143-145 Fifth Street

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Evaluation:

This is a contributing Fifth Street building within the historic 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		Classical Revival style
Prominent location	X		Corner location and the largest building in the district, being a part of larger and more distinguished buildings in the north half of the block.
Original façade materials	X		Theatre marquee
Upper fenestration pattern	X
Sympathetic Storefront Infill	X
Brick corbelled parapet	X
Cornice/coping (not metal)	X

Physical Description:

This is the only three story block on the east side of Fifth and the reduced profile of the Legion building, 220- 22 Fifth, leaves it the largest district building. It is a Classical Revival style design. Planned combination hotels and movie theaters are uncommon. It mirrors its corner counterpart to the west (138 Fifth, 1911) by using contrasting brick colors for its primary and secondary facades. The former is a modern gold-blonde color while the latter is a mottled brown color. The three-story plan is distinctive within the district because it doesn't use the recessed panels or pilaster framing so otherwise common. The facade brickwork is plainly laid up and the parapet too is unadorned. A most elaborate brick belt course divides the floors at the actual floor level (not the usual sill level) and it features staple-like two-sided corbelled brackets that extend above and above it. Second story windows have stone sills and jack arches but the third floor windows are distinctively framed completely by projecting brick brackets (in lieu of stone sills) and a continuous cornice above. All but four north windows are paired sets. These elaborations continue the full length of the north side wall. Windows are vertically aligned. The west core measures 50 feet by 47 feet, a two-story addition (pre-1920) was full-width for just 28 feet and added 73 feet along the north lot line. A 24 foot-square single-story addition with distinctive darker rowlock courses was also present by 1920. A concrete bloc garage squared off the plan in 1984. There is a single door north entry in the larger addition.

Documented Alterations:

A fire gutted the main stairway on April 29, 1934 causing an estimated loss of $25,000, rated the worst WJ fire in 30 years; water damage in post office, theater loss of $5-6,000, hotel loss of $15,000. The latter had just been remodeled at a cost of $2,800. The present theater marquee dates to 1940 (Express, August 22, 1940) but lost its vertical upper signage element in 1968. An awning fire scorched the facade of the post office in 1946 (Express, December 19, 1946). The theater added a curved screen in 1954 (Express, March 4, 1954). A fire between the floors caused little loss in 1918 (Express, April 25, 1918). Permits note electrical work in 1968, a new canopy in 1979, a 1,200 square feet addition in 1984. The original canopy was replaced post-World War II and the present one remains. A most substantial loss, ca.1968 was the removal of the substantial pediment that bore the building name.

Commercial History:

Business	Owner	Start	Stop	Notes of Interest
DM Theatrical Shop	Betty Hill founds	1971	current	From 1233 73^rd Street, November 1971
VJ Properties			current
WDM Evangelistic Temple		1964	1965	South storefront
The Salvation Army		1955	1960	South storefront
Lyric Apartments		1935	1922	15 units
US Post Office		1931	1952	South storefront (Express, February 14, 1952)
Rowland's billiards			1918	Express, September 26, 1918
		1934		Hotel fire on April 29, 1934 with $25,000 in damages.
Lyric Hotel		1913	1935
Lyric Theater		1913	1960	The Lyric Theater or movie house operated until 1960, gaining an addition to the east that added seating and enlarged the stage in 1920 and added an automatic music machine a year earlier (Express, March 27, 1919; January 8, 15, 1920).
	Edward L. Wegener	1911		Edward L. Wegener acquired the lot in late March 1913 and immediately started a $20,000 three-story block. Rainy weather delayed progress after the foundations were done (Express, April 10, 1913). It is claimed that the original plan was for just two stories and that work had begun on the second story as of mid-May 1913 (Des Moines Tribune, May 13, 1913).