Hippee Building Explained

Hippee Building
Location:206 6th Ave.
Des Moines, Iowa
Coordinates:41.5853°N -93.6246°W
Built:1913
Architect:Sawyer and Watrous
Architecture:Early Commercial
Added:April 17, 2018
Area:less than one acre
Refnum:100002325

The Hippee Building, also known as the Southern Surety Building, the Savings and Loan Building, and the Midland Building, is a historic building located in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It was completed in 1913 by George B. Hippee whose father, George M. Hippee, was one of the first merchants in Des Moines.[1] George B. developed the first interurban railway in the city and it connected Des Moines to other communities in central Iowa. The 172feet, 12-story structure was designed by the Des Moines architectural firm of Sawyer and Watrous in the Early Commercial style.[2] At the time of it completion, the building was Iowa's tallest skyscraper.[1] It was used as an office building until the Aparium Hotel Group of Chicago acquired it in 2017 and began converting the building into a 138-room hotel.[1] [3] It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.

Notes and References

  1. News: Des Moines gives $4 million to developers renovating the Midland Building into a hotel. The Des Moines Register. Des Moines. March 8, 2018. 2018-04-21. Kim Norvell.
  2. Web site: Midland Financial Building. https://web.archive.org/web/20150717142501/http://www.emporis.com/buildings/123025/midland-financial-building-des-moines-ia-usa. dead. July 17, 2015. Emporis. 2018-04-21.
  3. News: Downtown Des Moines building sold to hotel developer. The Des Moines Register. Des Moines. February 23, 2017. 2018-04-21. Joel Aschbrenner.