Werthman Grocery

Werthman Grocery is located at a commercial intersection in a residential neighborhood in the West End of Davenport, Iowa, United States. While it initially housed a grocery store, the building has been a long time neighborhood tavern. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

Werthman Grocery
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	1402 W. 7th St. Davenport, Iowa
Coordinates	41°31′36.85″N 90°35′40.2″W
Area	less than one acre
Built	1900
MPS	Davenport MRA
NRHP reference No.	84001588 [1]
Added to NRHP	July 27, 1984

History

Henry Werthman opened a grocery store in this building in 1900. Several other members of the Werthman family lived within the one-block area in the early 20th-century. A tavern opened in the building by 1910. It was operated by John J. Bryson who lived in the second-floor apartment. A tavern has been housed here since that time, even during the Prohibition era. In those years it was listed in city directories as selling only "soft drinks".[2]

Architecture

The neighborhood tavern was and is a fixture in what was a predominantly working-class German neighborhood of Davenport.[2] This two-story commercial building capitalizes on its corner location by way of the building's main entrance that was placed in a chamfered corner. The oriel window on the east side indicates the location of the residential space above the tavern, which was a common feature in many of Davenport's small commercial buildings from the 19th and early 20th century. The structure is composed of brick, built on a stone foundation. Its primary decorative feature is the metal cornice, with dentil molding, finials, and ornamental frieze.

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
2. Martha Bowers; Marlys Svendsen. "Werthman Grocery". National Park Service. Retrieved 2015-03-25. with photo