Old City Hall (Davenport, Iowa)

United States historic place


Old City Hall
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district Contributing property

Old City Hall in 2012
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Location	514 Brady St. Davenport, Iowa
Coordinates	41°31′31″N 90°34′27″W / 41.52528°N 90.57417°W / 41.52528; -90.57417
Area	less than one acre
Built	1857
Built by	J.G. Birtness
Part of	Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District (ID100005546)
MPS	Davenport MRA
NRHP reference No.	83002479
Added to NRHP	July 7, 1983

The Old City Hall, also known as Oxford Flats, is located just north of downtown along a commercial corridor in Davenport, Iowa, United States. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. In 2020 it was included as a contributing property in the Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District.

History

Designed by Davenport architect Willett Carroll, the building was built in 1857 as an engine house for a fire company. That year the city council rejected sites along Washington Square and Court House Square for a new city hall, so in early 1858 the engine house's hall became the council chambers and other municipal offices were moved into other sections of the building. It continued to be used as a combination city hall and fire station until Hose Station No. 1 was built in 1877. A significant number of local industrialists and professionals served as mayor when this building housed city hall. They include George B. Sargent (1857), Ebeneezer Cook (1858–59), Hiram Price (1859), George H. French (1861-1862), John L. Davies (1865-1866), Michael Donahue (1867-1868), John C. Bills (1871, 1882, 1892), Ernest Claussen (1883-1889), and C. A. Ficke (1890-1891). The current city hall was built in 1895 and five years later the city sold this building to John Ochs’ Sons realty. The building was converted around 1910 into a residential building containing six flats, and the structure was dramatically altered to its present appearance. It was renamed Oxford Flats and it reflected the trend of building apartment buildings on the edge of the downtown area. While the structure is the oldest building in Davenport that is associated with municipal government and politics, it remains an apartment building.

Architecture

When it was originally built it exhibited elements of the Italian Renaissance Revival style, and it included a tower on top of the east elevation. It now reflects the Neoclassical style. The three-story, three bay, brick building was built on a stone foundation. The façade is dominated by a two-story polygonal oriel window that is ornamented with fleur-de-lis. The post and lintel entrance is on the left side of the east elevation, which is capped by a projecting cornice. The west elevation is topped with a half-hipped roof.

References

^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
^ Jennifer Irsfeld James. "National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form: Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District" (PDF). Downtown Davenport, Iowa. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
^ Martha Bowers; Marlys Svendsen. "National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form: Old City Hall". National Park Service. Retrieved 2014-05-03. with photo
"Old City Hall" (PDF). Davenport Public Library. Retrieved 2010-05-18.

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v t e Historic buildings and structures in Davenport, Iowa
Apartment buildings	Argyle Flats Ferdinand Ewert Building Hiller Building Linden Flats Old City Hall Roslyn Flats Walsh Flats/Langworth Building Warner Apartment Building Washington Flats
Civic buildings	Davenport City Hall Davenport Public Library Scott County Courthouse Scott County Jail United States Post Office and Court House
Clubhouses	Hauschild's Hall Hibernia Hall Lend-A-Hand Club Northwest Davenport Turner Society Hall Outing Club Saengerfest Halle Wupperman Block/I.O.O.F. Hall
Commercial buildings	Henry Berg Building Brammer Grocery Store Building at 202 W. Third Street Building at 813–815 W. Second Street Building at 1119–1121 W. Third Street Central Office Building City Market Democrat Building Donahue Building Ficke Block Finley Guy Building Forrest Block Frick's Tavern Hoffman Building Iowa Reform Building Kahl Building Koch Drug Store Koenig Building Nicholas Koester Building Meiser Drug Store Miller Building Mueller Lumber Company Peters' Barber Shop J.H.C. Petersen's Sons' Store J.H.C. Petersen's Sons Wholesale Building Prien Building Priester Building Putnam-Parker Block Charles F. Ranzow and Sons Building Jacob Raphael Building Renwick Building Riepe Drug Store/G. Ott Block Schmidt Block Schroeder Bros. Meat Market Rudolph H. Sitz Building Washington Gardens Werthman Grocery Wolters Filling Station Col. Joseph Young Block
Financial buildings	Davenport Bank and Trust First Federal Savings and Loan Association Building First National Bank Building First National Bank of Davenport Northwest Davenport Savings Bank Union Savings Bank and Trust
Fire houses	Central Fire Station Hose Station No. 1 Hose Station No. 3 Hose Station No. 4 Hose Station No. 6 Hose Station No. 7
Hotels	Burtis–Kimball House Hotel Clifton-Metropolitan Hotel Davenport Hotel Germania-Miller/Standard Hotel Blackhawk Hotel Hotel Mississippi-RKO Orpheum Theater Schauder Hotel
Industrial	Davenport Bag and Paper Company Building The Linograph Company Building Littig Brothers/Mengel & Klindt/Eagle Brewery Schick's Express and Transfer Co. Shields Woolen Mill Woeber Carriage Works Zoller Bros-Independent Malting Co.
Structures	Dillon Memorial W.D. Petersen Memorial Music Pavilion Soldier's Monument
Transportation	Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Freight House SAINTE GENEVIEVE (dredge) Union Station and Burlington Freight House
Utilities	American Telephone & Telegraph Co. Building Davenport Water Co. Pumping Station No. 2 Union Electric Telephone & Telegraph WOC Broadcasting Center
Miscellaneous	Clarissa C. Cook Library/Blue Ribbon News Building Clarissa Cook Home for the Friendless Davenport Crematorium St. Luke's Hospital
Davenport Register of Historic Properties National Register of Historic Places listings in Davenport, Iowa

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