Henry Berg Building
Encyclopedia
The Henry Berg Building is located in downtown Davenport, Iowa
, United States
. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places
since 1983. It is on the same block as the American Commercial and Savings Bank
, Central Office Building
and 202 W. Third Street
. It is also next to the Ficke Block
on Harrison Street. All of these structures are listed on the NRHP.
. It has a corner entrance, which faces the intersection of West Third and Harrison Streets. Both elevations feature three bays on the upper stories. The south elevation, which faces Third Street, has three windows in each bay. The west elevation, which faces Harrison Street, has two bays with double windows and one with single windows. The widow heads on the second floor are all arched and those on the third floor are flat arched. All the windows feature hoods of turned bricks and keystones
. The Romanesque revival style is found predominately in the arched windows. It reflects the Rundbogenstil, or round-arched style, that was brought from Europe with German immigrants.
The upper stories of the building also feature decorative brickwork, which is the distinctive feature of the building. Turned bricks separate the main floor from the second floor. Paired pilasters with simplified capitals define the bays. The cornice
at the top of the building is constructed of turned bricks layered in rows, to create an ornate pattern.
Davenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
since 1983. It is on the same block as the American Commercial and Savings Bank
American Commercial and Savings Bank
American Commercial and Savings Bank is located at 201-209 Main Street, Davenport, Iowa, United States. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building is known locally as the Wells Fargo Bank building.-History:...
, Central Office Building
Central Office Building
Central Office Building is located in downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1983. It is on the same block as the American Commercial and Savings Bank, Henry Berg Building and 202 W. Third Street all of which are on the...
and 202 W. Third Street
Building at 202 W. Third Street
The Building at 202 W. Third Street is located in downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1983...
. It is also next to the Ficke Block
Ficke Block
The Ficke Block is located in downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is immediately adjacent to the Henry Berg Building, which is also listed on the NRHP.-History:...
on Harrison Street. All of these structures are listed on the NRHP.
History
The building was built around 1875 by Henry Berg who was a gunsmith. He occupied the retail space until 1910. Other businesses that occupied the storefront include the Hickey Brothers Cigar Store Number 6, Griffins Confectionary, Davenport Brick and Tile Company and Suburban Home Mortgage. The upper floors have been divided into apartments.Architecture
The building is three stories and it is constructed of brickBrick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
. It has a corner entrance, which faces the intersection of West Third and Harrison Streets. Both elevations feature three bays on the upper stories. The south elevation, which faces Third Street, has three windows in each bay. The west elevation, which faces Harrison Street, has two bays with double windows and one with single windows. The widow heads on the second floor are all arched and those on the third floor are flat arched. All the windows feature hoods of turned bricks and keystones
Keystone (architecture)
A keystone is the wedge-shaped stone piece at the apex of a masonry vault or arch, which is the final piece placed during construction and locks all the stones into position, allowing the arch to bear weight. This makes a keystone very important structurally...
. The Romanesque revival style is found predominately in the arched windows. It reflects the Rundbogenstil, or round-arched style, that was brought from Europe with German immigrants.
The upper stories of the building also feature decorative brickwork, which is the distinctive feature of the building. Turned bricks separate the main floor from the second floor. Paired pilasters with simplified capitals define the bays. The cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
at the top of the building is constructed of turned bricks layered in rows, to create an ornate pattern.