Built c. 1880 NRHP Reference # 83002423 | MPS Davenport MRA Added to NRHP 7 July 1983 | |
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Donahue Building is located in downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Contents
History
The Donahue Building was built around 1880 to house the Ed H. Gifford steam laundry. 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. Locally, they constructed the Kahl Building and the American Commercial and Savings Bank. Today it houses a restaurant and bar on the upper floors and small shops on the lower level.
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. It is also a rare example in the state of Iowa of a basement level storefront.