t) A -7 "If, /"./ f / / l/(/ //V*? / Form 10-300 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOF ^ STATE: (July 1969) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Iowa COUNTY: NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLA CES „ ^ , Cerro Gordo INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM FOR NPS USE ONLY
\ \ ^"W / / ^~^"""^- ENTRY NUMBER DATE (Type all entries — complete a^^iJB&Me-Js^Af^i ws)>^\ 1 4 SIP 1971
COMMON: -x^V '(* ^£/C^^ Park Inn Hotel ^7 /k, <& ^>^ AND/OR HISTORIC: l^J '& */ Si/ Park Inn Hotel \\ fitfVr *° ^ HI^iAi*$;l!ta;^t^^ii^ijiiii^w**^^^ STREET AND NUMBER: ^V^/i^s^ '' \^\/ 15 West State Street ^s^TTgTV^^ CITY OR TOWN: ^^———— ~*^ Mason City
STATE CODE COUNTY: CODE Iowa 14 Cerro Gordo 033
VTATIK ACCESSIBLE CATEGORY OWNERSHIP (Check One) STATUS TO THE PUBLIC z Q District ^ Building D Public Public Acquisi ion: . £] Occupied Yes: D Unoccupied ® Restricted o n Site Q Structure C2 Private Q In Pro n object n B°th n B«ing Considered n Preservation work D Unrestricted 1- in progress ' — ' u PRESENT USE (Check One or More as Appropriate)
ID \ 1 Agricultural I I Government Q Park [~[ Transportation 1 1 Comments ^1 Commercial CD Industrial [ | Private Residence 1 1 Other fSoer/ftM H O Educational 1 1 Mi itary | | Religious 1 I Entertainment LT] Museum | | Scientific ...... ^ OWNER'S NAME:
LU 1 ^OQ Rfh Sfrf^t- SE CITY OR TOWN: STATE: CODE Mason City Iowa 14
COURTHOUSE, REGISTRY OF DEEDS, ETC: COUNTY: Courthouse, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa STREET AND NUMBER: 220 North Washington CITY OR TOWN: STATE CODE
Mason City Iowa 14 IIHHHMMHBM^^^HP^^^^^^K llllilillllMllliP^I^^ISIS^SSPi ENTR TITLE OF SURVEY: H-*
*. None Tl DATE OF SURVEY: Q Federal | | State | | County | | Loca CO 0 NUMBE'RY 73 DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS: g Z TJ -w (/> C Nk on STREET AND NUMBER: m O r~Z CITY OR TOWN: STATE: CODE -< DATE (Check One) Fair [XI Deteriorated Ruins O Unexposed Excellent D Good (Check One) CONDITION (Check One) Altered D Unaltered Moved £3 Original Site
DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (if known) PHYSICAL. APPEARANCE
The Park Inn Hotel is located at 15 West State Street in Mason City, Iowa. It was built in the Prairie School sytle by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1909rand was one part of a larger architectural complex. Like the ""other part of this complex, the former City National Bank, the Park Inn Hotel was primarily constructed of Roman brick, but it is a more dynamic structure. The different features of the two buildings were a result of Wright's concept of architectural honesty which stated that separate interior functions should be clearly expressed on the exterior.
The ground floor of the hotel covered the lot area and contained a lobby in front, with a cafe and kitchen behind. On either side of the lobby were shops with large windows facing State Street. Between these shops in the center of the facade were the entrances m to the hotel. rn As the cafe was lit by a skylight, a U-shaped plan for the two upper floors was required. On the second floor were the legal offices of Elythe, Markley, and Rule to the east and about four teen guest rooms to the west. Between these areas, over the entrance was a loggia which gave a view of Central Park across the street to the north. The top floor of the hotel contained about twenty-four additional guest rooms arranged in a deep U- shaped plan giving most a view of the park. n
Neon signs and other features have considerably changed the exterior appearance of the Park Inn Hotel. Inside some parti tions have been moved but there have been no extensive structural alterations. Nonetheless, the structure is deteriorating and needs attention. PERIOD f Check One or More as Appropriate) Q Pre-Columbian | D l°*h Century Q 18th Century 20th Century Q 1 5th Century D ^7th Century Q 19th Century
SPECIFIC DATEls) (If Applicable and Known)
Abor iginal [ t Education Q Political [_J Urban Planning [~| Prehistoric f [ Engi neer i ng D Religion/Phi 09 Other (Specify)
O Historic f~| Industry losophy Frank Lloyd Wright | | Agriculture [ { Invention | j Science Architect Q3 Architecture I | Landscape | | Sculpture
(3 Ar* Architecture | | Social/Human | | Commerce [~1 Literature itarian | | Communications []] Military f~| Theater
| | Conservation [ | Music I | Transportation
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
The Park Inn Hotel in Mason City, Iowa, was designed by one of the fore most architects of the United States, indeed of the twentieth century world, Frank Lloyd Wrigh|r. It is significant as an example of his work, and also for the unity of its design and structure with the former City National Bank building.
Within the context of Wright's oeuvre this structure, and the bank with U which it was created in one architectural commission, is of a particular importance. Created during the architect's early years, the building is an example of his style now called the Prairiov^chool, in which open floor plans, low overhanging eaves, and horizontal planes are essential features. /The Prairie School is the chief idigenous American style of co architecture to emerge in the twentieth century and is a uniquely American contribution to the architecture of the world. In the hands of Wright and his followers, the Prairie School style was primarily used for private residences (as for example, the 1908 Robie House in Chicago, UJ Illinois) . ' ' ' '" " LJ s it was used infreuqently for commercial buildings, the Prairie School style of the hotel is in itself of^interest. In addition, however, the Park Inn Hotel is the soleynotel by Wright still stand ing, and has further unique interest in the elements of its conception which preceded and influenced the design of the now destroyed Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, Japan. 6
In spite of deterioration and neon signs which conceal much of the facade, the Park Inn Hotel retains the original design by Wright to a considerable extent. It stands, then, as a unique example of a great architect's work. Ausgefuhrte Bauten und Entwurfe von Frank Lloyd Wright. Berlin: Wasmnth , 1910. Facsimilie edition. New Yorfc :: Horizon, 19 Plates 93 & 94 McCoy, Robert E. "flock Crest/Rock Glen1 ' Prairie School Planning in Iowa," The Prairie School Review, V (Third Quarter, 1968), 5-39, esp. 10-12. Mason City Commercial Club. Souvenir Itook. August 10, 1912. Hitchcock, Henry Russell. The Nature of Materials. New York: Sloan and Pier< :e, 1942 Wright, Frank Lloyd. A Testament. Neivr York: Bramhall House, 1957. Manson, Grant. Frank Lloyd Wright to ].910; the First Golden Age.
LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES DEFINING A RECTANGLE LOCATING THE PROPERTY ( ) DEFINING THE CENTER POINT OF A PROPERTY —————————I ————————————————————————— 1 ————————————^ ————————— 1> OF LESS THAN TEN ACRES CORNER LATITUDE LONGITUDE LATITUDE ' LONGITUDE Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds /UO NW o • » o -'-,'•» 43 ° 9 ' 03 93 ° 22 ' 04" NE ° ° SE ° ' " • ' °- - ' - " SW o t . Of. APPROXIMATE ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY: „„______^
ILIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE Oy\J[c}y&£r^ ^pjg^NDARIES m STATE: CODE COUNTY / \''^ ^^N/XX CODE m & %$ ,' \^\ ———— STATE: CODE COUNT/Y>Y/ , / «-xC) ^v *T/i: «^_ rV-^\ J ... CODE.. W *§ * &m •z. STATE: CODE COUN-AYJ\ '" ; , As the designated State Liaison Officer for the Na I hereby certify that this property is included in the tional Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89-665), I hereby nominate this property for inclusion National Register. in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated according to the criteria and procedures set (R^L^Jl(^ 66C&y forth by the National Park Service. The recommended Chief, Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation level of significance of this nomination is: National £C] State n Local Q Date ?A/V Name MJlt» 0 -*<\ /J - /fl^-JCt^^U^I ATTEST: / Title ^U<. MA*t**vl OfriCjl^l /%77?stjtoj*l /rfV * %LJ£y%-eePer ft The National Register Date („ TJy , J172 Date A / / / y / / cL - VT / ' I ^ 6-J•^i_^;j >** 7 \C£Mr&AZ 8 *** at.i *?•* j ^ i It 1 L. A *.-*'• f*-r~ Q• i II J ,M ^^5T7 ^. fK \I 46 *# 9 * 5 4« J '" 1 1 «> Latitude and Longitude Coordinates of Park Inn Hotel Building by FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT in Central Business District MASON CITY, IOWA Scale 1" = 200' :" / ^ J i e../ j i S ' /