Donahue Building Explained

Donahue Building
Nrhp Type:indcp
Nocat:yes
Partof:Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District
Partof Refnum:100005546
Location:114 W. 3rd St.
Davenport, Iowa
Coordinates:41.5239°N -90.5739°W
Area:less than one acre
Built:c. 1880
Architecture:Renaissance Revival
Added:July 7, 1983
Refnum:83002423

The Donahue Building is a historic building located in downtown 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.[1]

History

The Donahue Building was built around 1880 to house the Ed H. Gifford steam laundry.[2] By 1892 the Sanborn Fire Insurance Company lists the property as a Turkish Bath. It was at this time that the Davenport Water Company moved into the building. Michael Donahue organized the company and the building is named for him. By 1912 the Walsh-Kahl Construction Company occupied the building. They were known nationally for their work building railroads. They built Union Station in Buffalo, New York, Penn Station in South Bend, Indiana, and Union Station in Erie, Pennsylvania.[3] Locally, they constructed the Kahl Building and Davenport Bank and Trust. Today it houses Boozies Bar and Grille.

Architecture

The Donahue Building is a three-story structure that is built on top of a raised basement. Both the building and its basement are constructed of brick. When the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places it was considered an excellent example of Romanesque Revival architecture. It was re-evaluated in 2005 as an excellent example of the Italian Renaissance Revival, which is found in the tall narrow windows with the Roman arch windows and the central projecting pavilion.[2] It is also a rare example in the state of Iowa of a basement level storefront.[2]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form: Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District. Downtown Davenport, Iowa. 2020-09-25. Jennifer Irsfeld James.
  2. Web site: Donahue Building. Davenport Public Library. 2010-10-30.
  3. Web site: [{{NRHP url|id=83002423}} National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form: Donahue Building]. National Park Service. 2015-04-16. Martha Bowers. Marlys Svendsen-Roesler. with