City of Cedar Rapids
Historic Preservation Commission Community Development & Planning Department, City Hall, 101 First Street SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401, 319-286-5041
MEETING NOTICE The City of Cedar Rapids Historic Preservation Commission will meet at:
4:30 P.M. Thursday, April 26, 2018 in the Five Seasons Conference Room, City Services Center
500 15th Avenue SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
AGENDA
Call Meeting to Order
1. Public Comment Each member of the public is welcome to speak and we ask that you keep your comments to five (5) minutes or less. If the proceedings become lengthy, the Chair may ask that comments be focused on any new facts or evidence not already presented.
2. Approve Meeting Minutes
3. Action Items (90 Minutes)
a) National Register Nominations i. Shores-Mueller Company – 700 16th Street NE
b) Certificate of Appropriateness i. 1638 3rd Ave SE – Construction of a single-family home and accessory structure ii. 1714 Blake Blvd SE – Garage addition iii. 1416 3rd Ave SE – Window replacement
c) Demolition and Façade Structure Modification Reviews i. 927 Wiley Blvd. NW – Primary Structure ii. 359 Garden Dr. SE – Accessory Structure
d) Preservation Showcase Awards
e) Demolition Applications Under Review i. 722 4th Ave SE – Primary Structure
4. Announcements
5. Adjournment
Anyone who requires an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication, or a modification of policies or procedures to participate in a City program, service, or activity, should contact the Community Development Department at (319) 286-5041 or email [email protected] as soon as possible, but no later than 48 hours before the event.
City of Cedar Rapids 101 First Street SE Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 Telephone: (319) 286-5041
MINUTES HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING, Thursday, April 12, 2018 @ 4:30 p.m. Five Seasons Conference Room, City Services Center, 500 15th Avenue SW
Members Present: Mark Stoffer Hunter Chair Tim Oberbroeckling Vice-chair Amanda McKnight Grafton Ron Mussman Barb Westercamp Todd McNall Heather Sundermann
Members Absent: BJ Hobart
City Staff: Iván Gonzalez, Planner Adam Lindenlaub, Planner
Call Meeting to Order • Mark Stoffer Hunter called the meeting to order at 4:30 p.m. • Seven Commissioners were present. One was absent.
1. Public Comment a) Public comments were heard.
2. Approve Meeting Minutes a) Amanda McKnight made a motion to approve the minutes from March 08, 2018. Barb Westercamp seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. 3. Action Items (30 minutes) a) Certificate of Appropriateness i. 1714 Blake Blvd SE – Garage Addition • Tim Oberbroeckling made a motion to table discussion for next meeting. Heather Sundermann seconded the motion. The motion passed with Todd McNall opposed. ii. 1744 3rd Ave SE – New Deck Structure • Amanda McKnight Grafton made a motion to approve with modifications which includes stainable wood and if the handrail projects from the house to have an architectural style that fits the house. Ron Mussman seconded the motion. The motion passed with Tim Oberbroeckling abstaining. iii. 1844 2nd Ave SE – Window Modifications • Amanda McKnight Grafton made a motion to approve. Tim Oberbroeckling seconded the motion. The motion passed with Heather Sundermann opposed on the basis of the removal of the ice/milk delivery door. 1
b) Demolition and Façade Structure Modification Reviews i. 722 4th Ave SE, Private Property – Primary Structure • Tim Oberbroeckling made a motion to put a 60-day hold on the demolition permit for further research on the architect and photo documentation. Todd McNall seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously.
4. Discussion Items (30 minutes) a) New Residential Construction b) Meeting Times c) Proactive Preservation 5. Announcements a) Announcements were heard. 6. Adjournment a) Westercamp made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Oberbroeckling seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously and the meeting adjourned at 7:20 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Iván Gonzalez, Planner Community Development
2
Community Development and Planning Department City Hall 101 First Street SE Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 Telephone: (319) 286-5041
To: Historic Preservation Commission Members From: Iván Gonzalez, Planner II Subject: National Register Nomination Date: April 26, 2018
Background: As a Certified Local Government (CLG) the Historic Preservation Commission is afforded the opportunity to give comment on applications for National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) proposals. The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) reviews all applications several times a year; the next review is June 8, 2018.
At this meeting, one property within the corporate limits of Cedar Rapids will be reviewed. The SHPO is looking for a recommendation from the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) regarding the following property:
a) Shores-Mueller Company –Shores Event Center – 700 16th Street NE
Note, this property is being pursued for NRHP by the property owner.
Role of the HPC: The HPC is tasked with applying Bulletin 15 from the National Park Service (NPS) to each property. Information about Bulletin 15 can be found by clicking here please; essentially this is the four criteria as listed below:
A. That are associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history; or
B. That are associated with the lives of significant persons in or past; or
C. That embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or that represent the work of a master, or that possess high artistic values, or that represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction; or
D. That have yielded or may be likely to yield, information important in history or prehistory.
Analysis: The nomination form indicates the significance that is determined for this building is Criteria A and Criteria C, the property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history (see page 3 of the attached document). The building has had some alterations concerning Criteria C but are expected alterations due to the industrial nature of the property; the property is not an archeological site meaning that Criteria D would not be a good fit either. It does not appear from the document that the property is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past either. The commerce and industrial story of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad corridor in Cedar Rapids associated with this building and the development in the Daniels Park residential neighborhood, is applicable for Criterion A. Buildings #1-2 embody the vernacular industrial/commercial style of architecture as they were originally designed which also captures the intent of Criterion C.
Recommendation: Concur that Criterion A and Criterion C are the most appropriate NRHP Criteria for this property and recommend to the City Council and SHPO that this property should be listed on the NRHP.
Attachments: Nomination form for the property. NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in National Register Bulletin, How to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. If any item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions. Place additional certification comments, entries, and narrative items on continuation sheets if needed (NPS Form 10-900a).
1. Name of Property historic name Shores-Mueller Company other names/site number N/A
Name of Multiple Property Listing Commercial and Industrial Development of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, c. 1865-c.1945;
(Enter "N/A" if property is not part of a multiple property listing) Industrial Development in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, c. 1865-1965
2. Location street & number 700 16h Street NE N/A not for publication city or town C Cedar Rapids N/A vicinity state Iowa county Linn zip code 52402
3. State/Federal Agency Certification
As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, I hereby certify that this X nomination request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property X meets does not meet the National Register Criteria. I recommend that this property be considered significant at the following level(s) of significance: national statewide X local Applicable National Register Criteria: X A B X C D
Signature of certifying official/Title: Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer Date State Historical Society of Iowa State or Federal agency/bureau or Tribal Government
In my opinion, the property meets does not meet the National Register criteria.
Signature of commenting official Date
Title State or Federal agency/bureau or Tribal Government
4. National Park Service Certification I hereby certify that this property is:
entered in the National Register determined eligible for the National Register
determined not eligible for the National Register removed from the National Register
other (explain:)
Signature of the Keeper Date of Action
Sections 1 – 4 page 1 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Shores-Mueller Company Linn County, Iowa Name of Property County and State
5. Classification
Ownership of Property Category of Property Number of Resources within Property (Check as many boxes as apply.) (Check only one box.) (Do not include previously listed resources in the count.)
Contributing Noncontributing ✓ private ✓ building(s) 2 2 buildings public - Local district site public - State site structure public - Federal structure object object 2 2 Total
Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register: 0
6. Function or Use Historic Functions Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions.) (Enter categories from instructions.) INDUSTRY/ Industrial Storage COMMERCE/TRADE/Business INDUSTRY / Manufacturing Facility COMMERCE/TRADE/Specialty COMMERCE/TRADE/Warehouse COMMERCE/TRADE/Meeting Hall COMMERCE/TRADE/Business COMMERCE/TRADE/Warehouse
7. Description
Architectural Classification Materials (Enter categories from instructions.) (Enter categories from instructions.) Late 19th and early 20th Century American
Movements Foundation: Concrete
Walls: Concrete / Brick
Roof: Membrane
Other: Limestone
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United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Shores-Mueller Company Linn County, Iowa Name of Property County and State
Narrative Description Summary Paragraph (Briefly describe the current, general characteristics of the property, such as its location, type, style, method of construction, setting, size, and significant features. Indicate whether the property has historic integrity.)
The Shores-Mueller Company property is situated on the near, northeast side of Cedar Rapids, in the former Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Industrial Corridor, at 700-716 16th Street Northeast. The property consists of two contributing buildings, #1 & #2, and two non-contributing additions #1 and #2. The property is surrounding by neighboring industrial, manufacturing and warehouse facilities as well as the Daniels’ Park residential neighborhood. Building #1 (1911), is the original and oldest building on the property, with the original main façade being oriented on the west elevation. Building #1 is a three-story, three-bay by six-bay, brick building laid upon a concrete foundation and capped with a flat roof. The historically primary façade faces west along 16th Street NE, though the current main entrance is on the north elevation which allows for convenient access to the large parking lot on the north side of the property. Building #2 (1917), adjoins Building #1 via addition #1 (1969) and Addition #2 (1993). Building #2 is an asymmetrical two-story, flat roofed, brick building resting on a concrete foundation and with a long diagonal brick wall running southwest to northeast, flanked by north and south walls. The former exterior western wall is now enveloped within Addition #2. Addition #1 is a two- story tall (however, only one floor), two-bay by three-bay, concrete-block, flat-roofed building with a concrete foundation and a flat roof. Addition #1 connects the interiors of Building #1, Building #2 and Addition #2. Addition #2 is a L-shaped, warehouse structure that is comprised of two parts: a five-bay by two-bay metal building with a two-story tall ceiling (but only one floor with a mezzanine) and the second part being a two-bay wide garage structure, with metal siding, a concrete foundation and a gabled roof. The abandoned Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad tracks are still visible on the south side of the property and run the length of the entire industrial corridor. Buildings #1 (1911) and Building #2 (1917) are prime examples of Late 19th and Early 20th Century industrial and commercial architecture, and the original contextual setting of the industrial neighborhood has changed little since its construction in the early 20th century. At this time, additions #1 and #2 are considered non-contributing to the historic significance of the property. Overall, the property appears to be in good condition, particularly compared to other surrounding industrial properties. The complex is currently named “Shores Central Park”, with reference to the original Shores-Mueller Company.
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United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Shores-Mueller Company Linn County, Iowa Name of Property County and State
Section 7 page 4
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Shores-Mueller Company Linn County, Iowa Name of Property County and State
______NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION (Describe the historic and current physical appearance and condition of the property. Describe contributing and noncontributing resources if applicable.)
Building 1: Original, Main Building (1911; contributing) The original three-story building, dating to 1911, is rectangular with the short sides oriented facing West, with the rear of the building (east) being absorbed into the c. 1969 addition. The length of the building runs north/south. This main building has a reinforced concrete foundation and structural frame, with a masonry (red brick) veneer spanning the entire height and width of the building, on all sides. The building is visually split into six (6) bays along the north and south facades, with three bays visible on the West façade. Separating each bay, and each floor, is a band of beige painted plaster skim coat (over the brick). On the third floor roof, there is a small structure visible which provides access to the roof and likely acts as the top to the elevator shaft. It should be noted that per oral interviews with local historian Mark Stoffer Hunter and the current owner, the original windows had been removed and the openings were bricked over by the 1980s. The current owner purchased the building in 2003/2004 and new windows were installed in the historic openings. There is a large private parking lot on the north side of the property, with private loading docks and parking along the west façade and south elevation.
EXTERIOR West Façade (Main Façade) The west façade masonry is set in a common bond, with red brick and features a variety of masonry depths, including seven (7) recessed horizontal bands of brick, on the first floor, with a multi-tiered horizontal brick beltline marking the top of the first floor/bottom of the second floor. These seven brick bands wrap around each of the north and south corner of the façade, almost mimicking a masonry quoin when viewed from the north and south elevations. The second and third stories brick veneer is completely flat, until it reaches the roofline where the parapet is setback approximately 18-24 inches from the main veneer. It appears as though there was originally a cornice there, and further investigation shows that the 1911 plans originally called for a decorative metal cornice with up to almost 2’ above, for the company’s signage. Unfortunately, as is common with so many cornices due to structural failure, it has been lost to time and was not extant in 2004 when the current owner purchased the building.
Also, visually dividing each of the three bays on the west façade are two symmetrical pilasters composed of brick (just proud of the veneer). Also, flanking each side of every third story window is a set of three-tiered horizontal bands of bricks protruding from the recessed veneer, gradually becoming flush with the flat brick cornice.
The west façade of the main building has an interesting arrangement for access to the basement, which is an excavated (below grade) access area that exposes approximately 6’ deep, walkable window wells, with modern concrete walls. Excavated c. 2004, and revealing the historic and original window-well, the area stretches across the West façade and around the North and South facades for approximately 15’. There is a 3’ high black metal railing surrounding these wells, running along the West façade and then turning the corner on both the north and south sides. Within the 6’ window wells, there are below-grade non-historic windows (in historic openings) visible, with a total of six on the west façade and three on each of the north and south facades. The main stoop on the West façade, leading from grade to the first floor (approximately 4’ off of the ground), is a double-sided set of concrete stairs with a metal railing. The fenestration pattern on the west façade, first floor includes an arched entryway with a black aluminum rectangular door with sidelights and fixed arched transom. Flanking either side of the door are two, narrow black metal rectangular fixed sidelights. On the opposite side of the sidelights, on each end of the West façade, are two large window openings with a fixed window on each side. Each of these windows is made of black aluminum, with three large display
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United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Shores-Mueller Company Linn County, Iowa Name of Property County and State
windows each with two divided lights above. The configuration of these windows might also be described as six (6) over three (3).
The second-floor fenestration pattern on this façade has one opening in each of the three bays. The far southern and northern bay openings each have a configuration of four divided light fixed transoms over two fixed windows (4/2). The middle bay has a similar configuration, but in the pattern of 6/3. Every window on this façade has a plain limestone sill. Per building permit records, all of the windows in this building were replaced in late 2004. According to the 1911 blueprints, the original windows on this façade would have been 1/1 double-hung, wooden windows.
East Elevation The east elevation of the building is not visible from the outside, Addition 3 (dating to c. 1969) covers the entire exterior elevation. However, the interior of the wall is visible from the inside it too was composed of brick laid in a common pattern. Originally, this side of the building provided access to the rail spur for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad, with a diagonally shaped loading dock. Original windows would have been wooden, double-hung, with 6/6 divided light panes, according to the 1911 plans. However, this rail spur was abandoned by the 1960s and was completely cover when Addition 3 was added. Local historian Mark Hunter recollected that the spur was still barely visible in the parking lot, in the 1980s though Addition 3 was extant.
North Elevation The north elevation has six bays, each with a vertical skim-coat band running the height of the building between each bay, which is an original design feature, currently painted a light cream or salmon color. At grade level, and then at the top of each of the three floors (situated just above the window headers), is the same band but stretching horizontally. The brick on this elevation is completely flush, and all of the red brick is laid in a common pattern. However, the first-floor brick appears to have portions that were replaced, but only the far left (or east) four bays, as individual bricks here sometimes appear much lighter than that of the original red bricks. While there is no tiered or ornamental masonry patterns on this elevation, there are historic clay tiles visible at the top of the parapet wall, presumably integrated into the roofing system and tied to the parapet wall. There is an entry in the middle of this façade (3rd bay from the west), with a ramp and railing that leads towards the rear of the property. Originally, there would have been a single, rectangular door with a half-light and two recessed panels, located in this opening. There is also a below-grade set of stairs, leading to the excavated window-well at the basement level. Originally, this elevation on the basement was partially exposed, though the grading of the site has changed (risen) since 1911.
The fenestration pattern on this elevation is similar in each bay, though not exactly the same. All of the windows are black, fixed aluminum. Starting with the far east (or rear) bay, all three floors have only two window openings, each with a window with two divided light transoms above it. The second and third bays feature the same arrangement on the second and third floors, but the first floor has three of this type of window, rather than only two. The fourth bay fenestration pattern is the same on the upper- stories, but the first floor has an arched opening with a modern, double-door and an arched brick transom, with one window (and two divided light transoms) above. The far two west bays (towards the front of the building), have a different pattern from the other bays. On these two far west bays, the second and third floors feature one opening per bay/per floor, with a grouped configuration of six divided light transoms over three windows (6/3). The first floors of both bays, have three individual windows each with two divided light transoms above. Every window on this elevation retains its original limestone sill. Originally, all of the windows on this elevation were wooden, double-hung windows with a 6/6 divided light pattern, with the exception of the western most six windows on the first floor, which were simple 1/1 double-hung sash. Also, the basement windows would have originally
Section 7 page 6
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Shores-Mueller Company Linn County, Iowa Name of Property County and State
been exposed, though they were not full height windows. Rather, the windows were much smaller (less than half of the size of floors 1-3) but still featured 6/6 divided light panes, while the western three windows echoed the fenestration pattern of floors 1-3. Originally, the basement also would have also had at least one door in the eastern most bay that was situated mostly below grade.
South Elevation The south elevation of this building mirrors the north side, with the exception that starting at the middle bay (or third bay from the west), two later additions cover the remaining eastern portion of this elevation. However, the original window openings (albeit bricked in) of the first and second floors of this elevation are still visible in the addition/s, the stairwell and on the roof Building #3. The windows on floors 1-3 would have echoed the north elevation originally, with the exception of the eight western windows which were all wooden, 1/1 double hung windows. The basement fenestration pattern also originally mirrored the north elevation. The brick that is visible has been painted white and is visible within a number of areas in Addition #1.
INTERIOR The building’s current main entrance is located on the middle of the north elevation. Upon entering the public lobby for the Shores Central Park Building from the north side, the original exposed brick is visible, along with the tall reinforced concrete “Turner Mushroom System” columns for the 14’ ceilings. The flooring in the lobby is a modern 12x12” tile. On the left, there is an original arched opening that has been retained, near the original concrete and metal stairwell. Heading towards the south side of the building is the elevator and the public restrooms. The remainder of the first floor of this building is reserved for the owner’s business, Cabinet Studios, which is a custom cabinet and home improvement design center. The western half of the building (towards 16th Street NE), is the showroom which also features exposed brick and concrete columns, with a few different floorcoverings such as carpet and hardwood. The formed, corrugated concrete ceilings in the lobby and this space are all exposed, with ductwork and electrical systems painted to match the dark formed concrete ceiling. Small marks in the ceiling appear to indicate where former walls had been located, for the original offices (per the original plan notes and 1913 Sanborn Maps). In the southwest corner, an earlier (possibly original) fire alarm system is visible on both the interior and exterior. Behind the lobby, in the eastern portion of this building is the workshop space for Cabinet Studios, which is a large, uninterrupted space with a variety of carpentry-related machinery. The ceilings and walls here are also all exposed, showing the original construction materials. Despite the modern replacement windows, the character-defining features of the Turner Mushroom System columns, exposed structural members, formed concreted ceilings and floors and exposed masonry are all still visible and appear to be in very good condition.
The second and third floors have a very similar treatment and extant character-defining historic fabric as the first, with exposed red brick walls, corrugated formed concrete ceiling, and the original Turner Mushroom System Columns remaining visible to the 11’ ceilings. While the elevator here is not original, the stairwell features the original heavy, metal fire door on each floor. There are eight (8) other tenants between the basement, second and third floors of this building. Tenants include salons, a photographer, a yoga/pilates studio, a boutique and a regional governmental agency. In the lobby and main corridor of each floor is what is commonly called, “schoolhouse” light fixtures, which are reminiscent of the time period that the building was constructed (1911). The lobby and corridor also have a commercial-grade carpet for its floorcovering, though many of the tenant spaces have exposed concrete floors, as well as the original stairwell. Each space has been configured for each tenant, with some walls (drywall) being added for privacy as required. Restrooms have been installed in the lobby, for shared use between tenants. Every tenant space features the exposed brick exterior walls with large window openings. The interior stairwell of Building #3, is accessed from this building, also providing roof access to the top of the 2nd floor of Building #3. In this stairwell, the original filled-in
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United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Shores-Mueller Company Linn County, Iowa Name of Property County and State
openings of Building #1’s exterior windows are visible. Access to Building #1’s roof, on the top of the third-floor, is accessible via the original stairwell towards the north side of the building. In this stairwell, numerous original features are visible including the fire metal door, and other hardware related to the early 20th century fire-proofing and security systems. The roof of this building, accessible via the original stairwell from the third floor, retains its original character-defining penthouse. The penthouse is composed of brick, unpainted on the interior and remnants of white paint are found on the exterior. The arched window openings of the penthouse are still extant, along with the original triple-divided light windows. The parapet wall still has what appears to be original, or very early to the building’s history, clay tiles that secure the rubber membrane system of the flat roof. Though doors, hardware and trim are not original to the building (and were all added in 2004-2011), the second and third floors still retain a vast majority of historic character as they were originally intended for industrial use, including factory, laboratory and storage space. Per the original plan notes and 1913 Sanborn Maps, the second floor housed the bottling room, can/bottle storage, pail/drum storage, powder stock, and packaging room. The third floor housed the laboratory, essential oil vault, dressing room with restroom, boiler room, stock food drug storage room, drug storage room, drug & spice mill room, stock food mixing room.
The basement of this building is connected by the basement of Building #2 and Addition #1. However, primary access to the basement tenant, the Shores Event Center, is accessible from the lobby of Building #1. Here, the treatment is the same as it as on the other stories, with exposed unpainted brick as well as the reinforced concrete columns and ceiling 10’ ceilings. All the windows, though non- historic, are in historic window openings and do not detract from the overall historic feeling. The original arched entrance on the west façade is still visible, though has been abandoned and boarded up. Per conversations with the current owner, in 2004 when the building was renovated, the excavated window wells that are now visible at the basement level, had been completely filled in. When the owner saw the filled-in window openings in the basement, there were calculated estimates that the window wells were still extant but had been backfilled. Therefore, the window wells were excavated in 2004 to restore natural light to the basement level. The flooring is a blend of concrete and commercial- grade carpeting. The rest of the basement, to the east, has white painted brick walls and columns with shelving for storage. Originally, the basement was used as printing shop, printing supply storage, dip room, box factory and future storage. The western half of this building now serves as an event center, frequently used for conferences and receptions. Restrooms and a small preparation kitchen has been added to the space.
Building #2: Addition 1 (c. 1917; contributing) This two-story building is the earliest addition, dating to 1917 and is uniquely shaped, due to the former alley that used to run on the east side of the building. Therefore, the east elevation of this building is severely slanted at a diagonal, which adds to the building’s its character-defining features and illustrates the developmental history of the site, as a contributing building. Given its industrial history, it is utilitarian in design and function, and does not feature any ornamentation. This building is made of reinforced concrete with common brick veneer. The brick still retains evidence of white paint, though the paint has mostly peeled off the building. All the former openings (windows and doors) on the north façade are bricked over. However, the south and east facades still feature a blend of historic windows dating to c. 1917 and later alterations. The farthest east boundary of the property runs along the eastern elevation of Building #2, where the exterior masonry wall runs on a diagonal, against the parcel line of the neighboring property. The blueprints from 1917 are non-extant.
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United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Shores-Mueller Company Linn County, Iowa Name of Property County and State
EXTERIOR South Elevation The second floor of the south elevation of this building features two square window openings, each with a metal (presumably steel) sash, and two equal divided lights (composed of historic wired-glass). These historic windows do not appear to operate as independent sash, rather they appear to be a pivot or hopper style window. The sills and headers on these elevations are presumably limestone, though they are barely visible and may be a precast concrete. An abandoned coal chute is still visible on both the south and east elevations. The second floor of the south elevation has two windows, each of which appear to be non-historic aluminum replacement storm windows which are smaller than the original openings (as evidenced by the rotten plywood completing the void space in the historic opening).
East Elevation The east elevation however, retains a few of the historic windows. While access to this elevation is barricaded by a fence from the neighboring property, the first floor appears to have three window openings, each with a historic steel pivot/hopper style window. While the steel was previously painted, it is now rusted as most of the paint has worn off. Each of the windows is a three-divided light system with historic, wired-glass or replacement glass. Between the far two northern windows, is a single wooden exit door that is no longer used, as the egress leads to the neighboring private property. Next to this door is a large, approximately 24” in diameter, metal ventilation tube which exits the roof and comes down the east façade. The building on the northeast corner terminates in a sharp angle, exposing the ends of the brick in a pattern that resembles a dovetail.
The third floor also has three windows, but these are smaller steel (rusted) windows, with only two divided lights. The glass in these windows is not wired and appears to have been replacement glass. Between the two southern windows on the third floor, is a non-original, metal paneled door with a fire escape leading to the roof.
North Facade The north elevation of this building currently serves as a primary façade and is composed of brick, laid in a common bond pattern. All the former window and door openings have been bricked in, though are still faintly visible. The foundation has a cement-like horizontal band running across it, approximately 3’ high from the ground, which has been painted to match the vertical and horizontal bands found on Building #1’s north and south façade. There is a vehicular ramp with a black railing that extends 2/3 of the depth of the building and connects to Building #3 via a modern, large rolling garage door. The roof on this elevation is flat, though a 1-story penthouse is visible from the parking lot, on the roof. The penthouse walls are composed of brick, a flat, painted sheet metal exterior, and a gabled, metal roof.
INTERIOR This building is entered through Addition #1 by an opening in the wall near the original stairwell and original freight elevator. The west side of the original bearing wall is now covered in metal studs and drywall. On the north wall, the historic (though likely, not original) elevator is still functional and original elements such as the freight doors are still visible, and operable. The door to the stairwell is the original and still operating, metal fire door which is also found on each floor of this building. Upon entering the building, the space is also open, without the division of walls. However, the masonry (brick) here has all been painted white, along with all the columns and ceiling. The columns in this space are not of the Turner Mushroom System, but rather are traditional square concrete columns leading up to a formed, corrugated concrete ceiling. The floor is also a smooth concrete, without staining or tinting. The lighting fixtures are utilitarian florescent lighting. The building’s pointed angle in the far northeast corner of the building is one of its character defining features, as well as the original
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United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Shores-Mueller Company Linn County, Iowa Name of Property County and State
windows that remain in place along the east and south facades. Currently, this building is being used as a staining and painting room for all of the millwork orders that Cabinet Studios processes. The second floor is similar to the first, with the exception that there is a small office that runs along the south side of the building. The second floor is currently being used as private storage for the owner. The basement has the same treatment as the upper floors, with the exception that the walls still retains some black painted signage dating back to the Shores-Mueller building with areas marked as rows with specific letters, indicating the original stock and storage system locations. However, the paint on the brick has started to peel in various areas, and the brick in the stairwell leading to the first floor shows signs of serious damage from freeze/thaw cycles and has begun to spall. The basement too, serves as storage for Cabinet Studios.
Addition #1 (1969; noncontributing) This large, L-shaped addition is two stories in height and connects the main building to the first and third additions. The date of this two-story utilitarian building is documented, as review of permits on file with the city identifies an addition for an “industrial and shipping building” in 1969, by Iowa Manufacturing. There is supporting evidence in the form of Sanborn Fire Insurance maps though surprisingly, a remaining window mimics those used in previous decades. The one remaining window may be considered character-defining and potentially historic in the near future, due to the steel, divided light casement configuration. This addition connects the main building to two other additions, and functions as offices for the current owner. Even though this was constructed in 1969, it has original steel windows on the interior and exterior that harkens back to the complex’s industrial history. Also, this addition partially preserved the west elevation of Building #2 and left it partially exposed so that the former exterior western window and brick masonry is still visible. Presently, the building is nearly fifty years old though currently considered non-contributing, as it was constructed by a later owner and not Shores-Mueller.
EXTERIOR The exterior elevations are composed entirely of painted concrete masonry units (CMU) and the building is devoid of ornamentation. The north elevation has no windows, but the east (and primary) façade does feature one of the previously mentioned historic, steel casement windows on the first floor only. It has six equally divided lights, in a steel sash with a concrete sill, which echoes the design of the original windows of Building #1 (though those are assumed to have been wooden windows, but also with a 6/6 divided light pattern). Also, on the east façade is a large and very tall, garage door which leads to a vehicular ramp that runs parallel to the north façade of Building #2; and a metal, rectangular but flat modern entry door. Access to the entry door is served by a set of concrete steps, with a metal railing that attaches to a concrete ramp which is presumably used for vehicular access to the loading dock at the garage door.
The west elevation has one non-historic metal and glass entry door, flanked by two window openings. The entrance is accessed via a set of concrete steps and landing, with a metal railing. Each of the non-historic windows are fixed, and consist of different black, aluminum framed arrangements. The northern window is a larger opening, with a set of paired (two) large windows, each with two fixed transoms above. The arrangement can be considered a 4/2. The southern window, is just one large single fixed window. Both the windows have concrete (possibly limestone) sills. However, a historic steel 6/6 divided light window is visible from the interior of this building, facing east into the warehouse (and the rest of the addition).
The south elevation of Addition 2, has two loading docks, one garage door, and a single non-historic metal door. These are recessed a few feet, from the masonry veneer of the second floor. The second floor has four window openings, each with a concrete or limestone sill. Each opening is a black,
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Shores-Mueller Company Linn County, Iowa Name of Property County and State
aluminum window with an arrangement of 4/2 fenestration pattern. Also, on this side of the addition is a large storage tank, which acts as the sawdust collector for Cabinet Studio’s workshops.
INTERIOR The interior of this building is accessed on the east elevation, as well as on the west elevation which is connected to the main building (#1)’s south elevation. The southern end of this addition houses two offices for Cabinet Studios, with an interior stairwell adjoining Building #1 & Addition #2, as well as a short corridor. The CMU is painted in this area but left exposed and has not been dry walled over. The floorcovering is a commercial grade carpet, with flush metal doors. The original steel divided light window is visible from the owner’s office and offers views into the warehouse. Off the corridor, is access to the warehouse (to the east). The warehouse is a large space, with loading docks on the right (south wall), and the original brick of Building #1 and Building #2 still visible on the north and east walls. Original though filled-in exterior window openings to Building #1 and an original exterior window to Building #2 are visible in this space. The interior stairwell here is composed of unpainted, gray CMU. Large shelves line the walls, with pallets and boxes of carpentry material for Cabinet Studios. Currently, the warehouse functions truly as a warehouse, in addition to a staging area for receiving and deliveries. Large exposed mechanical systems and ductwork are visible in the ceiling of the space, some of which lead to the large dust collector on the exterior of the south elevation. The ceiling in this space is a corrugated metal ceiling, with visible red metal structural members supporting the entire structure.
Addition #2 (c. 1993; noncontributing) The fourth and final building on this property was constructed in 1993, after Torrance Electric Company took possession of the property in 1988/1989. City building permits and GIS maps confirm the construction date. This plain building is one story high, with a pitched roof, and functions as a service garage and storage facility. It is built “on slab,” and is likely constructed of CMU. The siding is a metal, gray vertical siding. The garage doors are accessible on the west façade only. The interior here is non-descript, with visible CMU and garage doors. Given the age, style and function of this building, it is considered non-contributing to the site.
STATEMENT OF INTEGRITY Integrity: The character-defining open industrial spaces of the main Building #1 are in excellent condition and highly visible, such as the exposed, load-bearing masonry walls, exterior masonry detailing, the Turner Mushroom System columns, and a clay parapet cap. Other historic features are still visible in the building, including steel fire doors, miscellaneous hardware and historic (though likely not original) alarm systems. The window openings of Building #1 remain extant, though modern windows were installed c. 2004. Though the interior partitions and walls were removed decades ago, the building was renovated c. 2004 in such a way that the historic integrity was not compromised. Building #1’s character-defining Turner Mushroom System concrete columns, are an example of a modern engineering method of structural, reinforced concrete that revolutionized the industry. Building #2 still retains the vast majority of its original, historic character including exposed load-bearing brick, steel fire doors, some historic windows, and is in good condition. Addition #1, a utilitarian addition in good condition, is non-contributing though it allows for the original south elevation of Building #1 and original west elevation of Building #2 to remain visible from the interior. It contains one original window dating to 1969, located on the east elevation and its structural members are clearly visible from the interior. Addition #2, though in good condition, is considered non-contributing, though allows for the original south elevation of Building #1 and the original west elevation of Building #2 to remain visible from within the structure. Buildings #1 and #2 still clearly read today as having an historic industrial and manufacturing function, while conveying the building’s relationship to early and mid-20th century industrial development of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul corridor. Additions #1 and #2 are considered non- contributing at this time due to being constructed outside of the period of significance.
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Shores-Mueller Company Linn County, Iowa Name of Property County and State
Location: The Shores-Mueller Company building has not moved and remains in its original location, in the heart of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad industrial corridor. When it was originally constructed, it was built in an up and coming industrial area that local stakeholders were trying to develop. Soon, residential neighborhoods sprang up around these factories and offices, as these original employers were within walking distance to the Daniels Park and Mound View neighborhoods.
Design: The property retains its early 20th century vernacular industrial style, with Building #1 particularly featuring simple yet decorative vertical and horizontal masonry elements. The massing and fenestration pattern remains mostly intact, as does the decorative brick work on the exterior. Also, worth noting are the Turner Mushroom System columns which are exposed on the interior, as they were historically, and offer a pleasing visual treat for engineering enthusiasts. Building #2 mimics #1, in that it has retained the open floor plan of the industrial spaces still remains intact and featured in most commercial spaces, exposing the structure at the ceiling and floor.
Setting: The physical setting of the Shores-Mueller Building has not been drastically changed, and the area remains a largely industrial and warehouse-use area with a blend of large and small commercial functions. Many of the buildings in this area (the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Corridor), which are still extant, date to the early and mid-20th century. The surrounding Daniels’ Park residential neighborhood historically developed around the commercial enterprises of the corridor, and still offer nearby housing and recreational opportunities for employees. The neighborhood retains the historic, character-defining features of an early 20th century planned residential development.
Materials: Character-defining historic materials such as brick masonry, reinforced concrete and metal are all intact and visible in both the contributing buildings. Architectural details such as those found on the Turner Mushroom System columns, steel fire doors, and even decorative brickwork on the exterior of Building #1 are still extant and remain highly visible. Other character-defining features such as the open floor plans and exposed structural elements (including beams and columns) are still extant, as well. Building #2 and Addition #1 still retain some original metal windows, as well as historic brick masonry walls and exposed structural members. The two contributing buildings showcase vastly open floor plans which echo the original industrial function of the buildings.
Workmanship: The quality of workmanship from the early and mid-20th century, particularly the brickwork and structural concrete columns and corrugated ceilings, is still highly visible in most areas of the contributing buildings. The Turner columns are in excellent condition and showcase the leading technological and engineering advances of the early 20th century and the decorative brickwork exhibits the work of skilled trades such as masons, particularly on the exteriors.
Feeling: All the buildings retain their architectural design and materials, as originally designed. The architectural style of Building #1 is particularly noteworthy, as it is subtly decorated by masonry detailing, but within a vernacular industrial style. Building #2 complements the vernacular industrial style. Due to the level of integrity within the two contributing buildings, and the relationship of Addition #1 the exterior and interior spaces can be understood and recognized as they would have been when they were initially constructed.
Association: The buildings’ association with its historic function and identity as a manufacturing and warehouse site remains evident, given its position along the railroad tracks and tucked into this cohesive industrial neighborhood nestled within two residential neighborhoods. The railroad was an instrumental aspect of the development of this area, as factories relied on the railroad for receiving and sending daily shipments. Though the railroad activity has slowed considerably, the railroad tracks remain and are still functional, and the relationship between the residential neighborhoods and this industrial corridor is still intact. The immediate vicinity of the Shores-Mueller building no longer is home to as many functioning manufacturers and factories,
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United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Shores-Mueller Company Linn County, Iowa Name of Property County and State though there are still companies that occupy the premises of various buildings (including the Shores-Mueller) which serve the immediate neighborhoods and surrounding community. Additions #1 and Addition #2, while having no direct association to the Shores-Mueller Company, do have direct relationships and contextual history with the Iowa Manufacturing Company and Howard Hall, two international entities that were major players in the 20th century development of Cedar Rapids and gave rise to the city’s reputation as the “Road Machinery Capital.”1
Alterations: Per the City Assessor, currently four connected buildings make up the property’s site, including the original main building #1 (1911), the 1917 dip stock (Building #2), one large addition dating to c. 1969 (Addition #1), and another garage on the south side from 1993 (Addition #2). Earlier additions, dating from c. 1925 and c. 1917, were still standing as last as 1960 but demolished prior to the 1970s (no demolition records were on file at the City of Cedar Rapids). Exterior alterations to Building #1 were made vastly after the period of significance, throughout the 1960s and 1980s, and included the removal and boarding up of the historic wooden windows. The masonry also received inappropriate maintenance treatments including improper repointing and a stucco, cementitious coat laid over the original brick masonry in select areas. Also, the original below-grade perimeter access to the western half of Building #1 had been completely filled-in with soil and concrete and was removed by the current owner in 2004. Interior alterations dating to the 1960s-1990s include the removal of the historic walls, offices and trim. In 2004, the current owner did not have access to the historic blueprints or plans and installed aluminum windows into the openings of Building #1. However, the current owner also retained the character-defining elements exposed, such as the Turner Mushroom Columns, concrete floors/ceilings, historic freight elevator, fire doors and alarm systems thereby causing no loss of historic integrity or detracting from the property’s eligibility for listing on the National Register. Exterior alterations to Building #2 were limited to the complete filling in of former openings, or non-appropriate window installations into former openings on exterior masonry walls. Interior alterations to Building #2 include the creation of a non-historic office on the second floor. The freight elevator shaft is supposed to have been an early alteration to the building which falls within the period of significance. All alterations and demolitions mentioned were completed prior to the acquisition by the current owner in 2004. The building retains the vast majority of its historic integrity and character-defining features, as later alterations do not detract from the property’s eligibility for listing on the National Register.
Future Plans: The current owner plans to rehabilitate the Buildings #1 and #2 by utilizing Federal and State Historic Tax Credits. The intent is that Building #1 will receive some maintenance, such as a new roof and masonry repairs and Building #2 will become commercially usable space for new tenants, rather than serve as mostly storage as it currently functions. At this time, rehabilitation work related to Additions #1 and #2 is not proposed.
1 Svendsen, Marlys. Multiple Property Documentation: Commercial & Industrial Development of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, c. 1865- c. 1945. (1997), pages 47 and 68.
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United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Shores-Mueller Company Linn County, Iowa Name of Property County and State
8. Statement of Significance Applicable National Register Criteria Areas of Significance (Mark "x" in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying the property for (Enter categories from instructions.) National Register listing.) INDUSTRY X A Property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our COMMERCE history. ENGINEERING
B Property is associated with the lives of persons COMMUNITY PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT significant in our past.
X C Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, Period of Significance or represents a significant and distinguishable entity 1911 - 1965 whose components lack individual distinction.
D Property has yielded, or is likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history. Significant Dates
1911, 1917, 1969, C. 1993
Criteria Considerations (Mark "x" in all the boxes that apply.)
Property is: Significant Person (Complete only if Criterion B is marked above.) A Owned by a religious institution or used for religious purposes.
B removed from its original location. Cultural Affiliation (if applicable)
C a birthplace or grave.
D a cemetery.
E a reconstructed building, object, or structure. Architect/Builder
F a commemorative property. Wodrich & Sons (Minneapolis, MN)
G less than 50 years old or achieving significance Turner, C.A.P. (Minneapolis, MN) within the past 50 years. Shive-Hattery (Cedar Rapids, IA)
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Shores-Mueller Company Linn County, Iowa Name of Property County and State
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Statement of Significance Summary Paragraph: The Shores-Mueller Company Buildings are being nominated for local significance under Criterion A, as its associations with a time in Cedar Rapids’ history when industrial and commercial enterprises were growing in number and strength, as well as its setting and direct affiliation with the former railroads and spurs that were connected the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul industrial corridor to the rest of region, in the late 19th and early 20th century. The buildings are also eligible for listing under Criterion C, as it features a notable and pioneering method of reinforced concrete construction, known as the Turner Mushroom System and also was constructed in a vernacular, industrial commercial architectural style. Its character-defining reinforced concrete columns and vernacular industrial architectural style along with its historic associations with manufacturing, industry and wholesale convey its former reliance and significance to the surrounding Daniels’ Park and Mound View residential neighborhoods, as well as the industrial railroad corridor. In 2015, an update of the original 1997 MPDF “Commercial and Industrial Development of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, c. 1865- c.1945” did not specifically refer to the building, though neighboring similar properties were referenced, as research was readily available. This nomination meets the requirements set forth in the 2015 update to the 1997 MPDF, “Commercial and Industrial Development of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, c. 1865-c. 1945.” As manufacturing facilities tend to evolve based on supply and demand, the Shores-Mueller Company buildings have seen a variety of minor and major alterations on both the interior and exterior, which fit within the accepted eligibility criteria spelled out in Section F of the 2015 update. The variety of different owners and tenants over its history have left their mark via these alterations, though the buildings still retain a vast majority of their historic integrity and fabric. As supported in section F of the 2015 MPDF update, the Shores-Mueller Buildings have common characteristics of early 20th century manufacturing and industrial facilities, including larger massing and footprints due to improved construction methods and advancements, such as reinforced concrete. Evidence of original and early loading docks are still extant on the ground floor, and the architectural detailing on the main elevations of the building are minimally stylistic representation of industrial architecture. These characteristics, in addition to the seven aspects of integrity all assist in representing a clear sense of time and place of the buildings’ construction and function within the historic railroad corridor. The period of significance begins with the earliest construction, in 1911 and ends in 1965, when the property ceased to have a direct relationship to or functioning for agricultural, chemical, or medicinal manufacturing purposes.
Narrative Statement of Significance: Significance Under Criterion A: In the 1997 Multiple Property Nomination Form for the “Commercial and Industrial Development of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, c. 1865- c.1945, and the 2015 update “Industrial Development of Cedar Rapids, c. 1865-1965”, the Chicago, Milwaukee, & St. Paul Railroad Corridor was considered one of the corridors that reflected “the trends and patterns that typified the development of Cedar Rapids’ industrial corridors and riverbanks beginning in the decades following the Civil War and concluding with WWII.”2 The corridor was also found to be eligible for listing as a historic district. Due to lack of research and staff resources available in 1997 and 2015, the Shores-Mueller Company was unintentionally left out of Svendsen and Pearson’s MPDFs. The City of Cedar Rapids recently (July 2016) confirmed with staff and former consultants that the property was not intentionally excluded from either the 1997 or 2015 MPDFs, and that information readily available on the property was not yet available at that time.3 In essence, it was erroneously excluded as an identified eligible property. The Shores-Mueller building is one of the last remaining intact sites that embodies the early 20th century movement of Cedar Rapids development tied directly to railroad transportation. The Shores-Mueller Company was a regional commercial leader in the manufacturing, processing and distribution of chemical, medicinal
2 Ibid 3 The City of Cedar Rapids Community Development Staff, Jeff. P. Hintz, confirmed in an e-mail to Mary Ottoson that the contract with Marjorie Pearson to update the 1997 MPDF with the 2015 revision, only included scope to revisit properties and corridors which were specifically called out in the 1997 document. The scope did not include further research into properties such as Shores-Mueller, which had not yet been researched and documented as it is in this application.
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Shores-Mueller Company Linn County, Iowa Name of Property County and State and agricultural products and remedies is one of the last remaining examples of the “wholesale jobber”4 pattern that developed along the railroad system, allowing Cedar Rapids to explode in development, wealth and population, giving way to the city’s reputation as “Cereal City.” The original context of the site, being situated in a condensed industrial corridor surrounded by residential neighborhoods, remains vastly intact and is one of the last, if not the last, historic industrial corridor that remains not only intact but active in light manufacturing. It was one of the earlier developments in the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad corridor, which helped to influence continued residential and industrial development in the northeast quadrant of the City, connecting it to neighboring Marion and annexed village of Kenwood in 1926. The period of significance runs from 1911 to 1965, a 50+ year span that covers the time when this property was used for offices and warehouse, manufacturing, shipping and factory facilities for chemical, medicinal and agricultural products. The sense of time and place associated with the industrial corridor remains, and though the building has experienced both minor and major alterations, it still offers the ability to relay visual information with respect to its building type, construction technique and other interpretive potential related to its industrial history.
Significance Under Criterion C: The Shores-Mueller Company building is significant under Criterion C for two reasons: a.) its vernacular, industrial commercial architectural style and b.) for notable engineering and construction methods.
As stated in the 1997 Multiple Property Nomination form, “no architectural style predominated during this period”, rather “vernacular variations appear on several building types found in the industrial corridors including a fire station, wholesale warehouses, mills, factories, foundries and open storage yards.” Both Buildings #1 and #2 possess a vernacular variation on industrial or utilitarian factory buildings in the early 20th century architectural movements. With regards to the vernacular style, the builder and designer Wodrich & Sons worked with Shores-Mueller to design the building in a vernacular commercial/industrial style which was very popular at the time. The building offers simple ornamentation by differing patterns and elevations of the brick curtain walls. There is a design emphasis on both the horizontal and verticality of the building. Looking at the front (west) façade, the brick belt course between the first and second floors is a key element, drawing a clear distinction on the exterior of the function of the floors. The vertical brick piers, dividing each bay on the main façade, draw the eye up and terminate with the layered brick pattern at the third-story windows. The scale and design of this building is unique compared to others in the corridor, as most others are either one-story sprawling industrial buildings or very large masonry buildings, such as the Pawnee Mills complex located across the street, which is over 5 stories in height. As it was one of the earlier buildings in the corridor, it references a very specific time (early 20th century, pre-World War I) when driving past the property. Other corridor buildings tend to reflect later commercial architectural movements, or are completely devoid of any ornamentation whatsoever.
One of the most noteworthy facts related to Criterion C, is that Wodrich & Sons also hired Claude Allen Porter (C.A.P.) Turner for the reinforced concrete structural support that supported Building #1.5 The Turner System (or “Spiral Mushroom System”) revolutionized the engineering of large commercial/industrial structures and made flat-slab floors not only possible, but the construction norm in a short span of less than five years (between 1906 and 1909). Porter’s Turner Mushroom System is frequently considered a pioneering effort in flat-slab, reinforced concrete construction. In Karl-Eugen Kurrer’s book, The History of the Theory of Structures from Arch Analysis to Computational Mechanics, Turner’s method is considered to have offered numerous benefits, including reducing the cost of formwork, welcomed by civil and structural engineers of the time, and addressed the shortage of “skilled workers and relatively high wages” in the early 20th century.6
4 A “wholesale jobber” was a 19th/20th century term for a salesman who represented an indirect wholesaler or even the direct manufacturer. In the instance of Shores-Mueller, most of their sales were conducted via direct “jobbers” or “drummers.” 5 Per original contract files in the Cedar Rapids History Center files of the Shores-Mueller Company building. 6 Kurrer, Karl-Eugen. The History of the Theory of Structures from Arch Analysis to Computational Mechanics. Ernst &
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Turner first publicized his revolutionary method in a 1905 issue of the Engineering News and was granted a patent in 1907.7 According to a scholarly article from the Journal of Structural Engineering in 2012, Turner’s Mushroom system was considered “remarkable” and “revolutionary” advancements in flat-slab concrete construction. However, his business slowed considerably after 1910, as his career was followed by “prolonged, destructive legal battles, devastating defeats in court” due to patent infringement allegations.8 Turned filed for his “flat-plate patent applications on June 11, 1907” but he did not receive the patents until February 21 and September 12, 1911. “The patent wars began in November 1911 when Turner filed suit for patent infringement” against a competitor.9 The cases carried on through 1919. He continued to have an active consulting practice in the 1920s, but he remained bitter about the patent wars and halting of his engineering practice until his death in 1955. Given the date of the only remaining documentation of Turner’s involvement in the Shores-Mueller Company Building, dating to September 11, 1911, it appears that the Shores-Mueller Company Building may also prove to be one of the last buildings that C.A.P. Turner constructed with the Mushroom System, prior to a plethora of legal battles related to patent infringement began.10 Turner’s theory based on “steel punching protection”, still “proves useful today” in modern form, harkening specifically, Turner’s method.11 The columns, which still showcase the “mushroom” tops, in Shores- Mueller start as being the thickest at the basement, at 24” and narrow as they go up through the third floor, to 18” in diameter.
Sohn. Berlin, Germany: 2008, p. 1910. 7 Kurrer, 1910. 8 Gasparini, D.A. “Contributions of C.A.P. Turner to Development of Reinforced Concrete Flat Slabs 1905-1909.” Journal of Structural Engineering. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan, October 2002, p 1243-1252. 9 Gasparini, 1243-1252. 10 Cedar Rapids History Center, Shores-Mueller Company files and archives. 11 Kurrer, 1910.
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Photograph of an original set of blueprints from 1911, depicting the details for the “Turner Mushroom System Reinforced Concrete Construction.” Courtesy of current property owner, as the print is displayed in the lobby of Building #1.
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Detail view of the front elevation (West Façade), 1911. Wodrich & Sons, Minneapolis, MN. Source: Owner’s collection of original plans.
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Shores-Mueller Company Linn County, Iowa Name of Property County and State
Detail view of the front elevation (East), 1911. Wodrich & Sons, Minneapolis, MN. Source: Owner’s collection of original plans.
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Detail view of the North elevation. 1911. Wodrich & Sons, Minneapolis, MN. Source: Owner’s collection of original plans.
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Detail view of the South Elevation. 1911. Wodrich & Sons, Minneapolis, MN. Source: Owner’s collection of original plans.
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Detail view of the Basement floor plan. 1911. Wodrich & Sons, Minneapolis, MN. Source: Owner’s collection of original plans.
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Shores-Mueller Company Linn County, Iowa Name of Property County and State
Detail view of the First Floor Plan.1911. Wodrich & Sons, Minneapolis, MN. Source: Owner’s collection of original plans.
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Shores-Mueller Company Linn County, Iowa Name of Property County and State
Detail view of the second floor plan. 1911. Wodrich & Sons, Minneapolis, MN. Source: Owner’s collection of original plans.
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Detail view of the third floor plan. 1911. Wodrich & Sons, Minneapolis, MN. Source: Owner’s collection of original plans.
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Developmental Context To understand why Shores initially began his home and livestock remedy business venture during this era, it is imperative to understand two major movements within the context of the time and the environment that surrounded the man. The period between 1900 and 1920 are frequently considered to be the “golden years of agriculture” in Iowa.12 During this period, the global movements towards urbanization and industrialization, driven by the increasingly complex and connected rail systems, 13 attracted the younger generations towards metropolitan areas, leaving an aging and proportionately decreasing population of labor on the farms. This population diaspora caused the remaining agricultural industry to refocus their efforts on soil surveys, and on raising particularly corn and hogs. 14 The general globalization movement during World War I also commanded high-demands for the shipment of food supplies to the Allies during the war. With the exponentially increasing demand, farmers subsequently sought more agricultural and livestock remedies, to keep their supplies in continued good health and to increase profitability.
During this boom, farmers now had extra income to support the widespread interest and consumption of home and personal health remedies, or “patent medicine,” that was sweeping the nation, due in large part to the expansive railroad system that had been established, making these remedies more readily available and affordable. The late 19th and early 20th centuries were when patent medicine experienced its peak, and have been referred to as the “Golden Age of Quackery.”15 All over the country, traveling shows showcasing “medicine men” and their treatments were popular, traveling “the circuit,” adding to their immense marketing systems including advertising in newspapers, magazines, signage, and in catalogues such as Sears, Roebuck & Company. In the book, the Golden Age of Quackery by author Stewart Holbrook, it was explained that “the nostrum16 trade was subject to less control and reeked with more fraud and chicanery than even more the genteel con games operated under the generic name of Wall Street. By 1906 the traffic in patent medicines was immense. In total volume it had reached $80 million a year.”17 Thus, as popularity and consumption grew, so did the public’s attention to general health, welfare and then specifically, the patent medicine industry.
Journalists weighed in with heavy criticism on standard practices of the industry, thereby birthing the era of “muckraker journalism” with legendary reform articles such as Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle,” and the shocking articles attacking the patent medicine industry in Colliers Weekly entitled “The Great American Fraud,” by Samuel Hopkins Adams, both released in 1906, which would prove to be a pivotal year. Exposés such as Adams’ and Sinclair’s documented and criticized the many conditions of factories and products that had at that time, become accepted as common practice. It was a controversial time, and the field of patent medicine was one of the leading targets of this skepticism, albeit an industry with proven potential for huge gains and revenue. Journalists teamed up with the American Medical Association and the Bureau of Chemistry for the Department of Agriculture, to push through regulation ultimately resulting in landmark legislation.18
Eventually, the Federal Food & Drug Act of 190619 was a series of laws enacted by Congress in effort to regulate “adulterated” food and drug products. The Act required that active ingredients be placed on the label
12 Thompson, William H. Transportation in Iowa: A Historical Summary. Des Moines, IA: Iowa Department of Transportation. 1989. P 168. See also Schwieder, Dorothy. “Iowa: The Middle Land.” Iowa History Reader. Ed. Marvin Bergman. Iowa City, IA: The University of Iowa Press, 12. 13 Schweider, 12. 14 Schwieder, 12. 15 Holbrook, Stewart H. The Golden Age of Quackery. New York: The MacMillan Company. p 4. 16 A “nostrum” is a medicinal treatment or “elixir” that is considered to have been created or concocted by a non-qualified individual and in which the medicinal qualities and remedies are generally suspect. The word stems from the Latin, “neuter of ‘Noster’ our, from ‘nos’ we – more at us.” Source: www.merriam-webster.com. 17 Holbrook,p 4. 18 Holbrook, p4 19 Also referred to as the “Pure Food & Drug Act” or “the Wiley Act.”
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Shores-Mueller Company Linn County, Iowa Name of Property County and State of a drug’s packaging and that drugs could not fall below purity levels established by the “United States Pharmacopeia or the National Formulary.”20 The law was principally a truthful labeling effort. Alcohol, morphine, opium and cannabis were all included on the list of addictive or dangerous drugs. The law did not actually ban these drugs, rather it required that they were to be accurately labeled and that claims should not be misleading, overstated, fraudulent and that they should be “unadulterated.” The Act was amended five times over the next twenty-eight years, in 1912, 1913, 1923, 1930 and 1934 and is commonly considered the parent predecessor to the 1938, Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, which started the modern version of the “FDA.” The U.S. House of Representatives considers the 1906 Act to be the “centerpiece of progressive reforms in the early 20th century.”21
Developmental History When George A. Shores, a businessman with a rural upbringing and education, originally started his pharmacy and drug company c. 1897, he depended upon his prior work experience as an informally trained pharmacist for a handful of local northeast and central Iowa rural pharmacies, to guide him and his business endeavor.22 In the 19th century, pharmacists distinguished themselves from other vendors of health care products by advertising their “devotion to the labor-intensive craft of ‘compounding’ or small-scale manufacture as well as their general knowledge of botanical and chemical medicinals.”23 Shores was very similar to other pharmacists of the time, as professional education was typically informal and was learned through a combination of experience and working as an apprentice. Thus, as many other pharmacists and druggists did, Shores took assessment of what was in local and regional demand and “behind the counter.”24 He realized that there was a demand for a new product that would aid farmers’ livestock nutritional deficiencies.
Thus, Shores created a “stock food powder for cattle and hogs that had gained quite a reputation.”25 When he first conceived the formula for the stock food, his first factory was a rough shed, approximately 8x20’ in the rear of his store. Local newspaper stories from the period include a quaint “rags to riches” story about a “broken down gasoline engine, repaired by G.A. Shores” that “supplied motive power for the mixture made out of a barrel.”26 It was here, in Tripoli, Iowa (a small town in northeastern Iowa, approximately 25 miles north of Waterloo), that his business was born as the Shores Stock27 Food Company, or also commonly called the Shores Farm Remedy Company.28
Shortly thereafter, Shores shrewdly recognized that there was a niche for patent medicine and spices that followed the rules of the new Pure Food and Drug Act. At the age of only 36 years old and driven by the recently passed Federal Food & Drug Act, Shores sold off his successful “drug stock” in the fall of 1906 and focused solely on the stock food and remedy or nostrum/patent medicine, industry.29 He started a line of
20 U.S. Food & Drug Administration, “The Federal Foods & Drug Act of 1906.” http://www.fda.gov/RegulatoryInformation/Legislation/ucm148690.htm#sec7 Last accessed 5/16/16. 21 United States House of Representatives. The Pure Food & Drug Act. Online. http://history.house.gov/HistoricalHighlight/Detail/15032393280?ret=True Last accessed 5/16/16. 22 Iowa Press Association. Who’s Who in Iowa. Des Moines, IA, 1940, p 756. 23 Anderson, Lee. “A case of Thwarted Professionalization: Pharmacy and Temperance in Late Nineteenth-Century Iowa.” The Annals of Iowa 50 (1991), 753. 24 Holbrook, p6. 25 Waterloo Daily Courier. September 7, 1906, page 2 and also Cedar Rapids Republican, “Cedar Rapids Holds High Place as a Manufacturing Center.” Cedar Rapids, IA: September 30, 1917, p 18. 26 Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, “Builds Addition to Handle Increased Demand for Product.” Cedar Rapids, IA: August 2, 1919, p 3. 27 The terms “stock” and “stock dip” refer to livestock, and a treatment used to kill parasites on livestock, around the turn of the 20th century. 28 Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, April 6, 1911, page 1. 29 Waterloo Daily Courier. “Shores Sells Drug Stock.” Waterloo, Iowa: September 7, 1906, p 2.
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With this shift in product focus, the Shores Farm Remedy Company had “developed remarkably” and the citizens of Tripoli had supposedly feared that “the development of the business may be such that it may be removed to some other city.”31 As the business was experiencing success, Shores brought on friend and confidant, J.J. Mueller and his two sons. They gradually moved out of the old shed and into a former schoolhouse, adding other lines such as house remedies, stock dip, spices, etc. By the summer of 191032, they changed the company name to “Shores-Mueller,” and the “small post office in the little town could not handle the business properly, for the business was largely by mail to customers direct, and it was necessary to find a larger location.” 33 Shores pandered to customers’ wants and the results of the Act, by marketing the fact that he was a “registered pharmacist”34 in the State of Iowa, that the products were “Better than the Law Requires” and that “Shores Remedies are safe to use” and that “no bad after effects follow their use” when directions were followed, in the 1910/1911 “Shores Home Doctor and Cook Book.” He also touted that his products did not “contain any “mercury, creosote, morphine, codeine, opium, whisky, wine or any habit producing drug whatever.”35 Keywords such as “unadulterated” and “no bad effects” were frequently used in Shores’ marketing material to combat the negative public opinion of the patent medicine industry that had increasingly come under the proverbial microscope.
30 Musto, David F. The American Disease: Origins of Narcotic Control (3rd ed). Oxford University Press. 1999. 31 Waterloo Semi-Weekly Courier, May 8, 1906, column 7, p 4. 32 Waterloo Courier. “New Iowa Corporations.” Waterloo, Iowa: August 18, 1910, p 7. 33 Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, “Builds Addition to Handle Increased Demand for Product.” 34 In 1880, the Iowa Legislation passed the Iowa Pharmacy Law, which contained two separate legal actions: one which created the State Board of Health and the second law essentially granted the rights to registered pharmacists to dispense drugs and compounds for medicinal use. This law created the Commission of Pharmacy, which was managed by three pharmacists to “examine and certify applicants for registration.” (Source: “Iowa Pharmacy, 1880-1905: An Experiment in Professionalism.” The Annals of Iowa 51 (1991) 91-93.) Legislative, archival records indicate that by the spring of 1881, only 12.3% of the registered pharmacists had passed the Commission’s “satisfactory examination.” The Commission’s present-day name is the Iowa Board of Pharmacy. At this time, despite archival research attempts, records have not yet been located that can confirm nor deny Shores’ registration status with the State of Iowa. (Source: Legislative Documents Submitted to the Nineteenth General Assembly of the State of Iowa. Volume 5, E3. “First Biennial Report of the Commissioners of Pharmacy for the State of Iowa. Abstract of State Pharmacy Register. November 1881.” Des Moines, IA: F.M. Mills, State Printer. 1882. 35 November 1, 1910, courtesy of the CR History Center files.
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Despite that the E-bay seller source dates the Shores Home Doctor and Cook Book as early 1900, the following pages are clearly labeled November 1, 1910. Source: eBay listing for “Shores Home Doctor and Cook Book by Shores-Mueller Company – Early 1900.” Online auction item, last accessed May 3, 2016.
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This Shores Home Doctor and Cook Book, published by the Shores-Mueller Company in 1910/1911, illustrates their variety of patent medicines relating to both human and animal consumption. Note that the E-Bay source lists the cookbook as “early 1900” when the page is clearly dated, November 1, 1910. Source: eBay listing for “Shores Home Doctor and Cook Book by Shores-Mueller Company – Early 1900.” Online auction item, last accessed May 3, 2016.
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The Commercial Club of Cedar Rapids (the predecessor to the Chamber of Commerce), had courted the company and worked to relocate the Shores-Mueller Company to growing Cedar Rapids instead of neighboring and competing community of Waterloo.36 The Commercial Club worked with Shores & Mueller to identify a key location, which was served by rail and had the ability to draw from nearby residents to serve as employees for their new headquarters. “Through the influence of the local Commercial Club, which offered it the advantages of an ideal railroad connection, a good site for the factory with private switches and financial aid.”37 An ad for the “New Part of Cedar Rapids” highlighted the Daniels Park Second Addition in 1911. The addition touted the cement walks, large mature trees, proximity to the post office and major employers including the Shores-Mueller Company, which would be erected “at once, a large building” and would “employ 20 to 30 men.”38 As Svendsen noted, “The ready employment provided by the factories was viewed as an asset of the neighborhood.”39 Meaning, the surrounding Daniels Park Addition was constructed specifically to have a symbiotic relationship and supporting role with the neighboring industrial corridor. Even Shores himself purchased a home in the new Daniels’ Park addition, at 1115 Maplewood Drive NE, which was approximately a five-minute walk away from the new headquarters.40 Sanborn maps show the progressive development of the neighborhood, including the Pawnee Mills41 Addition and the Daniels Park Second Addition. It is clear, that the Shores-Mueller Company was one of the earliest developments in the area, second to the Pawnee Mills. Other industries, such as Vetter-Parks Lumber Company and the Iowa Manufacturing Company followed suit.42
36 Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, “Commercial Club Has Closed Very Prosperous Year.” Cedar Rapids, IA: Feb 21, 1911, pgs 1 & 9. 37 Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, “Builds Addition to Handle Increased Demand for Product.” 38 Cedar Rapids Daily Republican, “The New Part of Cedar Rapids.” Cedar Rapids, IA: March 23, 1911, p 3. 39 Svendsen, 46. 40 Iowa Press Association’s Who’s Who in Iowa, Des Moines, IA, c. 1940, p 756. Also confirmed in city directories from 1911-1920. 41 Pawnee Mills was constructed in 1906/1907, on a site just outside of City limits and developed by the Cedar Rapids Improvement Company (an early twentieth century economic development coalition). In 1910 it was sold to the National Oats Company (Svendsen, 49). 42 Svendsen, 48
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Source: eBay listing for “Real Photo Postcard - Horsedrawn Shores Mueller Co Remedy Wagon Cedar Rapids IA.” Circa 1910. Online auction item, last accessed May 3, 2016.
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Note the mention of the Shores-Mueller Company as a neighborhood employer. Source: Cedar Rapids Daily Republican, “The New Part of Cedar Rapids.” Cedar Rapids, IA: March 23, 1911, p 3.
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In both the 1997 and 2015 Multiple Property Documentation Forms (MPDFs) for Cedar Rapids, architectural historians Marlys Svendsen and Marjorie Pearson identified two main industrial corridors that followed the route of rail lines, one of which being the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad corridor. This same corridor is precisely where the Shores-Mueller Building lies.43 According to Svendsen, while the [Cedar] river may have been the “impetus” for the town of Cedar Rapids, railroads gave the infrastructure for the means of growth44. Neighboring properties such as the former Pawnee Mills (later Ralston and now ConAgra), the former Iowa Manufacturing Company (now Terex), and Nagle Lumber (now Vetter-Parks Lumber) all were called out in both MPDFs, forming a cohesive triangle surrounding the Shores-Mueller Company Building.45 Both MPDFs noted other factories which were “clustered”46 around that corridor and this immediate vicinity. When viewing the area on a map, it is evident that the Shores-Mueller Company was centrally located and may even be considered in the “heart” of the corridor.
Map created by Mary Ottoson on Google, showing the immediate area of concern in the heart of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad corridor, with the Shores-Mueller Company building centrally located. July 19, 2016.
43 Svendsen, 36. 44 Svendsen, 33. 45Pearson, Section E, 38-39. 46 Pearson, 39.
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The railroad was the driving force behind Cedar Rapids commercial and industrial development. After the initial wave of passenger and freight rail following the Civil War, “virtually every new or expanding industry of importance in Cedar Rapids from meat packing to oatmeal and grain processing to metal working companies located facilities along one of the four railroad routes or on readily accessible rail spurs.”47 The rail spur was pivotal to the construction of the factory, as the ability to ship and receive their products nationwide was of utmost concern. Direct connections were available to all major cities in the region and nearly 1750 stations in Iowa alone. More than 200 trains arrived or departed from Cedar Rapids daily.”48 In 1900, Iowa railroads included 38 steam railroads, with over 9,170 miles of track and employed 37,696 workers. With the demand for rail service on the rise, by 1910 mileage of track jumped to 9,781 and 57,715 workers. By 1915, track mileage increased to over 10,000 miles.49
Period newspaper articles describe how Shores had decided on Cedar Rapids because “he discovered that if the business was ever to grow he must get in a City where the railroad facilities would be amply able to take care of shipments without the delay of transfers.”50 Other articles added that the “poor railroad facilities at Tripoli” was the driving force being the relocation to Cedar Rapids, as they needed larger facilities that offered better shipping facilities.51 Railroads were “one of the principal factors defining the urban geography of Cedar Rapids after the turn-of-the-century”52 and conventions and freight service were of the utmost priority for the Commercial Club and its membership in 1910/1911.53 The sidetrack privileges were pivotal,54 as all of the raw material was being brought in via rail, direct from the importer and sources of supply. Original contracts from 1911, show that the 17’ extension spur rail line was jointly constructed and owned by the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway and the Illinois Central Railroad Company.55 The 2015 MPDF stated that historically, businesses located along the railroad corridors frequently focused on food processing and distribution, machinery manufacturing, printing and publishing and even warehousing and jobbing.56 The original function of the Shores-Mueller Buildings fit that description perfectly.
Apparently, 1911 was generally a busy year for industry in Cedar Rapids. An article on June 10, 1911 entitled “New Factories Are Going Up” highlighted the fact that Cedar Rapids was “enjoying a rapid progress” of commercial/industrial building on the “east side of the river.” It highlighted the new Shores-Mueller plant, which was close to completion as the masonry (brick) walls and roof had been “completed for some time” and the “windows, doors, and loading platforms” were all in place, and the interior finishes were under construction. The Milwaukee sidetrack to the building was also near completion.57 The addition of this plant to the City was an “important addition to the factory interests of Cedar Rapids.” The Evening Gazette featured a number of articles on the Shores-Mueller Company and their plans for the new building. The new building would be “60x120 feet, three stories with a basement” and was designed and constructed by the firm of
47 Svendsen, 33. 48 Svendsen, 33. 49 Thompson, 84 & 85. 50 Cedar Rapids Republican, “Cedar Rapids Holds High Place as a Manufacturing Center.” Cedar Rapids, IA: September 30, 1917, p 18. 51 Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, “New Factory to Start Here in September.” Cedar Rapids, IA: April 6, 1911, p 1. 52 Svendsen, 34. 53 Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, “Commercial Club Has Closed Very Prosperous Year.” Cedar Rapids, IA: Feb 21, 1911, pgs 1 & 9. 54 Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, “New Factory to Start Here September 1.” Cedar Rapids, IA: April 6, 1911, p 1.” and Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, “New Factories Are Going Up.” 55 Cedar Rapids History Center files. 56 Pearson, Section F, 48. 57 Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, June 10, 1911, page 12 and again on December 30, 1911, page 9.
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Wodrich & Sons of Minneapolis and Dubuque.58 They would be relying heavily on the Daniels Park addition for employees, hiring up to “fifty men at the start.”59
Construction moved quickly, and they notified the media that “within a few days dirt would be flying”, in early June 1911.60 By the time that the building was complete in late 1911, the Shores-Mueller Company had become fully entrenched in the patent medicine and agricultural stock industry, as one of the articles listed the company as one that “manufactures, imports and distributes grocery and proprietary specialties direct from factory to consumer, the line at present embracing a variety of eight articles, consisting principally of spices, flavoring extracts, perfumes, soaps, toilet articles, family and veterinary remedies, all of which comply in every way with pure food laws, both state and nation.”61 An advertisement from 1912 listed the Shores-Mueller Company as the “fastest growing company in existence” and as “Manufacturers – Chemists – Importers” of “extracts, spices, perfumes, soaps and toilet articles, family and veterinary remedies, stock tonic, stock regulator, stock dip, poultry and lice powder, dip tanks, etc.”62 Shores-Mueller catalogs included everything from advertisements for their tonics, pills, relief but recipes (cook book), prayers, jokes, and tips…most of which included some type of reference to their products. By the spring of 1911, they had 185 wagons delivering products, being “constantly on the road” and “doing business in fifteen states.”63
Within just two short years, the company was planning on expanding the company and its operations to a massive scale, according to the artist rendering provided in the November 17, 1913 issue of the Cedar Rapids Tribune (see below).64 The artist’s rendering exercised artistic license, as they showed the building at nearly triple the actual length of the existing building, with a fourth floor and side addition added, which matched their claim that they had enough ground at this location to “accommodate three more buildings the size of the above, which it is the intention of the Company to erect as fast as their business demands larger quarters, and which, from present indications, will be within the next few years.”65 While they never expanded to this size, they did add on later additions to the property, and expanded branch operations to an undocumented amount of other locations throughout the country, with extensive online research proving at least one other branch location was planned in 1914, in Memphis, Tennessee.66
58 The firm has been found to also be listed as Woodrich & Sons, though it appears on official letterhead from the company as Wodrich & Sons (CR History Center Files). Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, “New Factory to Start Here September 1.” Cedar Rapids, IA: April 6, 1911, p 1. 59 Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, “New Factory to Start Here September 1.” Cedar Rapids, IA: April 6, 1911, p 1. 60 Cedar Rapids Daily Republican, “Ready to Start Building.” Cedar Rapids, IA: June 8, 1911, p 12. 61 Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, “New Factory to Start Here September 1.” Cedar Rapids, IA: April 6, 1911, p 1. 62 Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, May 15, 1912, p 42. Most of their household and personal care items were sold under the “Big Shores” trade name (Shores Catalog & Cook Book, 17th edition, Cedar Rapids History Center Shores-Mueller Company files.) 63 Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, “New Factory to Start Here September 1.” Cedar Rapids, IA: April 6, 1911, p 1. 64 Also see Cedar Rapids Tribune, “Spreads Our Name Through Whole World.” Cedar Rapids, IA: December 5, 1913, p 1. 65 Cedar Rapids Tribune, “The New Home of the Big Shores Line.” Cedar Rapids, IA: November 17, 1913, p 10. 66 Eberle, E.G. (Editor). Southern Pharmaceutical Journal (Dallas, TX), October 1914, Vol. 7, No.2, p 90.
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Source: Cedar Rapids Tribune, “The New Home of the Big Shores Line.” Cedar Rapids, IA: November 17, 1913, p 10.
Sources: Left: Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette. May 12, 1915, p. 42. Right: eBay, “Vintage Shores-Mueller Selected Spices Cinnamon ½ lb Container Tin.” Online Auction. Last Visited 5/5/2016.
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The demands of World War I (WWI) “had enormously stimulated production of farm commodities…the slogan ‘Food Will Win the War’ was an incentive for farmers to produce to the limit…”67 The company actually found a way a creative way to profit during wartime (WWI), via agriculture and livestock, and in turn, was receiving international orders. An August 1919 article explained that the company was known for their nine stock powders, one of which was the “Shores Worm Torpedo” which was an antidote for worms that had infected hogs and made them sick. The manager at the time, A. Dunkelberg claimed that there would be high prices for hogs for some time, as there was a “big shortage of hogs due to the fact that, besides America, Europe was the chief hog producer in the world” and that “The War” had almost entirely eliminated the hog from Europe and that it would be “eighteen months before a supply could be obtained there.”68 This capitalistic enterprise allowed them the opportunity to be one of the few industries to expand construction efforts during WWI, “despite the United States’ participation in the war and resulting high prices of materials in labor.”69 They also received a government contract, as “other chemists succeeded in getting contracts from the government for large quantities of tablets and the attractive business caused Shores-Mueller company to bid likewise.”70
As previously noted by architectural historian Svendsen, that the City of Cedar Rapids had gained a reputation as “Cereal City.” In September 1917, the Manufacturer’s section of the Cedar Rapids Republican highlighted the city’s reputation as having “the largest oatmeal mill in the world; the largest independent starch works in the country; the pump center of the middle west” and that it “occupied a proud position in the manufacturing world in other directions.”71 One of these “other directions” was listed as the Shores-Mueller company, which has “phenomenal growth.” They were presently erecting an addition to the main plant, for the use of lubricating oil department.72 This addition was also noted in the “American machinist” at a value of $17,000.73 However, this is in direct contradiction to the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, which were updated in 1921 (from the previous 1913 Sanborns) and incorrectly state that this awkwardly shaped (due to the parcel constrictions) addition is from 1916. They also appeared to have expanded their auto garage on the southern side of the property, at this point, as well.
67 Thompson, 133 68 Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, “Builds Addition to Handle Increased Demand for Product.” Cedar Rapids, IA: August 2, 1919, p 3. 69 Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, “Report Indicates Building Booming in Cedar Rapids.” Cedar Rapids, IA: September 1, 1919, p 2. 70 Cedar Rapids Republican, “Many Tablets Made by Shores Mueller Firm.” Cedar Rapids, IA: September 20, 1926, p 12.
71 Cedar Rapids Republican, “Cedar Rapids Holds High Place as a Manufacturing Center.” Cedar Rapids, IA: September 30, 1917, p 18. 72 Cedar Rapids Republican, “Cedar Rapids Holds High Place as a Manufacturing Center.” Cedar Rapids, IA: September 30, 1917, p 18. 73 American Machinist, “General Manufacturing – West of the Mississippi.” September 13, 1917, Vol. 47, No. 11, p. 80d.
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Source: (left) Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, 1913. Sheet 57. (right) Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, Sheet 57, updated 1921. Courtesy of the Cedar Rapids History Center.
The plans for additions in 1917 were considered the “most cheering news reported in some time”, as the “quietness in residential building lines” was causing concerns that the late fall and winter of 1917 would bring about a “lack of employment that would work hardships with the living cost as such excessive figures.” This addition was “cheered” by local construction laborers and meant “steady employment for men of craft during winter.”74 Despite the general hardships in new construction due to World War I, they were adding two large storage tanks by the summer of 1919, which were planned to be two-stories in height, and “built for the accommodation of materials used in the manufacture of their products.” A gravity system would then carry the material down to different departments, aiding in efficiency and ease of handling.75 These storage tanks were not cheap, coming in at $18,000 to construct.76
Then, just a few weeks later in 1919, they were working on another two-story brick addition, 20x60 feet, on the rear of the main plant. The growth of the “stock food and remedy departments” had “increased to such an extent that more room will be used as storage rooms.” The addition was meant as a temporary one, with permanent walls and an interior remodel at a later date. Approximate value was $5,00077. This building
74 Cedar Rapids Tribune, “Big Additions to Factories Cheer Laborers.” Cedar Rapids, IA: August 24, 1917, p 8. 75 Cedar Rapids Republican, “Shores-Mueller Company to Build Two Large Tanks.” Cedar Rapids, IA: July 3, 1919, p 8. 76 Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, “Report Indicates Building Booming in Cedar Rapids.” Cedar Rapids, IA: September 1, 1919, p 2. 77 Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, “Shores-Mueller Builds Addition to Plant.” Cedar Rapids, IA: July 30, 1919, p 8.
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Shores-Mueller Company Linn County, Iowa Name of Property County and State appeared on the 1921 Sanborn map, next to the 1917 addition but as noted on the attached “Building Legend,” this addition was demolished sometime between 1960 and 1969.
Source: Cedar Rapids History Center Shores-Mueller Company files. Date unknown and original source unidentified, estimated c. 1920/1925.
By 1926, Shores-Mueller was producing “nearly three hundred-million tablets and coated pills” with “15 tablet making machines.”78 Most of these included aspirin. This was all during the War, but “when peace was declared the machines stopped running.” They struggled to compete, but the company was then manufacturing tablets for “140 good sized firms.”79 During and after the war, the company started to feel the pressure of competition. Patent medicines were being challenged by the FDA, and Shores-Mueller had products involved in investigation and recall. Some of their products were considered “Nostrums and Quackery” by the American Medical Association, in 1921.80 In summary, the company held strong throughout World War I and continued to grow its operations through the 1920s, despite facing some economic hurdles.
78 Cedar Rapids Republican, “Many Tablets Made by Shores Mueller Firm.” Cedar Rapids, IA: September 20, 1926, p 12.
79 Cedar Rapids Republican, “Many Tablets Made by Shores Mueller Firm.” Cedar Rapids, IA: September 20, 1926, p 12. 80 Cramp, Arthur J., M.D. (Editor). Nostrums & Quackery. Articles on the Nostrum Evil, Quackery and Allied Matters Affecting the Public Health; Reprinted, with or without modifications, from the Journal of the American Medical Association. Volume II. Chicago, IL: American Medical Association, 1921, page 221.
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By the early 1930s, the nation was experiencing depressed economic conditions following the aftermath of World War 1 and the “Great Depression.” This too, surely affected the Shores-Mueller Company’s revenues, which were based on agricultural, livestock and human consumption. “The devastation of financial catastrophe suffered through the excesses of WWI production and the deflated price levels of the 1920s showed clearly in the 1930s. Between 1926 and 1931, one farmer in every seven lost his land.”81 As the executive ownership of the company began to pass through later generations and other outside persons82, scandals and negative judgments started to stain the company’s reputation. Like other chemical and drug companies, the FDA filed official Notice of Judgments against the company for misrepresentation or inaccurate marketing of their products.83 According to a quick search in the database, the company had at least 25 documented “Notice of Judgments” against them, under various trade names, between 1920 and 1948. Most of these were for false advertising and fraudulent claims, or adulterated manufacturing, with the company filing as “guilty” and paying a small fine.84
Following some of the earlier FDA Notice of Judgments, a massive scandal hit the company in 1932, when company executives and bankers in Tripoli were involved in a certificate and stock ploy. The case was followed in the press for weeks, until finally those involved were acquitted.85 Following the stock scandal, the company dropped Mueller from its name and became just the “Shores Company, Inc.”86 The combination of the FDA’s stringent rulings in conjunction with the scandals, are likely the reasons that the company started to suffer and redirect its focus to the original business model of agricultural products, rather than those of remedies and food products for human consumption. Then, in 1935, the company again faced legal action, by its stockholders for the “wrongful conversion of the property” via receivership87 by and to a company executive. It also faced a suit from the Iowa Chemical Company (Cedar Rapids) for alleged infringement on the sale of its goods, under the trade name “Corn King.”88 Corn King was a line of their products specifically for the farm and livestock, a manufacturer of medicinal and nutritional products for livestock and poultry. In 1938, the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act was signed by President Franklin Roosevelt. This then began an industry wide move from manufacturers selling “nostrums” to focusing more on household goods, agricultural products or other related chemical industries (such as Shores did), or entirely going bankrupt. An interesting side note is that some of the surviving products that have roots from the patent medicine era are common household brand names today such as Bayer Aspirin and Vicks VapoRub.
81 Thompson, 167. 82 Shores stepped down as President (to Vice-President) from his company in 1935 and passed away in 1941. (Who’s Who in Iowa, p 756; Waterloo Daily Courier, “Geo. Shores Dies at Cedar Rapids.” July 31, 1941, p 23 and Cedar Rapids Gazette, “George A. Shores, In Business Here Since 1912, Dead.” Cedar Rapids, IA: July 31, 1941, p 1 & 7) 83 FDA Online Database of Notices of Judgement, Last Accessed Online 5/9/16 from the National Library of Medicine in Bethesda, MD. 84 American Medical Association. “The Journal.” Correspondence. Chicago, IL: July 15, 1922. Vol. 79, No. 3, p 233 and National Library of Medicine’s Online Database of the FDA’s Notices of Judgement, Last Accessed Online 5/9/16. 85 Waterloo Daily Courier, “Tripoli Bankers Indicted on False Pretense Charge.” Waterloo, IA: February 21, 1932, p 19; “Behrend’s Cash Traced by State Thru Bank Books.” October 20, 1932 p 2; and Sumner Gazette, “Tripoli bank Trio Are Acquitted by Directed Verdict.” Sumner, IA: October 27, 1932, p 1. 86 Per City Directory and Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps. 87 Cedar Rapids Gazette, “To Hear Receiver’s Report.” Cedar Rapids, IA: June 9, 1936, p 26. 88 Nashua Reporter, “Cedar Rapids Attorney Here Conferring with Stakeholders.” Nashua, IA: June 5, 1935, p 1; and Waterloo Daily Courier, “$2,450,260 Suit Filed in Bremer.” Waterloo, IA: March 5, 1937, p 10.
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Digital scan of a black/white photocopy that the local Cedar Rapids History Center has on file. Original source of photograph and year is unknown, though estimated to be c. 1930, depicting the “Coating & Friable Pill Department”, likely in Building #1, though may have been in Building #2.
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Digital scan courtesy of Cedar Rapids History Center. Original source, year and location of photograph is unknown, though estimated to be c. 1930, depicting the “manufacturing laboratory.”
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The Shores Co. Building, circa 1940. Courtesy of the Cedar Rapids History Center archives.
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Digital scan of a black/white photocopy that the local Cedar Rapids History Center has on file. Original source of photograph and year is unknown, though estimated to be c. 1940-1945, depicting female workers in the bottling room of Building #1.
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Digital scan of a black/white photocopy that the local Cedar Rapids History Center has on file. Original source of photograph and year is unknown, though estimated to be c. 1940-1945, depicting female workers in a bottling/canning room of Building #1.
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Digital scan of a black/white photocopy that the local Cedar Rapids History Center has on file. Original source of photograph and year is unknown, though estimated to be c. 1940-1945, depicting a male worker in the coatings room likely in the rear of Building #1, though possibly Building #2.
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Digital scan of a black/white photocopy that the local Cedar Rapids History Center has on file. Original source of photograph and year is unknown, though estimated to be c. 1940-1945, depicting workers in the laboratory of Building #1.
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By 1947, the Shores Company had a line of 72 products operating under the name of Corn King, so in an effort to increase and unify brand recognition, they changed their name to “Corn King” (from Barlow, Wright & Shores, Inc., as of 1945) in late 1947.89 This coincided with their change of direction in manufacturing efforts, as they had already dropped all of the previous “patent medicine’ products and were focused purely on agricultural and livestock products. The company’s early years as “Corn King”, following WWII, were fairly successful, juxtaposing the relative success of the railroad industry thru the early 1950s. However, by the mid and late 1950s, both Corn King and the railroad industry were experiencing a “rate of increase in revenue traffic” that that had “slowed considerably.”90
The company operated as “Corn King” until late July 1956, when it was purchased by the now notorious pharmaceutical magnet Cutter Laboratories (Berkeley, California).91 The Corn King company was expected to add sales to the Cutter portfolio at “an annual rate near $750,000.”92 The company would continue to operate business in Cedar Rapids, retaining its 6,000 dealers and 100 distributors of the firm’s products. The merger and acquisition represented the Shores company history and direct relationship to chemicals and pharmaceuticals, as well as its strong outlook or performance as a capitalistic venture. Cutter Laboratories was a major player in the pharmaceutical industry as at the time of the merger, the president of Cutter Laboratories, was then the president of the American Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association.93 According to Dr. Paul Offitt’s book The Cutter Incident: How America’s First Polio Vaccine Lead to the Growing Vaccine Crisis, the annual sales of Cutter Laboratories increased to $13,731,000, following the purchase of Corn King, among other companies.94 Years later, newspaper articles recounted that Corn King had ended up “not been a major contributor to sales and profits”95 as expected and Cutter sold the company to C.F. Castle of neighboring Marion, IA in 1968, with new facilities to be constructed in Marion later that year, early 1969.96 News of the sale to Castle spread across the country, as it reached as far as the Bay Area of California.97
The sale between Cutter and C.F. Castle was the end of the properties’ use as a manufacturing plant for healthcare and veterinary goods. In the summer of 1968, the property (lots 1 and 2) was sold by Corn King/Castle to a shuffle between the City of Cedar Rapids and the neighboring Iowa Manufacturing Company (later purchased by Terex Corporation). The Iowa Manufacturing Company was by that point, an enormous complex occupying a number of blocks to the north of the Shores’ property. The Iowa Manufacturing Company played a pivotal role in the industrial and commercial development of Cedar Rapids, as it was started and owned by global businessmen, John Jay and Howard Hall. Hall was a predominant, and the last resident of the renowned and National Register property, the Brucemore Mansion from 1937 thru 1981 when the estate was donated to the National Trust for Historic Places in 1981. Iowa Manufacturing Company (affectionately called “Iowa Man”) brought international wealth to Cedar Rapids through their innovative “One
89 “Wallace’s Farmer & Iowa Homestead.” Advertisement. Des Moines, Iowa: November 1, 1947, p 15. 90 Thompson, 228 91 Cutter Laboratories was a pharmaceutical company based in Berkeley, California. Their focus was on vaccines for humans and animals, including their polio vaccine which lead to nationwide controversy and landmark lawsuits in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The company was later purchased by Bayer Pharmaceuticals in 1974. – Wikipedia 92 Cedar Rapids Gazette, “Corn King Firm is Purchased by Cutter Company.” Cedar Rapids, IA: August 2, 1956, p 55. 93 Cedar Rapids Gazette, Sept 19, 1956 p 44 94 Offitt, Dr. Paul. The Cutter Incident: How America’s First Polio Vaccine Lead to the Growing Vaccine Crisis.” Yale University Press, 2007, p 166. 95 Cedar Rapids Gazette, “Corn King to King Castle.” Cedar Rapids, IA: June 16, 1968, p 137. 96 Oelwein Daily Register, June 15, 1968, p 8. Most articles that June, listed the only purchaser of the Corn King as C.F. Castle, but there was one article that listed another company, Vita Plus (Madison, Wisconsin) as purchasing the “Trend Feeds” division, specifically, of Corn King. Vita Plus was listed as a distributor of “livestock feed supplements, minerals and animal health products (Cedar Rapids Gazette. “Vita Plus Buys Trend Division of Corn King.” Cedar Rapids, IA: June 18, 1968, p 22.) 97 Oakland Tribune. “Cutter Sells its Iowa Subsidiary.” Oakland, CA: June 17, 1968, p 11.
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Piece Outfit,” a revolutionary piece of rock and road crushing equipment developed during the Great Depression. They experienced exponential growth in the post-World War II era. With presidential and national accolades, the company is remembered for having aided in the development of the national highway and transportation system and the impetus behind the city’s reputation as the “Road Machinery Capital.”98
It is assumed that Iowa Manufacturing purchased the former Shores-Mueller Company site for excess storage and manufacturing facilities, with the added potential of leasing space to third-party tenants. In 1969, they added onto the Buildings #1 and #2 by creating an L-shaped connector structure. The 1969 addition included an excavated basement and first floor, which continuously connected Buildings #1 and #2, and had a two- story tall first floor which allowed the former east exterior wall of Building #1 and the west wall of Building #2 to become visible, within the interior of the new addition. Here, the shop room and the warehouse space visually and functionally become one large space. Product made in the shop room is easily moved, via garage doors just a few feet of the warehouse, where it then can be transported by delivery via the loading docks along the south side of the property. This addition, while utilitarian in design, has been imperative to the property’s function since it’s construction. A likely unintentional advantage of the construction of this addition is that it did not significantly damage or demolish historic fabric of Building #1 and #2, as their original exteriors have actually been preserved within the structure of Addition #1.
Iowa Manufacturing Co. / Terex eventually sold off the property to the Torrance Electric Company in 1989/1990, which had shared the space with the smaller Motive Power Corporation. By this time, the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad spurs (still sitting on both the former Shores-Mueller and previously existing Iowa Manufacturing Company properties) had already been abandoned and were barely visible.99 This timeline of ownership and tenancy has been confirmed by the comparison of newspaper articles and advertisements, city directories, city permits and deed research.
Torrance Electric was “one of the largest motor distributors and repair facilities in eastern and central Iowa and western Illinois.” The company (also referred to as YMH-Torrance), previously based out of Rock Island, Illinois expanded to Cedar Rapids in 1970 (on the southwest side), and experience continued growth and expansion through the 1980s and 1990s. They moved from the southwest side to a larger location in the Shores-Mueller building in 1990, where they added on to Buildings #1, #2 and Addition #1 by adding the garage Addition #2. They later became known as the largest lift truck dealer, offering equipment, parts and service, and by 1999, had other facilities in Des Moines, Dubuque, Iowa City, Mason City and Waterloo. The Cedar Rapids and Des Moines locations specialized in “AC and DC electric motors, variable speed drives, gear motors and reducers, brakes, clutches and hoist parts.”100 In 2001, YMH-Torrance decided to consolidate, and slowly started to close the Cedar Rapids location.
In 2003, it was purchased by the current and present owner, who started to work with the City of Cedar Rapids to redevelop the building into a custom cabinet shop and design center with a conference venue in the basement and other retail/office spaces on the upper-floors. At the time of the purchase, the building was in poor condition from neglect, had vines growing along the building, and all the windows had been bricked in, with no remaining historic windows. Original walls dating to 1911 in the main building, had long been removed. The current owner did not have access to the original blueprints and was unaware of the Secretary of Interior Standards, and thus installed metal, modern fixed windows (though they did not alter the size of the historic window openings at all). Fortunately, the overall historic integrity of the building was retained and is still extant today. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that the owner retained the visible structural elements of
98 Svendsen, 47 and 68. 99 Oral interview with local Cedar Rapids historian, Mark Stoffer-Hunter on May 12, 2016. 100 Cedar Rapids Gazette. “Farmall job gave start to Torrance” and “Expansion allows for a variety of products.” Cedar Rapids, IA: November 21, 1999, p 339.
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Shores-Mueller Company Linn County, Iowa Name of Property County and State the building such as the Turner Mushroom Columns, the exposed concrete ceilings and floors, exposed brick on the interior and retained fire doors as well as other smaller original hardware such as fire alarms. The City of Cedar Rapids granted property tax exemptions for the project in the late summer/ fall of 2005. At that time, the building became renamed the “Shores Central Park,” honoring the original owner of the property, the Shores-Mueller Company.
The property has undergone a renaissance and ten years later, remains active (as of 2016). It is currently the only identified historic building in the industrial corridor that offers a blend of industrial, commercial and retail activity with Cabinet Studios (the current owner’s cabinet shop and design center), the Shores Conference Center, a number of beauty salons, photographer, yoga studio and women’s fashion boutique. The buildings still embody the distinctive characteristics of its former industrial/warehouse use, still retain its industrial and commercial architecture style, and showcase the method of construction in its interior and exterior. Now, however, over a decade later after the 2004 renovations, the buildings need maintenance and further rehabilitation. The owner intends to apply for both Federal and State Historic Tax Credits to undertake this work and by doing so, agrees to follow the Secretary of Interior Standards for Rehabilitation.
Buildings #1 and #2 contribute to the historic significance of the property, which make it eligible for listing on the National Register, under Criteria A and C. Under Criterion A, the property played a pivotal role in both the commercial and industrial development of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad corridor, as well as serving as one of the driving factors behind the development of the neighboring Daniels Park residential neighborhood. The original company’s owner, Shores-Mueller Company, was known for its manufacturing, warehousing and jobbing endeavors related to pharmaceutical, food and agricultural industries. These specific industries were called out in both the 1997 and 2015 Multiple Property Documentation Forms conducted for Cedar Rapids, although historians erroneously omitted specific mention of the Shores-Mueller for no other reason other than due to the lack of readily available research. Thus, the Shores-Mueller Company contributes to the broad history and understanding of Cedar Rapids’ industrial corridors, specifically that of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Corridor.
Under Criterion C, Buildings #1-2 still embody the vernacular industrial/commercial style of architecture as they were originally designed. The 2015 MPDF explained that by the “twentieth century, buildings for warehouses and factory use were becoming larger, both in height and footprint, and more specialized. Many used reinforced concrete construction with brick curtain walls and large window openings. Loading bays and loading docks are typically found at the ground floor level.”101 The Shores-Mueller Buildings, particularly buildings #1 and 2, include these features with the exposed reinforced concrete structural elements including the Turner Mushroom System and corrugated, concrete ceilings as well as exposed brick curtain walls. The two buildings retain a majority of their interior integrity with regards to construction methods and architectural style, despite alterations taking place over the last century. As Pearson noted, both minor and major alterations are expected for buildings located in the industrial railroad corridors, due to changes in technology and use.102 Despite the alterations and additions over the years, Buildings #1 and #2 still provide obvious visual information with respect to their building type, vernacular architectural style and construction techniques, as well has their history of contributing to the commercial and industrial development of Cedar Rapids – thereby making Buildings #1-2 eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT The potential for any prehistoric or historic archaeological remains within the property boundary was not assessed as part of the present National Register nomination.
101 Pearson, 48. 102 Pearson, 50.
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9. Major Bibliographical References Bibliography (Cite the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form.) 1. American Medical Association. “The Journal.” Correspondence. Chicago, IL: July 15, 1922. Vol. 79, No. 3, p 233.
2. American Machinist, “General Manufacturing – West of the Mississippi.” September 13, 1917, Vol. 47, No. 11, p. 80d.
3. Anderson, Lee. “A case of Thwarted Professionalization: Pharmacy and Temperance in Late Nineteenth- Century Iowa.” The Annals of Iowa 50 (1991), 751-771.
4. Cedar Rapids Daily Republican, “The New Part of Cedar Rapids.” Cedar Rapids, IA: March 23, 1911, p 3.
5. Cedar Rapids Daily Republican, “Ready to Start Building.” Cedar Rapids, IA: June 8, 1911, p 12.
6. Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, “Commercial Club Has Closed Very Prosperous Year.” Cedar Rapids, IA: Feb 21, 1911, pgs 1 & 9.
7. Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, “The New Part of Cedar Rapids.” Cedar Rapids, IA: March 29, 1911, p 8.
8. Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, “New Factory to Start Here September 1.” Cedar Rapids, IA: April 6, 1911, p 1.
9. Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, “New Factories Are Going Up.” Cedar Rapids, IA: June 10, 1911, p 12.
10. Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette. “Substantial Improvements Shown by Building Permits.” Cedar Rapids, IA: December 30, 1911, p 9.
11. Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, “Shores-Mueller Company” advertisement. Cedar Rapids, IA: May 15, 1912, p 42.
12. Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, “Adolph Mueller Called by Death.” Cedar Rapids, IA: November 30, 1914, p1.
13. Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, “Shores-Mueller Builds Addition to Plant.” Cedar Rapids, IA: July 30, 1919, p 8.
14. Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, “Builds Addition to Handle Increased Demand for Product.” Cedar Rapids, IA: August 2, 1919, p 3.
15. Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, “George A. Shores, Jr. Dead of Appendicitis.” Cedar Rapids, IA: August 29, 1919, p 18.
16. Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, “Report Indicates Building Booming in Cedar Rapids.” Cedar Rapids, IA: September 1, 1919, p 2.
17. Cedar Rapids Gazette, “To Hear Receiver’s Report.” Cedar Rapids, IA: June 9, 1936, p 26.
18. Cedar Rapids Gazette, “George A. Shores, In Business Here Since 1912, Dead.” Cedar Rapids, IA: July 31, 1941, p 1 & 7.
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19. Cedar Rapids Gazette, “Corn King Firm is Purchased by Cutter Company.” Cedar Rapids, IA: August 2, 1956, p 55.
20. Cedar Rapids Gazette, Photograph: “Dr. Robert K. Cutter.” Cedar Rapids, IA: Sept 19, 1956, p 44.
21. Cedar Rapids Gazette, “Corn King to King Castle.” Cedar Rapids, IA: June 16, 1968, p 137.
22. Cedar Rapids Gazette, “Vita Plus Buys Trend Division of Corn King.” Cedar Rapids, IA: June 18, 1968, p 22.
23. Cedar Rapids Gazette, “Marion News.” Cedar Rapids, IA: July 26, 1968, p 44.
24. Cedar Rapids Gazette. “Farmall job gave start to Torrance” and “Expansion allows for a variety of products.” Cedar Rapids, IA: November 21, 1999, p 339.
25. Cedar Rapids Gazette. “Good as New: Historic C.C. building gets face life, new life.” 21 Aug 2005. Money Section, page 1D-4D.
26. Cedar Rapids Gazette. “Good to be Green.” August 2005. Page 7.
27. Cedar Rapids History Center archives.
28. Cedar Rapids Republican, “Cedar Rapids Holds High Place as a Manufacturing Center.” Cedar Rapids, IA: September 30, 1917, p 18.
29. Cedar Rapids Republican, “Shores-Mueller Company to Build Two Large Tanks.” Cedar Rapids, IA: July 3, 1919, p 8.
30. Cedar Rapids Republican, “Many Tablets Made by Shores Mueller Firm.” Cedar Rapids, IA: September 20, 1926, p 12.
31. Cedar Rapids Tribune, “The New Home of the Big Shores Line.” Cedar Rapids, IA: November 17, 1913, p 10.
32. Cedar Rapids Tribune, “Spreads Our Name Through Whole World.” Cedar Rapids, IA: December 5, 1913, p 1
33. Cedar Rapids Tribune, “Big Additions to Factories Cheer Laborers.” Cedar Rapids, IA: August 24, 1917, p 8.
34. Cramp, Arthur J., M.D. (Editor). Nostrums & Quackery. Articles on the Nostrum Evil, Quackery and Allied Matters Affecting the Public Health; Reprinted, with or without modifications, from the Journal of the American Medical Association. Volume II. Chicago, IL: American Medical Association, 1921, p 221.
35. eBay listing for “Shores Home Doctor and Cook Book by Shores-Mueller Company – Early 1900.” Online auction item, last accessed May 3, 2016.
36. eBay listing for “Real Photo Postcard - Horsedrawn Shores Mueller Co Remedy Wagon Cedar Rapids IA.” Online auction item, last accessed May 3, 2016.
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37. eBay listing for “Vintage Shores-Mueller Selected Spices Cinnamon ½ lb Container Tin.” Online auction item, last Visited 5/5/2016.
38. Eberle, E.G. (Editor). Southern Pharmaceutical Journal (Dallas, TX), Oct 1914, p 90. Vol 7, No.2.
39. Gasparini, D.A. “Contributions of C.A.P. Turner to Development of Reinforced Concrete Flat Slabs 1905- 1909.” Journal of Structural Engineering. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan, October 2002, p 1243- 1252.
40. Hintz, Jeff. Email correspondence to Mary Ottoson, July 19, 2016.
41. Holbrook, Stewart H. The Golden Age of Quackery. New York: The MacMillan Company.
42. Iowa Press Association. Who’s Who in Iowa. Des Moines, IA, 1940, p 756.
43. “Iowa Pharmacy, 1880-1905: An Experiment in Professionalism.” The Annals of Iowa 51 (1991) 91-93. Last accessed Feb 6, 2018. http://ir.uiowa.edu/annals-of-iowa/vol51/iss1/10
44. Kurrer, Karl-Eugen. The History of the Theory of Structures from Arch Analysis to Computational Mechanics. Ernst & Sohn. Berlin, Germany: 2008, p 1910.
45. Legislative Documents Submitted to the Nineteenth General Assembly of the State of Iowa. Volume 5, E3. “First Biennial Report of the Commissioners of Pharmacy for the State of Iowa. Abstract of State Pharmacy Register. November 1881.” Des Moines, IA: F.M. Mills, State Printer. 1882. Last accessed Feb. 6, 2018 via online, Google Books.
46. Musto, David F. The American Disease: Origins of Narcotic Control (3rd ed). Oxford University Press. 1999.
47. Nashua Reporter, “Cedar Rapids Attorney Here Conferring with Stakeholders.” Nashua, IA: June 5, 1935, p 1.
48. National Library of Medicine. Online Database of the FDA’s Notices of Judgement. Last Accessed Online 5/9/16. https://ceb.nlm.nih.gov/fdanj/advanced-search
49. Oakland Tribune. “Cutter Sells its Iowa Subsidiary.” Oakland, CA: June 17, 1968, p 11.
50. Oelwein Daily Register, “Corn King, King Castle Merge.” Oelwein, IA: June 15, 1968, p 8.
51. Offitt, Dr. Paul. The Cutter Incident: How America’s First Polio Vaccine Lead to the Growing Vaccine Crisis.” Yale University Press, 2007.
52. Pearson, Marjorie. Multiple Property Documentation: Industrial Development of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, c. 1865-1965.
53. Stoffer-Hunter, Mark. Oral interview with Mary Ottoson. May 12, 2016.
54. Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, 1913-1960. Last accessed at the Cedar Rapids History Center archives and also online May 12, 2016) through the “Digital Sanborn Maps” of the State Library of Iowa.
55. Schwieder, Dorothy. “Iowa: the Middle Land.” Iowa History Reader: Ed. Marvin Bergman. Iowa City, IA: University of Iowa Press, 1-18.
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56. Sumner Gazette, “Tripoli bank Trio Are Acquitted by Directed Verdict.” Sumner, IA: October 27, 1932, p 1.
57. Svendsen, Marlys. Multiple Property Documentation: Commercial & Industrial Development of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, c. 1865- c.1945. (1997).
58. U.S. Food & Drug Administration, “The Federal Foods & Drug Act of 1906.” http://www.fda.gov/RegulatoryInformation/Legislation/ucm148690.htm#sec7 Last accessed 5/16/16.
59. United States House of Representatives. The Pure Food & Drug Act. Online. http://history.house.gov/HistoricalHighlight/Detail/15032393280?ret=True Last accessed 5/16/16.
60. Thompson, William H. Transportation in Iowa: A Historical Summary. Des Moines, IA: Iowa Department of Transportation. 1989.
61. “Wallace’s Farmer & Iowa Homestead.” Advertisement. Des Moines, Iowa: November 1, 1947, p 15.
62. Waterloo Daily Courier. “Shores Sells Drug Stock.” Waterloo, Iowa: September 7, 1906, p 2.
63. Waterloo Daily Courier. “New Iowa Corporations.” Waterloo, Iowa: August 18, 1910, p 7.
64. Waterloo Daily Courier, “Tripoli Bankers Indicted on False Pretense Charge.” Waterloo, IA: February 21, 1932, p 19.
65. Waterloo Daily Courier, “Behrend’s Cash Traced by State Thru Bank Books.” Waterloo, IA: October 20, 1932 p 2.
66. Waterloo Daily Courier, “$2,450,260 Suit Filed in Bremer.” Waterloo, IA: March 5, 1937, p 10.
67. Waterloo Daily Courier, “Geo. Shores Dies at Cedar Rapids.” July 31, 1941, p 23.
68. Waterloo Semi-Weekly Courier, May 8, 1906, column 7, p4.
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Previous documentation on file (NPS): X preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67) has been requested previously listed in the National Register previously determined eligible by the National Register designated a National Historic Landmark recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey # recorded by Historic American Engineering Record # recorded by Historic American Landscape Survey #
Primary location of additional data: X State Historic Preservation Office Other State Agency X Federal Agency Local Government University Other Name of repository:
Historic Resources Survey Number (if assigned):
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10. Geographical Data
Acreage of Property F 1.5 (Do not include previously listed resource acreage; enter “Less than one” if the acreage is .99 or less)
Latitude/Longitude Coordinates Datum if other than WGS84: F (enter coordinates to 6 decimal places)
1 41.9949471 -91.65538279999998 3 Latitude Longitude Latitude Longitude
2 4 Latitude Longitude Latitude Longitude
______Verbal Boundary Description (Describe the boundaries of the property.) The property includes two irregularly shaped parcels, both located at 700 16th Street NE, in the Cedar Rapids Inc 1st STR/LB 1 neighborhood, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Just steps away is Daniels Park. The parcels (GPN# 14153-52004-00000 and 14153-52008-00000) are located on the east side of 16th Street NE, approximately 75 feet north of F Avenue, opposite the railroad tracks. The boundary then continues for another 282 feet northwest, towards Daniels Park, where it then turns due north for another 80 feet, then turns northeast for approximately 224 feet until it turns south for 122 feet. Then again, it turns southwest for another 147 feet and runs parallel to the railroad tracks (heading southwest) for 167 feet. The property is located just across the street from the former Pawnee Mills (later Ralston Foods and now ConAgra), and the former Iowa Manufacturing Company (now Terex).
______Boundary Justification (Explain why the boundaries were selected.) The boundary includes the two parcels that are owned by the current fee simple owner, as of 2004. All of the buildings of the site are located on the one parcel (14153-52004-00000), while the secondary lot to the north (14153-52008-00000) currently provides all of the parking for the site.
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Shores-Mueller Company Linn County , Iowa Name of Property County and State
CURRENT MAPS
Large, close-up view of the property, including two parcels, is located at 700 16th Street NE in Cedar Rapids, Linn County, Iowa. The property is marked by a black outline on the above map. Source: Linn County, Iowa, Online GIS Maps. Land Records. Last accessed February 2, 2018.
Section 8 page 59 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Shores-Mueller Company Linn County , Iowa Name of Property County and State
Note how two adjoining parcels make up the property. Source: Linn County, Iowa, Online GIS Maps. Land Records. Last accessed May 12, 2016.
City of Cedar Rapids Online GIS Maps, c. 1930. Last Accessed May 12, 2016.
Section 8 page 60 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Shores-Mueller Company Linn County , Iowa Name of Property County and State
City of Cedar Rapids Online GIS Maps, c. 1950. Last Accessed May 12, 2016.
City of Cedar Rapids Online GIS Maps, c. 1960. Last Accessed May 12, 2016.
Section 8 page 61 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Shores-Mueller Company Linn County , Iowa Name of Property County and State
City of Cedar Rapids Online GIS Maps, c. 1970. Last Accessed May 12, 2016.
City of Cedar Rapids Online GIS Maps, c. 1980. Last Accessed May 12, 2016.
Section 8 page 62 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Shores-Mueller Company Linn County , Iowa Name of Property County and State
City of Cedar Rapids Online GIS Maps, 1992. Last Accessed May 12, 2016.
City of Cedar Rapids Online GIS Maps, 1992. Last Accessed February 2, 2018.
Section 8 page 63 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Shores-Mueller Company Linn County , Iowa Name of Property County and State
City of Cedar Rapids Online GIS Maps, c. 1995. Last Accessed May 12, 2016.
City of Cedar Rapids Online GIS Maps, 2005. Last Accessed May 12, 2016.
Section 8 page 64 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Shores-Mueller Company Linn County , Iowa Name of Property County and State
City of Cedar Rapids Online GIS Maps, 2014. Last Accessed February 2,2018.
Section 8 page 65 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Shores-Mueller Company Linn County , Iowa Name of Property County and State
SANBORN MAPS
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, 1913, Sheet 57. Source: Last accessed May 12, 2016 through the “Digital Sanborn Maps” of the State Library of Iowa.
Section 8 page 66 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Shores-Mueller Company Linn County , Iowa Name of Property County and State
Detail view of Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, Updated 1921, Sheet 57. Source: Last accessed at the Cedar Rapids History Center archives, May 12, 2016.
Section 8 page 67 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Shores-Mueller Company Linn County , Iowa Name of Property County and State
Detail view of Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, Updated 1930, Sheet 57. Source: Last accessed at the Cedar Rapids History Center archives, May 12, 2016
Section 8 page 68 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Shores-Mueller Company Linn County , Iowa Name of Property County and State
Detail view of Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, Updated 1949, Sheet 123. Source: Last accessed May 12, 2016 through the “Digital Sanborn Maps” of the State Library of Iowa.
Section 8 page 69 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Shores-Mueller Company Linn County , Iowa Name of Property County and State
Detail view of Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, Updated 1960, Sheet 123. Source: Last accessed at the Cedar Rapids History Center archives, May 12, 2016.
Section 8 page 70 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Shores-Mueller Company Linn County , Iowa Name of Property County and State
11. Form Prepared By name/title Mary Ottoson date February 5, 2017 organization Hobart Historic Restoration telephone 319-826-6532 street & number 450 1st Street SW, Suite 102 email [email protected] city or town Cedar Rapids, IA 52404 state IA zip code 52404
Additional Documentation Submit the following items with the completed form:
• GIS Location Map (Google Earth or BING): Included in Section 9
• Local Location Map: Included in Section 9
• Floor Plans (As Applicable): Included in Section 8.
• Photo Location Map (Include for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous resources. Key all photographs to this map and insert immediately after the photo log and before the list of figures).
Section 8 page 71 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Shores-Mueller Company Linn County , Iowa Name of Property County and State
Photographs:
Name of Property: Shores-Mueller Company City or Vicinity: Cedar Rapids County: Linn State: Iowa Photographer: Mary Ottoson Date Photographed: March 8, 2016
Description of Photograph(s) and number:
1. View of the North elevation, from the northeast corner of the property.
2. View of the North elevation, taken north of the property lane, facing South. Building #1 is on the right, Building #2 on the left, and Addition #1 in the middle. Addition #2 is not visible from this view.
3. View of the West Façade, facing East. Showing Building #1 (far left), Addition #1(middle), and Addition #2 (right). Building #2 is not visible from this view. The railroad tracks can be seen in the far-right corner of the photograph.
4. View of the West elevation and main façade, facing North (Building #1).
5. View of the South elevation of Building #2, facing north.
6. View of the South (left) and East (middle/right) elevations of Building #2, facing north/northwest. The metal building on the far right is not part of this property.
7. View of the lobby, entering Building#1 from the north elevation. Facing South.
8. View of the main interior stairwell of Building #1, facing south. The basement is downstairs, the photo is looking up towards second floor.
9. View of Building #1, original exterior south elevation. This was taken within Addition #1, facing North.
10. View of Building #1, rear workshop space along the north side of the building. This photo was taken facing northeast.
11. View of Building #1, rear workshop space along the north side of the building but facing south towards Addition #1.
12. View of Building #2’s original (or very early replacement) elevator. While the mechanism has been slightly modified over the years to withstand weight and operations, the shaft is original, and the “cab” may very well be original, as well. View facing north within Building #2.
13. View of Building #2’s original fire separation doors. This one covers the stairwell at all three floors of Building #2 (basement, 1st floor, 2nd floor.) This is a photograph of the door on the 1st floor.
14. View of original elevator shaft with replacement elevator cab, in Building #1, second floor, facing southeast.
15. View of an original exposed reinforced concrete column using the Turner Mushroom System. Photograph taken in Building #1, 2nd floor, facing south.
16. Detail view of Building #1’s Turner Mushroom System column head as it integrates with the flat slab concrete construction, which features corrugated concrete on the underneath of each “flat slab,” between floors. This is taken on the 2nd floor, facing northwest.
Section 8 page 72 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Shores-Mueller Company Linn County , Iowa Name of Property County and State
17. View of the commercial space currently leased to a salon, on the 2nd floor of Building #1. Facing the southwest corner of the building.
18. View of the original arched opening to the historic stairwell, on the third floor, Building #1. Facing north.
19. View of the third-floor commercial space, where the East Central Iowa Council of Governments is a tenant. View facing northwest, Building #1.
20. View of the third-floor commercial space, where the East Central Iowa Council of Governments is a tenant. View facing west, Building #1.
21. View of the photographer tenant, which occupies the middle north commercial space on the third floor. View is facing northwest, Building #1.
22. View of the rear (eastern most) commercial space, which is currently leased to a yoga/pilates studio. View facing the northeast corner of Building #1.
23. View of the historic stairwell, leading from the third floor up to the “penthouse” on the roof. Facing East/southeast (but “up”), Building #1.
24. View of the original “penthouse” on the top of the third-floor roof, taken facing due west, Building #1.
25. The “Shores Event Center” which is located in the basement. Photo taken facing Southeast, Building #1.
26. View of the basement and the original doors and windows, as boarded over, facing Northwest, Building #1.
27. View of the basement of Building #2, facing south.
28. View of the basement of Building #2, facing east from Addition #1.
29. View of the basement of Building #1, from the main corridor, facing West.
30. View of the basement of Building #1, facing West. Detail view of the boarded-up former entrance and windows at the basement level.
31. View facing east from 16th Street NE, showing the former Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad line that parallels the property towards the right side. The building on the left is Addition #2.
32. View to the adjacent property to the northeast, currently owned by the Terex Corporation and formerly the headquarters of Iowa Manufacturing Company.
33. View of the property’s commercial signage, facing north from the main façade of Building #1. Daniel’s Park and the surrounding neighborhood is visible in the background, towards the left.
Section 8 page 73 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Shores-Mueller Company Linn County , Iowa Name of Property County and State
PHOTO KEY
Section 8 page 74 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Shores-Mueller Company Linn County , Iowa Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 75 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Shores-Mueller Company Linn County , Iowa Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 76 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Shores-Mueller Company Linn County , Iowa Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 77 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Shores-Mueller Company Linn County , Iowa Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 78 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Shores-Mueller Company Linn County , Iowa Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 79
Community Development and Planning Department City Hall 101 First Street SE Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 Telephone: (319) 286-5041
To: Historic Preservation Commission Members From: Iván Gonzalez, Planner II Subject: COA Request at 1638 3rd Avenue SE Date: April 26, 2018 Applicant Name(s): Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity Local Historic District: Second and Third Avenue Historic District Address: 1638 3rd Avenue SE Year Built: Not applicable.
Description of Project: The applicant is proposing to construct a new single-family home with a detached garage [Attachment 1]. The proposed project is located on an infill lot that has been vacant since the previous historic structure was demolished in 2012 after being destroyed by a fire. In terms of materials, the applicant proposes LP Smart Side on the home and garage.
Information from Historic Surveys on property: Not Applicable.
Options for the Commission: 1. Approve the application as submitted; or 2. Modify, then Approve the application – only if applicant agrees to modifications made; or 3. Disapprove the application; or 4. Continue the item to a future, specified meeting date in order to receive additional information.
Background: The proposed project was denied with the Historic Preservation Commission at the March 23, 2017 meeting. At this meeting the Commission: 1. Expressed concern regarding the lack of information on LP Smart Siding; 2. Supported the detached garage design; and 3. Noted the importance of contextual front-yard setbacks.
Excerpts from the Guidelines for Cedar Rapids Historic Districts: The following excerpts related to streetscape and accessory structures are applicable to the proposed project.
Streetscapes Recommended: Not Recommended: • New construction that matches the style • Blank facades of the neighborhood • Uneven setbacks • Flexibility in contemporary building • Contemporary designs materials and technologies • Not retaining components of the original structure (a porch or dormers for example)
Accessory Structures Recommended: Not Recommended: • Wood siding • Metal siding • Double wide door (if accessed from an • Sheet siding alley) • Paneled siding • Rear yard location • Disproportionate roof pitch • Disproportionate building mass
In addition, the section related to Walls & Exteriors notes on page 26 that: “Synthetic siding is allowed in the rear of homes and on accessory buildings, although the paneling patterns must be maintained.”
Guidance from the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation: The Secretary of the Interior's (SOI) Standards for Rehabilitation are not geared for new, infill construction. Instead, they focus on preserving and maintaining existing historic resources. That being said, there is some guidance that can be taken from standards nine and ten that are applicable to the proposed project.
“9. New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale, and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment.
10. New additions and adjacent or related new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner that if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired.”
Analysis: Staff analyzed the proposed project and considered the massing, form, and design of the building, as well as the materials. Since the proposed project will not contribute to the historic district the staff review focused on the proposed project’s fit within the historic neighborhood.
Massing, Form, & Site Design The single-family home is a two-story design similar to the adjacent homes. The home also features a front porch, which is a common feature throughout the historic districts. In addition, the garage is detached from the main housing unit and placed at the rear of the property. This is consistent with adjacent properties, which all have alley access. The proposed project also incorporates a contextual front-yard setback, which is consistent with the adjacent homes. In addition, the proposed project fills in a gap and creates an intact block. All of these features help the home fit into the surrounding historic context and match the style of the neighborhood, which is recommended by the Guidelines related to streetscape.
Materials The applicant has proposed LP Smart Side on the home and garage. The Guidelines related to streetscapes provide the Commission with flexibility related to the use of alternative types of materials. Specifically, the Guidelines recommend “flexibility in contemporary buildings materials and technology.” In addition, the materials proposed help to differentiate the new construction from the older, historic structure, which is recommended by the SOI standards.
Comprehensive Plan Consistency: Goal one of the GrowCR component of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, EnvisionCR, encourages infill and mixed use development. The proposed project is able to utilize existing infrastructure (water, sewer, utilities) and is in an area of the city serviced by the City (Fire protection, Police service, waste collection etc.). Infill development helps the city grow, while not requiring the removal of productive farmland and environmental resources. Furthermore, infill development does not require the construction of new roads or installation of new infrastructure to service a development. In other words, infill development is sustainable, which aligns with Goal 1 if the Historic Preservation Plan: A sustainable community supported by preservation efforts.
Conclusion: Overall, the proposed project is in line with the standards set forth by the SOI, as well as in the Guidelines for Cedar Rapids Historic Districts. The design, form, style, massing, and setbacks match that of the existing neighborhood. While this home is unlikely to add historical value to the neighborhood, it does not detract from the historical value of the neighborhood where it is built. Instead, it addresses a gap within an otherwise intact block and strengthens the historic streetscape.
Staff Recommendation: Approve as submitted.
Attachments: 1. Application Packet
Community Development and Planning Department City Hall 101 First Street SE Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 Telephone: (319) 286-5041
To: Historic Preservation Commission Members From: Iván Gonzalez, Planner II Subject: COA Request at 1714 Blake Blvd SE Date: April 26, 2018
Applicant Name(s): Josh Freund
Local Historic District: Redmond Park - Grande Ave
Year Built: Primary structure and accessory structure - 1926
Description of Project: Construct a new 12’x 20’ single story addition to west side of primary structure to replace existing garage. Materials used will be wood frame and aluminum siding to match existing primary structure. Window on the rear west elevation of the primary structure will be expanded to a doorway into the house from the garage.
Information from Historic Surveys on property: The 1995 Site Inventory Form from the District Nomination survey lists the integrity of the primary housing structure as “fair.” The synthetic siding diminishes significance somewhat. The defining features are: side-gambrel roof with single shed dormer extending across most of the roof plane; front-gable entrance hood with vaulted underside supported by slender, smooth columns; windows are double-hung with vertical upper lights in 5/1 & 6/1 configurations (pairs on lower level and singles above); entrance is centered; pair of small 3-light fixed sash above entrance; entrance door has original 4-light door. The home contributes to the historic district but is not individually eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
Options for the Commission: 1. Approve the application as submitted; or 2. Modify, then Approve the application – only if applicant agrees to modifications made; or 3. Disapprove the application; or 4. Continue the item to a future, specified meeting date in order to receive additional information.
Criteria* for Commission decision on application: i. If any defining features of the building or structure as indicated, but not limited to those included on the Site Inventory Form(s) are proposed to be modified as a result of the proposal indicated on the application for Certificate. ii. If the proposal is consistent with the Guidelines for Cedar Rapids Historic Districts and/or the most recent edition of the Secretary of Interior's Standards for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings. iii. If the proposal mitigates adverse effects on the aesthetic, historic, or architectural significance of either the building or structure or of the local historic district or local historic landmark.
*See 18.08.C.2.a of the Cedar Rapids Municipal Code
Excerpt(s) from Design Guidelines Applicable to Project:
Additions Additions should reflect the historic nature of a building’s style, shape, roof, height and building mass. Additions on the side of a building are discouraged, while additions at the rear of a building should not extend beyond the width of the building.
Recommended: Not Recommended: • Wood siding • Metal siding • Wood windows • Sheet siding • Open porches • Paneled siding • Similar roofing material • Disproportionate roof pitch • Disproportionate building mass • Vinyl or metal windows • Enclosed porches
Accessory Buildings Traditionally in the Cedar Rapids Historic Districts, accessory buildings, such as detached garages and storage sheds, were subordinate to and compatible with the main building and often were not easily seen from the front of the house. Accordingly, garages and other out buildings should be located in rear years with vehicular access from the alley. New Accessory structures should have cladding and roofing similar to the principal structure, which, in general would have horizontal siding. Wood siding is recommended.
Recommended: Not Recommended: • Wood siding • Metal siding • Double wide door (if accessed from an • Sheet siding alley) • Paneled siding • Rear yard location • Disproportionate roof pitch • Disproportionate building mass
Staff Recommendation: This proposal is to replace an existing detached garage structure with a slightly larger garage addition. Given the nature of this request, staff recommends approval of this addition.
While the guidelines do not recommend additions to the side of the building, in order to update the size of the accessory building the owner has no choice but to create an addition. This property does not have access to the alley which limits severally the options this property owner has to fit a modern-sized vehicle. The design guidelines are intended to be interpreted with access to the alley and do not give specific guidance for a property that lacks it. Cladding and roofing will be similar to the principal structure as a mitigating factor.
The garage addition will be set back from the front face of the building as a mitigating factor.
Attachments: Completed application from applicant and images.
Community Development and Planning Department City Hall 101 First Street SE Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 Telephone: (319) 286-5041
To: Historic Preservation Commission From: Iván Gonzalez, Planner II Subject: COA Request at 1416 Third Avenue SE Date: April 26, 2018 Owner Name: Eric Himmelsbach Address: 1416 Third Avenue SE Local Historic District: Second and Third Avenue Historic District Year Built: 1900 Description of Project: Installation of vinyl windows on a mix elevations of the house; this would be 14 total windows.
Information from Historic Surveys on property: The 1995 Site Inventory Form from the District Nomination survey lists the property as “fair.” The defining features listed include: complex roof with hipped block and gable front wall dormer and pentagonal tower at left; hipped front porch (center bay only); 1/1 double-hung and cottage windows. Alterations include: wide aluminum siding obscuring all cladding details and trim; porch posts replaced with wrought iron. Significance/Overall condition: siding diminishes significance; Queen Anne towers rare in Cedar Rapids. The home contributes to the local district but is individually non-eligible for the National Register.
Options for the Commission: 1. Approve the application as submitted; or 2. Modify, then Approve the application – only if applicant agrees to modifications made; or 3. Disapprove the application; or 4. Continue the item to a future, specified meeting date in order to receive additional information.
Criteria* for Commission decision on application: i. If any defining features of the building or structure as indicated, but not limited to those included on the Site Inventory Form(s) are proposed to be modified as a result of the proposal indicated on the application for Certificate. ii. If the proposal is consistent with the Guidelines for Cedar Rapids Historic Districts and/or the most recent edition of the Secretary of Interior's Standards for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings. iii. If the proposal mitigates adverse effects on the aesthetic, historic, or architectural significance of either the building or structure or of the local historic district or local historic landmark.
*See 18.08.C.2.a of the Cedar Rapids Municipal Code
Excerpt(s) from Guidelines for Cedar Rapids Historic Districts Applicable to Project: Windows
Analysis: This project has already occurred without a building permit; property owner is retroactively applying for the permit. The project has occurred on a mix of elevations which the Guidelines for Cedar Rapids Historic Districts (Guidelines) prioritize in terms of flexibility. Pages 6-7 of the Guidelines discuss evaluation of projects and the intent of this section as Step 1 and Step 2 are applied to projects is to afford flexibility and where this flexibility is appropriate. The ranking for prioritization of the most architecturally significant features is as follows:
1. Those features that face the street or face the alley where it intersects the street. Buildings on corner lots, lots which are located at the intersection of two streets, or at the intersection of a street and an alley, are considered to have two street faces. 2. Features on sides of buildings that are visible from the street but don’t directly face the street. 3. Other exterior features not in direct view from the street such as at the rear of buildings.
The windows which have been replaced would fall under all three prioritization categories (see above and page 6 of the Guidelines). The windows at the rear of the property are the least significant and are not practically visible from any street. The distance to Second Avenue from the rear of this house is over 240 feet; while you can see the windows from Second Avenue, it is not possible for anyone to discern what material they would be made from at this distance. This is the rear of the property as indicated on the diagram on page 8 of the Guidelines.
The windows on the sides of the home would fall under prioritization category two; they are visible from the street, but don’t directly face the street. The windows on the east side of the dwelling unit are approximately forty-five (45) feet from the adjacent dwelling unit. Windows on the west side look out into a parking lot.
The south facing elevation has a setback of approximately twenty-five (25) feet and these windows are more visible from the street. This elevation is the front façade and falls under prioritization one within the adopted Guidelines. The windows which have been replaced are approximately 50 feet from a parked vehicle. There is no grille (or muntin) patterns present on the existing windows, and none are noted on the site inventory form; the applicant is not proposing to add grille patterns with this project. The applicant did not resize the openings of the windows with this project.
This proposal is not consistent with past approvals, and is occurring on locations which are a mix of higher and lower priorities in terms of the streetscape. As the proposal relates to the criteria for consideration, defining features are being changed.
Staff Recommendation: Modification of proposal depending on priority level of windows modified.
Attachments: Application from applicant.
2. 3. 1. 4. 5. 6.
7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
13. 12. 14.
Historic Preservation Commission Agenda Item Cover Sheet
Meeting Date: April 26, 2018
Property Location: 927 Wiley Blvd NW Property Owner/Representative: Carol & Myron Okken Owner Number(s): Demolition Contact: Year Built: 1953 Description of Agenda Item: Demolition Application COA Other
Background and Previous HPC Action: The primary structure subject to demolition is a 675 sq. ft. single family dwelling The City Assessor information indicates the property to be assessed at $37,900. The current condition of the structure is “poor” as per the City Assessor. Any new development would comply with the current zoning or go through the land development process.
City Assessor Information on the parcel: https://cedarrapids.iowaassessors.com/parcel.php?gid=230211
Historic Eligibility Status: Eligible Not Eligible Unknown N/A Explanation (if necessary):
The property and area has not been looked at by an intensive survey and has not been recommended for further investigation.
If eligible, which criteria is met: Associated with significant historical events (Criteria A) Associated with significant lives of person (Criteria B) Signifies distinctive architectural character/era (Criteria C) Archaeologically significant (Criteria D)
Other Action by City: Yes No N/A Explanation (if necessary): Recommendation: Immediate release.
Rationale: No data to support historical significance designation.
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Historic Preservation Commission Agenda Item Cover Sheet
Meeting Date: April 26, 2018
Property Location: 359 Garden Dr SE Property Owner/Representative: Dan Prentice Owner Number(s): 319-329-9330 Demolition Contact: Cutter Construction LLC Year Built: 1919 Description of Agenda Item: Demolition Application COA Other
Background and Previous HPC Action: The structure for demolition is an 18x20 accessory structure built in 1919. Any new development would comply with the current zoning or go through the land development process.
City Assessor Information on the parcel: https://cedarrapids.iowaassessors.com/parcel.php?gid=207875
Historic Eligibility Status: Eligible Not Eligible Unknown N/A Explanation (if necessary):
The 2014 citywide reconnaissance survey identified Bever Park Additions and Bever Woods area as a recommended area for intensive survey. There is currently no city survey that provides individual survey data on the proposed demolition structure. The HPC has ranked the Citywide survey areas and the applicable area was ranked third out of 14 areas.
If eligible, which criteria is met: Associated with significant historical events (Criteria A) Associated with significant lives of person (Criteria B) Signifies distinctive architectural character/era (Criteria C) Archaeologically significant (Criteria D)
Other Action by City: Yes No N/A Explanation (if necessary): Recommendation: Consider placing a hold for further investigation and photo documentation.
Rationale: No data to support historical significance designation but it shows complementary architecture to the primary home and is within an area that is recommended for intensive survey.
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Historic Preservation Commission Agenda Item Cover Sheet
Meeting Date: April 26, 2018
Property Location: 722 4th Ave SE Property Owner/Representative: Jeffrey W. Frese Owner Number(s): Demolition Contact: DW Zinser Co, 319-846-8090 Year Built: 1904 Description of Agenda Item: Demolition Application COA Other
Background and Previous HPC Action: Property has been put on a 60-day hold on the basis of researching additional information on the architect and photo documentation.
City Assessor Information on the parcel: http://cedarrapids.iowaassessors.com/parcel.php?parcel=142148001600000
Historic Eligibility Status: Eligible Not Eligible Unknown N/A Explanation (if necessary):
This property was looked at in 2006 as part of the Architectural History Survey and Update by the 106 Group. This survey took an in depth look at many of the properties originally identified in the 1994 Historical and Architectural Reconnaissance Survey Report for CDBG Neighborhoods in Cedar Rapids.
The 2006 survey took an in-depth look at the area and the property subject to this request was not eligible for any national register criteria; page 37 of the PDF document from the 2006 106 Group survey shows the property of 722 4th Avenue SE as not eligible.
If eligible, which criteria is met: Associated with significant historical events (Criteria A) Associated with significant lives of person (Criteria B) Signifies distinctive architectural character/era (Criteria C) Archaeologically significant (Criteria D)
Other Action by City: Yes No N/A Explanation (if necessary): Recommendation: Immediate release.
Rationale: Poor candidate for local landmarking, single-family residence not in future plans, property was not deemed historic before the flood by an intensive level survey.
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