Ficke Block

The Ficke 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.[1] In 2020 it was included as a contributing property in the Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District.[2]

Ficke Block
Location307-309 Harrison St.
Davenport, Iowa
Coordinates41°31′23″N 90°34′36″W
Arealess than one acre
Built1899
Built byJohn Whitaker
ArchitectFrederick G. Clausen
Architectural styleLate Victorian
Part ofDavenport Downtown Commercial Historic District (ID100005546)
MPSDavenport MRA
NRHP reference No.83002427[1]
Added to NRHPJuly 7, 1983

History

The building at 309 Harrison Street is associated with a prominent Davenport Attorney Charles August (C.A.) Ficke. He was responsible for building or renovating numerous properties in the downtown area.[3] The block, which has the appearance of two separate buildings, was built in 1899 to house the McCormick Division of the International Harvesting Company of America and apartments on the upper floors.[4] The southern storefront (307) became the L.R. Wareham pool hall in 1915 and remained a pool hall through the 1940s. The north side (309) was home to a variety of businesses that included: City Fuel and Lumber Company, Bee Jay Tire Service, the Savoy Café, the Colorado Restaurant, the Old Timer (tavern), and the Three Hundred Nine Tavern. It currently houses the Berg Apartments.[3]

Architecture

The Ficke Block is a four-story, brick structure built on a stone foundation.[3] It features many details found in late Victorian architecture: rusticated, semi-circular window arches on the third floor, and flat stone lintels over the paired windows on the fourth floor recall the Romanesque style. A pair of two-story bay windows with embossed garland swags, wrought iron balconies, and ornate cornices reflect the Queen Anne style.[3] The storefronts, however, have been significantly altered.

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. Jennifer Irsfeld James. "National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form: Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District" (PDF). Downtown Davenport, Iowa. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
  3. "Ficke Block" (PDF). Davenport Public Library. Retrieved 2010-11-05.
  4. Martha Bowers; Marlys Svendsen-Roesler. "National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form: Ficke Block". National Park Service. Retrieved 2015-04-16. with photo
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