downtown national register of historic places nomination

DOWNTOWN NATIONAL REGISTER
OF HISTORIC PLACES NOMINATION
VIRTUAL TOUR
Fort Dodge
g Historic District
District nomination is pending. It brings public recognition of
the architectural and historic significance of the area
area. It also
makes owners eligible for grants and tax credits for
preservation and restoration purposes.
Garmoe Building
g ((516 Central Ave))
The building was constructed in 1896 by Isaac Garmoe, a Fort
Dodge pioneer resident.
resident It was a retail building with
apartments on the upper floors. The tower was removed in the
1960s.
Garmoe Building
g ((516 Central Ave))
Present day picture. Over the years this building has housed a
variety of businesses
businesses, hardware stores
stores, groceries
groceries, a drug store
store.
Recently a health and fitness center, a pet shop and second
hand shop.
“Doyle’s”
y
Wall (corner
(
of 1st Ave N & 4th St.))
While only the foundation remains today, this is a picture
from1920 It was constructed in 1857 of locally manufactured
from1920.
brick.
“Doyle’s”
y
Wall (corner
(
of 1st Ave N & 4th St.))
Present day remnants of the oldest structure in existence in Fort
Dodge In its early years it was the post office
Dodge.
office, a physicians office
office, a
drug store and the first court was said to have met here. Mike Doyle
has thoughtfully maintained the wall as tribute to the early settlers.
Webster County
y Courthouse (701
(
Central Ave.))
In 1902 the Courthouse was completed and became the cornerstone
of Central Avenue
Avenue. Milwaukee’s
Milwaukee s premier architect Henry C
C. Koch
designed it in the Beaux Arts style which characterized the 1893
Chicago World’s Fair.
Webster County
y Courthouse (701
(
Central Ave.))
Present day picture of the Courthouse which has been restored
and updated by the county
county. It stands as an outstanding example
of successful historic preservation.
Fort Dodge
g Municipal
p Building
g ((819 1st Ave S.))
1935. This building is a classical revival style, designed by
Proudfoot Bird and Rawson
Proudfoot,
Rawson, a Des Moines firm
firm. It was
completed in 1914 and designed to integrate all of the services
of the city into one building.
Fort Dodge
g Municipal
p Building
g ((819 1st Ave S.))
Present day. The old jail still exists in the back of the building,
but is no longer in use
use. The building has changed little over the
years although many of the departments have been relocated.
Masonic Temple
p ((1021 1st Ave N))
Present day. The building was completed in 1915 and was
considered the finest Masonic structure in the state
state. It was built
in neo-classical style with ionic columns, portico and pediment.
It is the best use of terra cotta in the city.
Wahkonsa ((927 Central Ave.))
This picture was taken three years after it’s completion in 1907.
It was designed by the architectural firm of Liebbe,
Liebbe Nourse and
Rasmussen. It was the city’s first really modern hotel and was
considered to be one of the finest in Iowa.
Wahkonsa ((927 Central Ave.))
Interior pictures from 1965.
Wahkonsa ((927 Central Ave.))
Interior pictures from 1965.
Wahkonsa ((927 Central Ave.))
This picture was taken before its 2008 rehabilitation (2005).
This hotel was one of the reasons Fort Dodge became a
honeymoon destination in the second and third decades of the
20th century.
Warden Plaza ((908 1st Ave S.))
1925 picture. Theodore Warden, an Ohio coal mining investor, owned
it It was designed by a local firm: O
it.
O. E
E. Damon
Damon. Like many larger
hotels over the years it included a variety of small businesses and
niche shops.
Warden Plaza ((908 1st Ave S.))
Present day. For many years the building offered what were
considered the elite apartments in the city
city. In the late 1970s it
became a low income apartment house and remained so until
the last years when it has been vacant.
Beh Building
g ((629 Central Ave.))
1912 picture of the building completed in 1907. It was the first
“skyscraper”
skyscraper in Fort Dodge (5 or more stories).
stories) It served not
only as a bank for most of its history but also as an office
building for doctors, lawyers and other professionals.
Beh Building
g ((629 Central Ave.))
Present day. Now home to the Central Place Apartments. It
had been vacant for many years
years, when out of town private
investors converted it to apartments.
Boston Centre ((809 Central Ave.))
1928 picture of the building completed in 1914. It is a 7-story
building in the Chicago Commercial style
style. It was a department
store. It also featured a beauty shop, a tea room and an
adjacent grocery store.
Boston Centre ((809 Central Ave.))
Present day. Since the 1970s the Boston Store Building has
been changed into primarily an office building
building.
Carver Building
g ((1003 Central Ave.))
Original building in 1916 was a two-story retail building. By
1924 four stories were added on top of the original building
building.
Carver Building
g ((1003 Central Ave.))
1924 the building accommodated doctors, dentists and other
professional offices
offices. The O’Connell
O Connell Pharmacy was housed
here, one of the longest lasting pharmacies in the city.
Carver Building
g ((1003 Central Ave.))
In 1995 Heartland Communications purchased and
rehabilitated the building for its telemarketing business
business. It was
the first building in the downtown to undergo extensive privately
financed rehabilitation.
Tax Credit Information for Historic District
Federal: http://www.preservationnation.org/issues/rehabilitation-tax-cr
edits/federal/
State: http://www.iowahistory.org/historic-preservation/tax-incentivesfor-rehabilitation/state-tax-credits/index.html
Thank you for taking the virtual tour.