revivals
Part of Downtown Rock Island Historic District (ID100004433)
NRHP reference No. 84000327 [1]
Added to NRHPNovember 13, 1984

Fort Armstrong Hotel is a historic building located in downtown Rock Island, Illinois, United States. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. In 2020 it was included as a contributing property in the Downtown Rock Island Historic District. [2] The hotel was named for Fort Armstrong, a fortification that sat in the middle of the Mississippi River near the present location of the Rock Island Arsenal. The building now serves as an apartment building.

Contents

History

Rock Island was in need of a modern hotel downtown, and to that end over $450,000 was raised in local stock purchases in a week. [3] The total cost of constructing the hotel in 1925-1926 was $800,000. [3] Jacob Hoffman was the hotel's first General Manager. The hotel became the center of business and social functions for the city. However, not all were welcome to stay in the hotel. Jazz clubs along Second Avenue regularly featured African-American entertainers such Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. [4] They had to stay at boarding houses across the Mississippi River in Davenport, Iowa because the area hotels would not serve them. Nat King Cole was refused a room at the Fort Armstrong on one of his visits to the Quad Cities. [4] The public spaces in the hotel were renovated in the 1980s and the hotel was converted into an apartment building for senior citizens. Green space for the residents was created after the adjacent commercial buildings were torn down.

Architecture

The Renaissance Revival building was designed by Chicago hotel designer Charles W. Nicol. It is a nine-story building that rises to a height of 98 feet (30 m). [5] It features deep corner setbacks above the second floor that keep the building from dominating the street and allow plenty of light into the rooms. [3] The first two floors of the building are constructed in cast concrete while the upper floors of the building are constructed in brick and trimmed in white terra cotta. The hotel contained 160 guest rooms and ten apartments on the top floor when it opened in 1926. [3] It also featured a banquet room, three dining rooms, a bar, bowling alley, billiard room, barbershop and seven storefronts.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quad Cities</span> Metropolitan Statistical Area in the United States

The Quad Cities is a region of cities in the U.S. states of Iowa and Illinois: Davenport and Bettendorf in southeastern Iowa, and Rock Island, Moline and East Moline in northwestern Illinois. These cities are the center of the Quad Cities metropolitan area, a region within the Mississippi River Valley, which as of 2013 had a population estimate of 383,781 and a Combined Statistical Area (CSA) population of 474,937, making it the 90th-largest CSA in the nation.

Davenport, Iowa, was part of the Louisiana Purchase. In 1814, during the War of 1812 the British military, along with the Saux and Fox Indian tribes fought against the Americans near Davenport. In August, Major Zachary Taylor, later President, fought a battle east of what is now Credit Island Park, in Davenport. An outpost was set up at Fort Armstrong and George Davenport and Antoine LeClaire were stationed there.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Courthouse (Davenport)</span> United States historic place

The United States Courthouse, also known as the Federal Building, is a historic building located in Davenport, Iowa, United States. It has historically housed a post office, courthouse, and other offices of the United States government. The building now serves only as a federal courthouse, housing operations of the eastern division of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. In 2018, the operations of the Rock Island division of the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois were also moved there.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crescent Warehouse Historic District</span> Historic district in Iowa, United States

The Crescent Warehouse Historic District is a 10.5-acre (4.2 ha) historic district in Downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. The district is a collection of multi-story brick structures that formerly housed warehouses and factories. Most of the buildings have been converted into loft apartments. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

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

The Hotel Blackhawk is an eleven-story brick and terra cotta building located in Downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. It is a Marriott Autograph Collection property.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Davenport Bank and Trust</span> Historic bank in Iowa, United States

Davenport Bank and Trust Company was the leading bank of the Quad Cities metropolitan area for much of the 20th century and for the surrounding region of eastern Iowa and western Illinois. It was once Iowa's largest commercial bank, and the headquarters building has dominated the city's skyline since it was constructed in 1927 at the corner of Third and Main Streets in downtown Davenport, Iowa. It was acquired by Norwest Bank of Minneapolis in 1993 and now operates as part of Wells Fargo following a 1998 merger of the two financial institutions. The historic building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 under the name of its predecessor financial institution American Commercial and Savings Bank. In 2016 the National Register approved a boundary increase with the Davenport Bank and Trust name. It was included as a contributing property in the Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District in 2020. It remains the tallest building in the Quad Cities, and is today known as Davenport Bank Apartments as it has been redeveloped into a mixed-use facility housing commercial, office, and residential space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mississippi Lofts and Adler Theatre</span> United States historic place

The Mississippi Lofts and Adler Theatre is an apartment building and theater complex located in downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. It is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places by its original name, the Hotel Mississippi and RKO Orpheum Theater. The Hotel Mississippi was listed on the Davenport Register of Historic Properties in 2005. In 2020 the complex was included as a contributing property in the Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District.

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

The Forrest Block is a historic building located in downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. In 2020 it was included as a contributing property in the Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Davenport (Davenport, Iowa)</span> United States historic place

The Davenport Hotel was a historic building located in downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. In 2020 it was included as a contributing property in the Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District. It was an apartment building called The Davenport. A rear portion of the building collapsed in 2023. The majority of the building was demolished on June 12, 2023. Several remaining sections were demolished over the next three days.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Luke's Hospital (Davenport, Iowa)</span> United States historic place

St. Luke's Hospital was a hospital building on a bluff overlooking downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. It is listed on the Davenport Register of Historic Properties and the National Register of Historic Places. It has subsequently been torn down.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union Station (Davenport, Iowa)</span> United States historic place

Union Station, also known as Union Station and Burlington Freight House, is located along the riverfront in downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The buildings are in a section of downtown with several historic structures. Across Ripley Street to the west is the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Freight House, and to the east across Harrison Street is the Dillon Memorial. On River Drive northwest from the Burlington Freight House is The Linograph Company Building. Across Beiderbecke Drive to the south are the W.D. Petersen Memorial Music Pavilion and the Mississippi River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Col Ballroom</span> United States historic place

The Col Ballroom is a historic building located in the West End of Davenport, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and on the Davenport Register of Historic Properties as the Saengerfest Halle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthur Ebeling House</span> Historic house in Iowa, United States

The Arthur Ebeling House is a historic building located on the west side of Davenport, Iowa, United States. The Colonial Revival house was designed by its original owner, Arthur Ebeling. It was built from 1912 to 1913 and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burtis–Kimball House Hotel/Burtis Opera House</span> United States historic place

The Burtis–Kimball House Hotel and the Burtis Opera House were located in downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. The hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. It has since been torn down and it was delisted from the National Register in 2008. The theatre building has been significantly altered since a fire in the 1920s. Both, however, remain important to the history of the city of Davenport.

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

The Scott County Courthouse in Davenport, Iowa, United States was built from 1955 to 1956 and extensively renovated over a ten-year period between 1998 and 2009. It is the third building the county has used for court functions and county administration. It is part of a larger county complex that includes the county jail, administration building and juvenile detention facility. In 2020 the courthouse was included as a contributing property in the Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Armstrong Theatre</span> United States historic place

Fort Armstrong Theatre is a historic building located in downtown Rock Island, Illinois, United States. It opened in 1920 and it was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. In 2020 it was included as a contributing property in the Downtown Rock Island Historic District. It was commonly referred to as the Fort Theater. The theater was named for Fort Armstrong, a fortification that sat in the middle of the Mississippi River near the present location of the Rock Island Arsenal.

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

LeClaire Hotel is an historic building located in downtown Moline, Illinois, United States. It was named a Moline Historic Landmark in 1993, and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. The building now houses apartments and is known as the LeClaire Apartments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Putnam-Parker Block</span> United States historic place

The Putnam-Parker Block, also known as City Square, are historic structures located in downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. The property includes three buildings that take up the south half of block 43 in what is known as LeClaire's First Addition. The main façade of the structures face south along West Second Street. They were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011. In 2020, it was included as a contributing property in the Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District. The former Putnam Building now houses a Marriott Autograph Collection hotel named The Current Iowa.

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

The Union Arcade is an apartment building located in downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. The building was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 by its original name Union Savings Bank and Trust. Originally, the building was built to house a bank and other professional offices. Although it was not the city's largest bank, and it was not in existence all that long, the building is still associated with Davenport's financial prosperity between 1900 and 1930. From 2014 to 2015 the building was renovated into apartments and it is now known as Union Arcade Apartments. In 2020 it was included as a contributing property in the Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District</span> Historic district in Iowa, United States

The Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in the central business district of Davenport, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020. At the time of its nomination it consisted of 43 resources, which included 33 contributing buildings, one contributing structure, and nine non-contributing buildings. In addition, the district also contains 33 buildings that are individually listed on the National Register. This historic district is bordered by four other districts: the Crescent Warehouse Historic District and the Davenport Motor Row and Industrial Historic District on the east, the Hamburg Historic District to the northwest, and the West Third Street Historic District on the west.

References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. Erica Ruggiero. "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Downtown Rock Island Historic District" (PDF). Illinois Historic Preservation Division. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2023-01-21. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Fort Armstrong Hotel". City of Rock Island. Retrieved 2011-03-27.
  4. 1 2 Wundram, Bill (1999). A Time We Remember: Celebrating a Century in our Quad-Cities. Davenport: Quad-City Times. p. 129.
  5. "Fort Armstrong Hotel". Emporis. Archived from the original on July 27, 2018. Retrieved 2018-07-27.