Henry Berg Building

The Henry Berg Building is a historic building located in downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. It has been individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1983.[1] In 2020 it was included as a contributing property in the Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District.[2]

Henry Berg Building
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district Contributing property
Location	246 W. 3rd Street Davenport, Iowa
Coordinates	41°31′22″N 90°34′36″W
Area	less than one acre
Built	1874
Architectural style	Romanesque Revival
Part of	Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District (ID100005546)
MPS	Davenport MRA
NRHP reference No.	83002400[1]
Added to NRHP	July 7, 1983

History

The building was built in 1874 by Henry Berg who was a gunsmith. He occupied the retail space until 1910. Other businesses that occupied the storefront include the Hickey Brothers Cigar Store Number 6, Griffins Confectionary, Davenport Brick and Tile Company, Suburban Home Mortgage, and Craton's Sporting Goods. The upper floors have been divided into apartments.[3] It is one of the last mid-19th century Victorian commercial buildings that remains downtown.[2]

Architecture

The building is three stories with a cut corner and two richly detailed facades. It is constructed of brick, and it is considered one of the most visually interesting commercial buildings from Davenport's mid-Victorian mercantile history.[4] The corner entrance faces the intersection of West Third and Harrison Streets. Both facades feature three bays on the upper stories. The south elevation, which faces Third Street, has three windows in each bay. The west elevation, which faces Harrison Street, has two bays with double windows and one with single windows. The widow heads on the first and second floors are all arched and those on the third floor are flat arched. All the windows feature hoods of turned bricks and keystones. The Romanesque Revival style is found predominately in the arched windows. It reflects the Rundbogenstil, or round-arched style, that was brought from Europe with German immigrants.[5]

The upper stories of the building also feature decorative brickwork, which is the distinctive feature of the building. Turned bricks separate the main floor from the second floor. Paired pilasters with simplified capitals define the bays. The cornice at the top of the building is constructed of turned bricks layered in rows, to create an ornate pattern.[3] The ground floor has been modified over the years.

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
2. Jennifer Irsfeld James. "National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form: Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District" (PDF). Downtown Davenport, Iowa. Retrieved 2020-09-25.
3. "Henry Berg Building" (PDF). Davenport Public Library. Retrieved 2010-11-01.
4. Martha Bowers; Marlys Svendsen-Roesler. "National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form: Henry Berg Building". National Park Service. Retrieved 2015-03-21.
5. Svendsen, Marlys A., Bowers, Martha H (1982). Davenport where the Mississippi runs west: A Survey of Davenport History & Architecture. Davenport, Iowa: City of Davenport. p. 6-2.