15th Street and Elm Street
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Site Inventory Form
State Hi~torical Society of Iowa
(December 1, 1999)
State Inventory No. 31-04925 ~New D Supplemental
D Part of a district withRfibwhbbundaries (enter inventory no.)_
Relationship: D,c;,w~;\!:oip.4,ting. D Noncontributing
D Contributes to a potential district with yet unknown boundaries
National Register Status:(any that apply) D Listed DOe-listed D NHL D DOE
9-Digit SHPO Review & Compliance Number _ ..
D Non-Extant (enter year) _
1. Name of Property
historic name Iowa Coffin Company Buildinq
other names/site number
2. Location
street & number 15th and Elm streets
city or town DUbuque
Legal Description: (If Rural) Township Name
D vicinity, county Dubuque
Township No. Range No. Section Quarter of Quarter
(If Urban) Subdivision
3. State/Federal Agency Certification [Skip this Section]
4. National Park Service Certification [Skip this Section]
5. Classification
Category of Property (Check only one box)
IZI building(s)
o district
o site
o structure
o object
Block(s)
- -
Lot(s) see below
Number of Resources within Pro ert
If Non-Eligible Property If Eligib/e Property, enter number ot
Enter number of: Contributin Noncontributin
~ buildings Q Q buildings
sites sites
structures structures
objects objects
Total Q Q Total
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Name of related project report or multiple property study (Enter "NIP;' if the property is not part of a multiple property examination).
Title Historical Architectural Data Base Number
The Architectural and Historical Resources of Dubuque. 1833-1955 31-059
6. Function or Use
Historic Functions (Enter categories from instructions) Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions)
10 Industrv/10A Manufacturinq facility
10 Industrv/10A Manufacturinq facility
7. Description
Architectural Classification (Enter categories from instructions)
Materials (Enter categories from instructions)
01-No Style
foundation Stone
walls brick
roof Asphalt
_ other
Narrative Description (IZI SEE CONTINUATION SHEETS, WHICH MUST BE COMPLETED)
8. Statement of Significance ,
Applicable National Register Criteria (Mark "x" representing your opinion of eligibility after applying relevant National Register criteria)
DYes 0 No IZI More Research Recommended A Property is associated with significant events.
DYes 0 No IZI More Research Recommended B Property is associated with the lives of significant persons.
DYes 0 No IZI More Research Recommended C Property has distinctive architectural characteristics.
DYes 0 No IZI More Research Recommended 0 Property yields significant information in arChaeology Or history.
County Dubuque
City Dubuque
Criteria Considerations
o A Owned by a religious institution or used
for religious purposes.
o B Removed from its original location.
DCA birthplace or grave.
o D A Cemetery
Address 15th and Elm streets
Site Number 31-04925
District Number
o E A reconstructed building, object, or structure.
OF A commemorative property.
o G Less than 50 years of age or achieved significance within the past
50 years.
Areas of Significance (Enter categories from instructions)
Significant Dates
Construction date
multiple 0 check if circa or estimated date
Other dates
Architecture
Architect/Builder
Architect
Unknown
Builder
Unknown
Narrative Statement of Significance (IZI SEE CONTINUATION SHEETS, WHICH MUST BE COMPLETED)
9. Major BIbliographical References
Bibliography IZI See continuation sheet for citations of the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form
10. Geographic Data
Significant Person
(Complete if National Register Criterion B is marked above)
N/A
11. Form Prepared By
name/title James E. Jacobsen
organization History Pays! Historic Preservation ConsultinQ Firm
street & number 4411 Inqersoll Avenue
city or town Des Moines
state IA
date June 19. 2003
telephone 515-274-3625
zip code 50312
ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION (Submit the following items with the completed form)
FOR ALL PROPERTIES
1. Map: showing the property's location in a town/city or township.
2. Site plan: showing position of buildings and structures on the site in relation to public road(s).
3. Photographs: representative black and white photos. If the photos are taken as part of a survey for which the Society is to be
curator of the negatives or color slides, a photolcatalog sheet needs to be included with the negativeslslides and the following
needs to be provided below on this particular inventory site:
Roll/slide sheet # 7468 Frame/slot # 22.24 Date Taken 5-11-03
Rolllslide sheet # Frame/slot # Date Taken
Roll/slide sheet # Frame/slot # Date Taken
o See continuation sheet or attached photo & slide catalog sheet for list of photo roll or slide entries:--
o Photos/illustrations without negatives are also in this site inventory file.
FOR CERTAIN KINDS OF PROPERTIES, INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING AS WELL
1. Farmstead & District: (List of structures and buildings, known or estimated year buill, and contributing or non-contributing status)
2. Barn:
a. A sketch of the frame/truss configuration in the form of drawing a typical middle bent of the barn.
b. A photograph of the loft showing the frame configuration along one side.
c. A sketch floor plan of the interior space arrangements along with the barn's exterior dimensions in feet.
State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO . Use Onl . Below This Line
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Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa
Iowa Site Inventory Form
Continuation Sheet
Site Number 31-04925
Related District Number
Paqe 1
Iowa Coffin Company Buildinq
Name of Property
15th and Elm streets
Address
Dubuque
County
Dubuque
City
7. Narrative Description:
Two four-story remnants represent what was a four-story L-plan factory complex. The exterior
walls of the intervening portion still stand but that four-floor portion has otherwise. been demolished. An
alleyway passes between it and the eastern building. The buildings are in poor condition and have lost
their windows. Part of the brick parapet along 15th Street has collapsed. The buildings are factory
plans with semi"circular brick window arches on each level and no exterior elaboration apart from a
corbelled brick parapet and star bolts.
Photo, view northeast (Photo by Jacobsen, 2001
This photo indicates that this building complex is being actively demolished. The central portion
visible above, located west of the alleyway, has been demolished since this picture was taken two
years ago.
8. Narrative Statement of Significance:
Iowa Coffin Company was one of three such factory forms that clustered in the northeast corner
of the downtown area. This building is documented out of historical interest and is not at this time
recommended as being individually National Register of Historic Places eligible. It is possible that the
two surviving buildings might qualify but further.research is recommended.
Iowa Coffin Company was described as one ofthe city's "mammoth" factories at the turn-of-the
century. Company president was P. J. lee, who also headed the Citizen's State Bank, Peter Klauer
was vice president and T. E. Rhomberg was general manager and secretary/treasurer. The firm was
established c.1882 and built its first building that yearfor $30,000 (Herald, January 1, 1882). The next
year it added a four.story addition (the eastern extant wing) for $5,000 (ibid., January 1, June 10,
1883). The Herald reports the completion of a four-story factory block by the "coffin company" for
$12,000 in 1888 (ibid, December 23, 1888) and this might refer to the Iowa Coffin Company.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa
Iowa Site Inventory Form
Continuation Sheet
Site Number 31-04925
Related District Number
Paqe 2
Iowa Coffin Company Buildinq
Name of Property
15th and Elm streets
Address
Dubuque
County
Dubuque
City
Improvements made in 1891 also totaled $5,000 (ibid., January 18,1891) and the final expansion, the
north surviving wing, was made in 1906 ($17,000, Telegraph-Herald, December 30, 1906). The firm
was one of three such firms that clustered in this part of the city. By 1891, two buildings were in place,
connected by a catwalk over the alleyway. By 1909 three buildings were in place and the firm occupied
the entire block with separate power plant and drying kilns and lumber storage filling the rest of the
parcel.
Iowa Coffin Company, view northwest, 1889
Iowa Coffin Company,viewsdutheast along Elm Street, 1903
(Enterprise Magazine, c.1903).
'I I
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa
Iowa Site Inventory Form
Continuation Sheet
Site Number 31-04925
Related District Number
Paqe 3
Iowa Coffin Company Buildinq
Name of Property
15th and Elm streets
Address
Dubuque
County
Dubuque
City
1911 photograph, view to the northeast from 15 and Elm (Greater Dubuque, 1911).
The several coffin companies all. occupied four story factories and these buildings were the
tallest northernmost industrial buildings in the city prior to the building of the massive brewery in the
North End in 1896.
9, Major Bibliographical References:
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, 1884, 1891, 1909, 1909/36, 1909/50, 1909/62
Dubuque City Directories, 1865-1952
Bruce Kriviskey, Dubuque, lowa--Architectural Survey 197811979, Atlas of City Wide and District
Survey Maps, Dubuque; n.p., c.1979
County Assessor's Data
Bird's Eye View of the City of Dubuque, Iowa 1872 n.p., Augustus Koch, 1872).
Perspective Map of the City of Dubuque, la. 1889 (Milwaukee; American Publishing Company, 1889).
11 Additional Documentation:
Leqal Description:
Block 6, East Dubuque Plat #2
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa
Iowa Site Inventory Form
Continuation Sheet
Site Number 31-04925
Related District Number
Paqe 4
Iowa Coffin Company Buildinq
Name of Property
15th and Elm streets
Address
Dubuque
County
Dubuque
City
Map:
Locational Map
Photoqraphs:
Roll 7468
Roll 7468
Frame 22
Frame 24
view northwest from 15th Street
view southeast from Elm Street
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