Schmidt Block

The Schmidt Block is located in downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is immediately adjacent to the Union Arcade building, which is also listed on the NRHP.

History

The building was built by Fritz T. Schmidt in 1896 to house his wine and liquor business, which was known as Fritz T. Schmidt and Sons.^[2] In the late 1970s and 1980s the building housed an upscale restaurant called J.K. Frizbee’s.^[3] Duck City, another upscale restaurant, occupies the building now.

Architecture

The Schmidt Block is a three-plus story building constructed of red stone that was built on a brick foundation.^[2] The main façade was designed in the Romanesque revival style made popular by Henry Hobson Richardson.^[4] It features large round arched windows with tuned-stone surrounds on the third floor, roughly dressed stone and stunted columns on the attic level arcade that are topped by a cornice. While the storefront has been modernized, the building retains its recessed entrance into the first floor commercial space and transom signage. The building immediately to the east has since been torn down and a sheltered outdoor seating area for the restaurant has been added that looks over the urban style park that sits between the Schmidt Block and the RiverCenter, the city’s convention center.

References

External links

• Archiplanet Listing