Schmidt Block

The Schmidt Block is a historic building located in downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.[1]

Schmidt Block
Location115 E. 3rd St.
Davenport, Iowa
Coordinates41°31′20″N 90°36′38″W
Arealess than one acre
Built1896
Architectural styleRomanesque
MPSDavenport MRA
NRHP reference No.83002498[1]
Added to NRHPJuly 7, 1983

History

The building was built by Fritz T. Schmidt in 1896 to house his wine and liquor business, which was known as Fritz T. Schmidt and Sons.[2] They produced their own wine at a west end location known as "Blackhawk Vineyards." It was located along Blackhawk Creek.[3] Some of the buildings, including the Schmidt's house, are extant. In the late 1970s and 1980s the building housed an upscale restaurant called J.K. Frizbee's.[4] Duck City, another upscale restaurant, occupies the building now.

Architecture

The Schmidt Block is a three-plus story building constructed of red stone that was built on a brick foundation.[2] The main façade was designed in the Romanesque Revival style made popular by Henry Hobson Richardson.[5] It features large round-arched windows with tuned-stone surrounds on the third floor, roughly dressed stone, and stunted columns on the attic level arcade that are topped by a cornice. The Schmidt Block is the only commercial building in Davenport to adopt the Richardsonian Romanesque style in stone.[3] The swag embellishments on the frieze are also unique in that they are Adamesque rather than Romanesque. While the storefront has been modernized, the building retains its recessed entrance into the first-floor commercial space and transom signage. The building immediately to the east has since been torn down and a sheltered outdoor seating area for the restaurant has been added that looks over the urban style park that sits between the Schmidt Block and the RiverCenter, the city's convention center.

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References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. "Schmidt Block" (PDF). Davenport Public Library. Retrieved 2010-11-06.
  3. Martha Bowers; Marlys Svendsen-Roesler. "Schmidt Block". National Park Service. Retrieved 2015-04-18. with photo
  4. Svendsen, Marlys A., Bowers, Martha H (1982). Davenport where the Mississippi runs west: A Survey of Davenport History & Architecture. Davenport, Iowa: City of Davenport. p. 6-4.
  5. Svendsen, 6-2
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