100-102 Fifth Street

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Evaluation:

This is a contributing building within the historic district. It is visually a key entrepot Fifth Street property situated on the southwest corner of the district.

District Characteristic	Yes	No	Findings/Recommendations
Two-story brick with narrow mass		X
Larger, broader massing	X
Other key façade features	X
Architectural style	X		Italianate style that is compromised by reduced window infill and the loss of multiple upper level bay windows.
Prominent location	X
Original façade materials	X
Upper fenestration pattern	X
Sympathetic Storefront Infill		X
Brick corbelled parapet	X
Cornice/coping (not metal)	X

Physical Description:

This is a late Queen Anne style two-story painted brick hotel with double front stores. Ornament includes bracketed parapet base on two fronts, projecting south chimney, sealed oriel windows both floors south wall, steel beam and brick columns in the storefront. A two-story brick rear wing (30 feet by 24 feet) is original or a pre-1920 addition. The core measures 48 feet by 105 feet. The upstairs housed 18 sleeping rooms until a 1984 fire gutted that level and five apartments replaced them.

Documented Alterations:

Changes are the loss of four bay windows on south upper wall and angled corner, east wall, enclosed corner entry and upper windows replaced and shortened (the upper window change is the only major change post- 1968). Permits note remodels in 1979, 1985. The present storefront and removal of the bay windows is associated with the post office occupancy. A new south wood stairway is now being built. A fire started in an upstairs apartment, injured one tenant and damaged the upper hallway, the loss being put at $50,000 (Register, January 28, 1985). The 1985 permit repaired that loss.

Commercial History:

Business	Owner	Start	Stop	Notes of Interest
Flash Screen Printing & Embroidery			current	100 Fifth
The Art Station			current	102 Fifth
Que Sera Consignments	Paula Peterson	2010	2017	100 Fifth
The Gilded Angel	Dottie Bauer, Sheri Abarr (2002)	1995	2004	From 111 Fifth, To 110 NE Trilean Drive, Ankeny
Addie’s Antiques: K&K Vintage Jewelry		1996		100 Fifth
The Lamplighter		1990
		1985		$50,000 fire damage to upstairs hall six apartments (Register, January 28, 1985)
Auto-Jet Muffler Co.		1970	1985	100 Fifth
Elinor’s Wood’N Wares	Elinor Meugniot, Jone Van Vleet	1983	2015	102 Fifth (Register, June 19, 2015)
Menlo Glass		1980
All-Iowa Oil		1970		102 Fifth
		1963		Building for sale, open first floor, apts. Up (Register, November 26, 1963)
Goodwill		1964		From 212 Fifth, Register, June 1, 1964
Tamarack Apartments/Building		1955		Eight units-Leslie Myers sells to Chris Jensen, PO and one other office (Tribune, February 3, 1955)
Tamarack Hotel		1960
		1955	1960	Leader Magazine was a tenant. A novel (Tom Duncan's Gus The Great) they published featured the building and resulted in a local renaming of the block.
US Post Office		1952	1962	Moves to new leased building at 430 Fifth
		1952		For sale, 800 sq. ft. office plus PO (Register, June 26, 1952)
Tamarack Cafe	William Burriss	1951		Re-opens-Register July 1, 1951)
	U.S. Post Office	1952	1963	The post office relocated here and the present building exterior is the remodeled building altered for that purpose, mail services there dating from mid-February 1952 (Tribune, February 16, 1963)
St. Joe Hotel		1955		***not confirmed

Rocket Hotel		1942	1950
Warriors Club		1949	1950	WWII vets club affiliated with G. I. Joe’s of America and an attempted WDM football team for vets
El Rio Nite Club	Thurlow M. Barr	1942	1949	Barr buys late 1941, spends $10,000 remodeling, opens Rocket Hotel, café off lobby and plans corner tavern (Register, March 1, 1942). Operates hotel and night club, sells all late 1944,converts to a rooming house (Express, January 1, 1942).
Blue Goose Saloon	B. F. Parker		1900
St. Joseph Hotel		1900	1934+	Seyfert wants to sell 15-room hotel (Register, June 28, 1905), to rent St. Joe, steam heat, furniture cheap (same, August 7, 1910) and again remodeled, best location in town (October 28, 1916)
	Harry L. Seyfert, builder	1900		Express, February 23, April 27, 1900