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YMCA IA Inn Hist NominationPlann~g Services Department City Hall 50 West 13th S~eet Dubuque, Iowa 52001~t864 (563) 58942'10 office (563) 589-4221 planning@cityofdubuque.org August 28, 2001 The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members City of Dubuque City Hall - 50 W. 13t~ Street Dubuque IA 52001 RE: To place the former YMCA/Iowa Inn Building (125 W. 9th Street) on the National Register of Historic Places MetroPlains/MDI Development Dear Mayor and City Council Members: The City of Dubuque Histodc Preservation Commission has reviewed the above-cited request. The application, staff report and related materials ara attached for your review. Discussion Vem Hanson representing MetroPlains/MDI Development, spoke in favor of the request. He noted that the property has completed a Phase 2 review with the National Park Service and State Historical Preservation Office. There were no public comments. Staff reviewed the nomination, and the two criteda for significance: local history and architecture. The Histodc Preservation Commission discussed the request, noting that it meets the cdteria for placement on the National Register of Histodc Places. Recommendation By a vote of 7 to 0, the Historic Preservation Commission recommends nomination to the National Register of Historic Places due to significance to history of Dubuque and architectural significance. A simple majority vote is needed for the City Council to concur with the request. Respectfully submitted, Terry Mozena, Chairperson Historic Preservation Commission Attachments CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA MEMORANDUM August 21, 2001 TO: FROM: Historic Preservation Commission Walty Wemimont, Assistant Planner SUBJECT: National Register Nomination for the former YWCA/Iowa Inn Building at 125 W. Ninth Street The State Nominations Review Committee plans to consider the property at 125 W. Ninth Street (the former YWCA/Iowa Inn Building) for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places during their October 12, 2001, meeting. As a participant of the Certified Local Goverament Program, the City of Dubuque is required to review' and comment on the proposed National Register nominations of properties within its jurisdiction. The State has provided copies of the nomination, photographs, and review form for this application. The Commission should review this nomination at a public meeting, which is slated for August 27, 200t. The State is requesting the Commission review the nomination, and then comment on whether the nominated property meets the significance criteria (A,B,C, or D) for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The application indicates that the property is significant under criteria A and C. Please review the attached documents and be prepared to recommend whether the property in question should be listed or not. enclosures NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1002443018 (Oct. 1990) United States Department of the interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Registration Form This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in How to Complete ~he National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (National Register Bulletin 16A). Complete each item by marking "x' in the appropriate box or by entering the information requested. If an item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not spplicabte.~ For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions. Place additional entries and narrative items on confinustion sheets (NPS Form 10-900a). Use e typewriter, word processor, or computer, to complete all items. 1. Name of Property historic name Dubuque Young Men's Christian Association Building other names/site number ~owa 2. Location street & number 125 'West 1AT/nth Street n/~ [] not for publication city or town Dubuq-ce zd~ [] vicinity state Iowa code I~ county Dubuque code 061 zip code 59.001 3. State/Federal Agency Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, I hereby certify that this -- nomination __ request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the NstionaJ Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 6g. In my opinion, the property -- meets -- does not meet the National Register criteria. I recommend that this property be considered significant -- nationally -- statewide ~x locally. ( -- See continuation sheet for additional comments.) Signature of certifying official/T-trio Date State or Federal agency and bureau in my opinion, the property ~ meets -- does not meet the National Register criteria. ( __ See continuation sheet for additional comments.) Signature of certifying officiai/3qtie Dste State or Federal agency and bureau 4. National Park Service Certification hereby certify that the property is: [] entered in the National Register [] See continuation sheet [] determined eligible for the National Register [] See continuation sheet [] determined not eligible for the National Register [] removed from the National Register [] other, (explain): 5. Classification Ownership of Property (Check as many boxes as apply) [] private [] public-local [] pubiic~Stste [] public-Federal Category of Property (Chock only one box) [] building(s) [] district [] site [] structure [] object Name of related multiple property listing (Enter "N/A" if property is not part of a multiple property listing) Number of Resources within Property (Do not include previously listed resources in the count) Contributing Noncontributing 2 0 buildings 0 0 sites 0 0 structures 0 0 objects 2 0 Total Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register 6. Function or Use Historic Functions (Enter categories from instructions) RECREATION AND CULTURE: sports facility RECREATION A_ND CULTURE: auditorium DOZv~S?[C: institutional housing Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions) VACANT/NOT IN USE 7. Description Architectural Classification (Enter categories from instructions) Materials (Enter categories from instructions) ' LATE VICTORIAN: Romanesque LATE 19TH AND EARLY 20TH CENTURY AMERICAN MOVE/vIENTS: Commercial Style foundation CONCRETE wails BRICK roof OTHER other Narrative Description (Describe the histodc and current condition of the property on one or more continuation sheets) (see continuatfon sheet) 8. Statement of Si~lnificance _ Areas of Significance (Enter categories from instructions) Applicable National Register Criteria (Mark "x" in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying the property for National Register listing) [] A Property is associated with events that have made a. significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history, SOC;[.~L~ Period of Significance [894- [95t Significant Dates 1894 1916 Significant Person (Complete if Criterion B is marked above) [] B Property is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past. [] C Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, pedod, or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack individual distinction. [] D Property has yielded, or is likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history. Criteria Considerations (Mark "~ in ail the boxes that app¥) Property is: [] A owned by a religious institution or used for religious purposes. [] B removed from its odginal location, [] C a birthplace or grave, [] D a cemetery. [] E a reconstructed building, object, or structure. Cultural Affiliation [] F a commemorative property. [] G less than 50 years of age or achieved significance within the past 50 years. Narrative Statement of Significance Architect/Builder [v[cLane, Cyrus D. Zwack, A.F. (Explain the significance of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) 9. Major Bibliographical References Bibliography (Cite the books, a~cles, and other sources used in preparing this form on one or more continuation sheets.) Previous documentation on file (NPS): [] preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67) has been requested [] previously listed in the National Register [] previously determined eligible by the National Register [] designated a National Historic Landmark [] recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey [] recorded by Historic American Engineering Record Primary location of additional data: · [] State Historic Preservation Office [] other State agency [] Federal agency [] Local government [] University [] other name of repository: 10. Geographical Data Acreage of Property less [han one UTM References (Place additional UTM references on a continuation sheet) 1 15 691720 4707950 zone easting northing Verbal Boundary Description (Describe the boundaries of the property on continuation sheet) 2 zone earring northing Boundary Justification (Explain why the boundaries were selected on continuation sheet) 11. Form Prepared By name/title Clayton B. Fraser, Principal organization FRASERdesign date street & number 420 Sou[h County Road 23E te~eenone city or zown Loveland sra~e 12 March 2001 970.669.7969 Colorado zip coae 80537 Additional Documentation Submit the following items with the comme[e(= form: Continuation Sheets Maps A USGS map (7'/2 or 15 minute series) indicating me croper[y's location A Sketch map for historic districts aha properties navmg Iarge acreage or numerous 'esources Photographs Recresentet[ve black and white photographs of the property AdditionaJ items (Check with the SHPO or FPO for any additional items~ Property Owner (Complete this item at the request of SHPO or FPOI qame/title lvl]DI Limite~ Partnership No. 47 street & numeer 1600 Univarsit¥ Avenue, Suite 2 I2 telephone city or town St. Paul state 612.646.7848 Minnesota zip code 58104 Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: This information is being collected for applications to the National Register of Historic Places to nominate properties for listing or determine eligibility for listing, to list properties, and to amend existing listings. Response fo thi~ request is required ts obtain a benefit in' accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.). Estimated J~urden Statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 18.1 hours per response incJuding time for reviewing inetruefions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form. Direct comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of this form to the Chief, Administrative Services Division, Na~tional Park Service, P.O. Box 37127, Washington, DC 20013-7127; and the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reductions Projests (1024-0018), Washington, DC 20503. NPS Form (s-se) United States Department of the Interior National Park Sen~ice National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 section number 7 page I DU BUQ UE YMCA BUILDING Dubuque County, Iowa The Dubuque YMCA is. located within the central business district of the eastern Iowa river city of Dubuque [see Figure 1]. Situated a block or two north of the district's center, the building stands at the northeast corner of Ninth and Iowa streets, facing south toward Ninth. The nearby buildings are primarily one- and two-story commercial blocks .~of various ages. Typical for its time and place, Dubuque's business district consists primarily of Iow- and medium-rise commercial and institutional buildings, built and modified over an exten- ded period. Ali abut the sidewalks, use similar materials and have similar proportions and scale. Integrity of these buildings ranges widely, with the most serious alterations generally occurring on the street-level storefronts. :~ Figure 1. Lacat~an Map. from DeLorme Mapping, I9~3. FRASERDES[GN irt see continuation sheet NPS Form 10-900-a OMB Approval No. 102~-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet section number 7 page 2 DUBUQUE YMCA BUILDING Dubuque County, iowa Immediately south of the YMCA across Ninth Street is a single-story bank, built on the site of the Central Fire Station. East across Iowa Street is a parking lot where a frame livery stable once stood; beyond this is a relatively new fire station. Southeast across the intersection is a single-story restaurant located where the Dubuque Boys' Club once had its gymnasium. West of the YMCA across a narrow alley are the rears of two-story brick commercial blocks that front on Main Street. And forming the rear of the YMCA property behind the building is a small asphalt-surfaced parking lot, beyond which is a real estate office and more parking lots [see "Figure 2]. 8'r ~ Figure 2. Site plon, from 1950 Sanborn Map. The Dubuque YMCA is actually made up of two adjoining buildings: an 1894 Richardsonian Romanesque structure on the west and a 1916 Commercial Style building on the east. Built on the site of an 1857 house, the 1916 section is a massive four-story block that abuts the sidewalk on its south front and east side. The 1894 building houses three above- ground stories and is taller than [he 1916 section by virtue of its steeply sloped gabled roof. It abuts the alley on its west side and is stepped back somewhat from the sidewalk on its south front, to accom- modate a small brick entry vestibule in the southwest corner. The 1894 section measures 50 feet wide by 80 feet deep; the front vestibule measures 8 feet by 20 feet; the 1916 section, 64 feet by 113 feet. The 1894 building features classic Richardsonian Romanesque architecture. It is configured as a simply massed rectangular box with a steeply pffched, front-gabled roof. The exterior walls are made up of pressed red brick laid in common bond; the trim, buff-colored limestone. The building's facade is symmetrical (disregarding the corner entrance vestibule), with four rows of windows that align vertidally. A smaller fifth bank of windows in the gable allows light into the attic. The ground-floor brickwork features corbeled horizontal bandcoursing and three win- dow openings. This is capped by an elevated, corbeled brick water table, which double~ as a continuous sill for the second level of windows. The openings at this level provide light to the runmng gallery in the gymnasium; they are grouped as four single windows symmetrically flank- ing a center pair, {or a total of six openings. FRASERDESJGN see continuation sheet NPS Form 10-900-a United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Approval Ne. 1024-0018 section number 7 page 3 DU BUQ U E YM CA BUILDING Dubuque County, iowa Above this row the building originally featured a 3' x 17' carved limestone panel that had the words "Stout Auditorium" surrounded on top and bottom by "Young Men's Christian Associcz- tion" and on the sides by "Y.M." and "C.A." This panel was replaced with another bank of six windows when the building was converted into a dormitory. The fourth row of windows, which originally lit the second-story auditorium and now lights the building's third-floor dormitory rooms, aligns over the lower three, with the central four windows capped, by Romanesque round- arched heads. The brick voussoirs of this central four-window grouping feature corbeled outer courses in typical Romanesque fashion. The uppermost window bank features twelve openings divided vertically into three banks of four by limestone lintels. A datestone ("1894") is centered in the peak of the gable. Other than the Romanesque fourth-level windows, all of the openings feature fiat-arched heads, wood frames, one-over-one wood sash and stone lug sills. The windows in the rear wall of the 1894 section are banked vertically and horizontally like those on the front, with the only dis- cemable difference being the lack of corbeled bricks in the round-arch voussoirs. The windows on the building's alley side are similarly configured, with three levels of openings grouped in three pairs flanked by singles on each end. The building's roof is today sheathed with three-tab asphalt shingles. A large skylight straddles the ridge at its midpoint; this has more recently been shingled as well. The roof is bordered on the front by a parapet with stone copings and on the rear and sides by plain boxed cornices. It is punctuated by a single brick furnace chimney in the northeast corner. The small entrance vestibule has a flat roof bounded by a brick parapet with a round-arched blind arcade. Provid- ing the street entrance into the 1894 building, this vestibule features a double-leal doorway on its west side and a bank of three small windows on its south front. A steel fire escape, mounted on the alley side of the building, provides emergency egress f~om the second-and third-floor dormitory rooms. It features decorative cast steel cantilever brackets and open-tread steps and landings. The exterior walls of the 1894 building are load-bearing. Internal support for the gymnasium floor is provided by a traditional timber pest-and-beam system in the basement. The original wood-beam-and-joist floor of the auditorium above is supported by an innovative suspension sys- tem, however, in which eight turnbuckled iron eyerods are suspended from four timber trusses in the attic. These modified scissors trusses are made up of heavy timber compression members, each with iron tension rods threaded through cast iron skewbacks. Iron straps have been used to join many of the abutting timbers in the trusses, and the eyerod suspenders for the floor are connected to the trusses by threaded iron pins passed through forged iron hangers. These trusses also provide the structural support for the roof, through a conventional system of purlins and ralters. FRASERDESIGN ~'~:: see continuation sheet NPS Form 10-900-e United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet section number 7 page OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 DUBUQUE YMCA B UILDIN G Dubuque County, Iowa Designed in 1916 by architect Cyrus D. McLane of Rock Island, Illinois, the building's eastern wing uses a more conventional structural system, with concrete foundation wails, concrete post- and-beam structure and concrete slab floors. Its concrete structural system and masonry exter- ior walls classified the building as a fireproof structure. It has a rectangular footprint on the ground level, with an el-shaped floor plans on the upper levels to create a rear light court that provides light and ventilation to the dormitory rooms and allows daylight into the skylights over the basement swimming pool. It features four above-grade floors on a raised basement, with a flat, built-up roof surrounded on all four sides by brick parapets. This section employs the Commercial Style in its exterior architecture, though it could h~rdly be considered a high-style example of this broadly defined idiom. Facing Ninth Street, the double-leaf main entrance features a classical revival cast stone surround, with a dentilled entablature and fluted pediments with modified Corinthian-style capitals. A simpler secondary entrance is situated on the building's east side, facing Iowa Street. Like the main entrance, this features a double-leaf doorway, but instead of a classical surround, it is enframed by corbeled brick courses and stucco panels. The doorways on both sides are flanked by large fixed-sash windows--either single or triple-ganged--with multi-light transoms. The exterior walls are made up of red wire-brushed brick laid in running bond, with brick-I/ned stucco inset panels' that frame' the windows and form horizontal bandcourses. Fer~estration on the second and third floors is relatively plain-faned, featuring pairs of one-over-one windows with loose lintels, soldier brick heads and corbeled rowlock brick slip sills. The fourth floor windows align over the openings below but are mere embellished with ornamental surrounds. Like the middle-level windows, these are ganged in pairs. They are placed within a continuous stucco panel, which is edged and accented by corbeled bricks. This panel forms the figurative cornice for the building. It is capped by a band of corbeled rowlock bricks, over which coping tiles are laid. The building's north rear has fewer windows than the street facades, but these are configured and framed comparably. Like the 1894 section, two steel open-tread fire escapes are mounted on the east side of the 1916 section. Although it is difficult to imagine today, given the building's deteriorated interior condition, the Dubuque YiV!CA was Once a point of pride for the Association. The TelegrnpJ~-Herald des- cribed the interior at the grand opening in December 1916: The main entrance is on Ninth street and leads iht0 a handsome, finely fumiabed lobby called "Fellowship Hail." Strong, massive golden oak leether-upholstemd furniture gives the lobby a more than comfortable and striking appearance... The gymnasium, just offthe lobby [in the 1894 sention], is equipped with ail the latest modem appliances, from dumb bells and Indian clubs to a rowing machine. The "gym' is sevemy- seven feet long and forty-seven feet wide. It is excellently ventileted and lighted, it is encimled by a spectetors' gallenj. In the front of the basement~ facing Ninth street~ is a social room containing six pocket billiard tables and so arranged thet more tables may be added when they are needed. The second and FRASERDESIGN [~[i see continuation sheet NPS Form 10-900-a OMB Approval No, 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet section number 7 page 5 BUQUE YM CA BUILDING Dubuque County, Iowa third floom are given over mostly to dormit0des all larger than the average Y.M. CuA. dormitories. On the second floor them ~s a finely eq[~pped kitchen and dining room in which club dinnem will be sen/ecL The dining room can be divided, by means of folding pmtitiop.s, into separate class and meeting roomsJ The building's interior retains most of its original spatial organization [see Figures 3-~. The Ninth Street entrance opens directly into the men's lobby--the so-called Fellowship Hall. To the west of this is a small men's reading room and stairs up to the running gallery and dormitory · . levels and down to the gymnasium in the adjacent 1894 building. North of the men's lobby, beyond the registration desk, is a warren of administrative offices and storage rooms, more recently built over the basement swimming pool. East of the lobby is the men's game room, which features a fireplace centered on one wall. The Iowa Street boys' entrance on the east side of the building provides direct access into a separate boys' lobby and game room. Beyond this to the north is another boys' game room, this one with a large fireplace on its northern wall. The second floor of the 1916 section is accessed by a stairway from the first-floor lobby. It is configured as a series of small single-occupant rooms that adjoin a central double-loaded corri- dor. Occupying the entire northern end of this floor is the original dining room/kitchen. The third and fourth floors are given over to dormitory rooms and bathrooms lining a central hall- way. The upper ~vo floors of the 1894 section are similarly organized around a central light well. The first floor o{ the 1894 building houses the YMCA% gymnasium. Occupyirlg the entire floor, it is encircled by a six-foot-wide running gallery supported by cantilevered steel brackets. The basement under both sections houses a weight room, boxing room, locker rooms, offices, showers, handball court, equipment room, billiards room and boiler room, in addition to the swimming pool situated on the west side o{ the 1916 section [see Figure 4]. According to the Tefegrcp]~-f-Iera]d, "The bathing pool, built of marble and concrete, is one of the distinctive features of the institution. It is sixty feet long, eighteen feet wide and is filled with filtered water heated to a temperature of seventy degrees. The deepest water is nine feet and the shal- lowest three and a half feet. In connection with the p0ol are separate shower baths for men and boys. A spectators' gallery surrounds the pool."2 Many o{ the interior finishes remain intactl though years of deferred maintenance and the build- ing's service as a flophouse over the past thirty years have taken their toll. Most of the walls and ceilings feature painted or papered plaster surfaces. The floors contain a variety of ers, including carpet, linoleum, wood tongue-in-groove boards, ceramic tile and vinyl-asbestos tile. The swimming pool and gymnasium both appear largely intact. The latter space features maple strip flooring, wood paneled and painted plaster walls and an acoustical tile ceiling. ~"Y/~C.A. Is Ready for Big Opening," Dubuque TelegrapA-.~rer~lH, 20 December 1916. 2L~id. FRASERDESIGN ~[ see continuation sheet NPS Form 10-900-a OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet section number 7 page 6 DUBUQUE YMCA B UILDIN G Dubuque County, Iowa BASEMENT LEVEL AS-BUILT PLAN Figure 3. Bosement P~an, by Sikes Abemofhie, Architects. 2001. FRASERDESIGN :;~ see continuation sheet NPS Form 10-900-a OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet section number 7 page 7 DUBUQUE YMCA BUILDING Dubuque County, Iowa ~'~ FIRST LEVEL AS-BUILT PLAN Figure 4. First Floor Plan, by Sike$ Abernc~thie, Architects. 2001. FRASERDESIGN ~ see continuetion sheet NPS Form 10-900-a OMB Approval No, 1024-0018 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet section number 7 page 8 DUBUQUE YMCA BUILDING Dubuque County, Iowa SECOND LEVEL AS-BUILT PLAN FRASERDESIGN i::~i see continuation sheet NPS Form 10-900-a United States Department of the Interior National Park Sen~ice National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 section number 7 page DUBUQUE YMCA BUILDING Dubuque County, iowa I I THIRD LEVEL AS-BUILT PLAN Figure (5. Third Floor PIc~n, by Sikes At~ernofhie, Architects, FRASERDESIGN [~ see continuation sheet NPS Form 1~-900-a OMB Approval No. 102,1-0018 (8-8~) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet section number 7 page 10 DUBUQUE YMCA BUILDING Dubuque County, Iowa ~ FOURTH LEVEL AS-BUILT pLAN Figure 7. Foudh Floor PIc~n, by Sikes AbernQthie, Architec~ 200h FRASERDBSIGN ,!~! see continuation sheet NPS Form 10-900-a United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 section number 7 page 11 BUQUE YMCA BUILDING Dubuque County, Iowa ~[ Rgure 8. Swimming pool in DubuqueYMC,~ 1916. The Dubuque YMCA has undergone numerous alterations since the building opened in 1895. The most serious of these occurred in 1906, when the original second-floor auditorium of the western section was subdivided into dormitory rooms. At that time the space was cut up into two floors and subdivided into some 50 small rooms. The original suspension structural system remained, but additional beams and joists were added to support the new floor. A new level of windows was cut into the south, north and west walls between the existing second and third rows, necessitating the removal of the building's original name stone. A frume light well was built in the building's core, extending from the roof, through the attic and the upper two floors, and a steel f/re escape was mounted on the alley. At this time the gymuasium was enlarged by removing a first-floor looker room at the building's south end. Basketball hoops were installed onto the running gallery. FRASERDESIGN i~ see continuation sheet NPS Form 10-900-a OMB Approval Ne. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet section number 7 page 12 DUB U QUE YMCA BUILDING Dubuque County, Iowa Construction of the 1916 section necessitated the demolition of the original 1857 house that had been donated to the YMCA by benefactor H.L. Stout. Since its completion, this part of the building has remained comparatively intact. According to city building records, renovations of various scales were made to the building in 1935, 1937, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1948, 1975 and 1985. The litany of alterations includes bricking-in of a large archway in the east wall of the 1894 section; construction o{ new partitions in the basements of the two wings; replacement of the wood roof shingles on the 1894 section with asphalt; construction of a glass block bar in the second-floor dining room in the 1916 section; partial reconfiguration of the men's lobby to accommodate a regis[ration desk and storage rooms for the Iowa Inn; removal of the skylights and spectators' gallery over the swimming pool and construction of offices, storage rooms and a shop on the first floor over the pool; covering-over of the skylight on the 1894 section with shingles; installation of the aluminundplastic "Iowa Inn" sign over the main entrance; installation of aluminum storms over the windows; replacement of the original front entrance with an alumi- nun storefront; replacement of the interior door frames on the fourth floor of the 1916 section with hollow metal unit.,; replacement of many of the interior finishes; installation of acoustical- tile ceilings; and boarding-over of many o{ the windows with plywood. And finally, before being. evicted from the building in 1997, some of its occupants set fires, causing fire and smoke dam- age in several of the rooms of the 1916 section. Despite these alterations, damage and deterior- ation, the Dubuque YMCA maintains a relatively high degree of integrity of design, workman- ship, location, setting, materials, feeling and association. The building is an important land- mark for the city, a visual anchor for the central business district. FRASERDESIGN ii~{ see continuation sheet NPS Form 10-900-a United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Approve] No, 1024-00t8 section number 8 page 13 DU BUQU E YM CA BUILDING DubuqueCoun~y, lowa C onstructedin two stages in 1894 and 1916, the Dubuque Young Men's Christian Association Building is a locally prominent landmark that derives its signifi- cance from two principal areas: social history' and architecture. The property is eligible for listing in the National Register under Criterion A for its exemplification on a local level of a nationally important social institution. The YMCA has played a complex and evolving role in American society. What started out in the 1850s as an arm of the Protestant church was reor- ganized in the late 1860s ns a more secularly based institution. Church management of the YMCA gave way to that of the business community, and the organization's mission shifted grad- ually from proselytizing to housing, recreation, education and athletics. The YMCA was some- times cynically viewed by its supporters in the business community as a means to insure the continuity and soundness of their working force. In this capacity, Association buildings through- out the country have served a variety of functions in their communities: educational center; recreational alternative to saloons; facility for athletic activities such as~gymnastics, swin'nning and basketball; auditor/urn for social and entertainment events; boarding house for single young men; haven for homosexual cruising; and, most recently, health club for a largely suburban, middle-class clientele. Embracing all of these functions, the Dubuque YMCA Building has played an important historical'role in the social fabric of .this city: The Dubuque YMCA Building is also eligible under Criterion C for its embodiment of the dis- tinctive characteristics of two periods and styles of construction. Although the YMCA was actu- ally a loose confederation of independent associations, these municipal gcoups often relied on each other for architectural direction, often copying or adapting the successful designs of build- ings in other cities. As a result, YMCA architecture acquired an institutional character, dis- tinctive in both its form and style. YMCA buildings in 19th century Iowa generally employed Richardsonian Romanesque architecture, with the most outstanding examples in the state being the facilities in Des Moines, Ottumwa and Iowa City. The 1894 wing of the Dubuque YMCA exemplified this style, though not as distinctively as its high-style peers. After the turn of the century, YMCA architecture trended more toward Classical Revival and Commercial styles, and in this the 19t6 wing of the Dubuque building is a representative example. It thus embodies two of the major architectural trends of this institution from the historic period. Although the Dubuque YMCA has suffered the demolition of its earliest component--the 1857 house of bene- factor H.L. Stout--and has undergone numerous changes to its interior spaces and finishes, the building has retained its overall architectural character. Indeed, its staged construction and subsequent alterations illustra~e the evolving role that the YMCA has played in Dubuque. For decades e local landmark, the Young Men's Christian Association Building represents an impor- tant aspect of Dubuque history. As such it deserves to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. FRASERDESIGN [iN[ see continuation sheet