225 (formerly 223) Fifth Street

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Evaluation:

This is a contributing Fifth Street building within the historic district. It’s Moderne or Art Deco architectural style were both mentioned in the district nomination but not emphasized let alone clarified. This building represents the later northward expansion of the downtown.

District Characteristic	Yes	No	Findings/Recommendations
Two-story brick with narrow mass		X
Larger, broader massing		X
Other key façade features		X	Distinctive rounded-edge centered entryway with stone surround.
Architectural style		X	Art Deco architectural style
Prominent location		X	This is the first single-story building (east side) after a substantial grouping of larger and monumental buildings.
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 large pre-war single story medical clinic. It's curved entry angles put it into the Moderne architectural style. This engaged column treatment would be used in the post-war American Legion building. The full fenestration uses arrow brick piers to define matching window sets, with a centered long window flanked by square end ones. A narrow aluminum transom capped four tiers of structural glass. The original storefront including an aluminum rounded canopy survives save for the lost structural glass block. The building footprint measures 50 feet by 96 feet and has substantial light wells on either side of the center of the plan. The front office core and a centered narrower rear wing were built by 1941 and a rear full-width addition, 30 feet deep was present by 1950.

Documented Alterations:

The architects were Proudfoot, Rawson, Brooks and Borg and the builder, J. E. Lovejoy. The T-shaped plan was built to support a future second floor. The front section measured 50 feet frontage and 40 feet deep while the rear wing measured 29 feet by 43 feet. The medical section contained reception, office, exam, treatment, sterilizing, operating and x-ray rooms. There was a dental suite as well. The cost was $16,000 (Tribune, September 13, 1940). The window frames, canopy and curved walls have been painted black and a black metal cornice has replaced or covered the stone coping. Permits note a 1960 rear storage addition, partitions in 1968, heating upgrades in 1975, and plumbing and heating work in 1982. Full interior remodeling in 2017 (Register, April 11, 2017).

Commercial History:

Business	Owner	Start	Stop	Notes of Interest
Heavenly Asian Cuisine & Lounge	Sign Lu	2017	current
El Chisme		2010	2013	Mexican Restaurant
Café Su	Tand and Fan Loc	1991	2005	Had run Two Dragons restaurant in Indianola for five years, interior renovation, 2017
Sweet Country Gifts	Ray, Patty Grandmaitre	1990		Also run Ray’s Cafe
Next to New		1980		See 226 Fifth
West Des Moines Day Care		1977
West Des Moines Internal Medicine Clinic		1970	1985	Dr. Gordon L. Elliott, osteopath, joins November 1971 (as 223 Fifth)
Red Carpet Antiques		1970	1977
Doctors Sternagle, Andrews and Higgins, Dr. Frank E. Thornton was the first dentist.	Dr. Fred Sternagle	1940		Dr. Sternagle acquired this lot in late 1939 and built this Art Deco styled clinic (Express, November 7, 9, 1939). He was here as late as 1958. Drs. C. W. Van Natte and R. H. Duewall join in 1953.