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Four Mounds Estate Landmark StaPlanning Services Department City Hall 50 West 13th S~eet Dubuque, Iowa 520014864 (563) 5894210 office (563) 5894221 fax (563) 690-6678 TDD plm-a2ng~dtyof dubuque.or g November 11,2003 The Honorable Mayor and City Council City of Dubuque 50 W. 13th Street Dubuque, IA 52001 RE: Four Mounds Estate Historic District- Petition for Landmark Status Dear Mayor and City Council Members: INTRODUCTION The Four Mounds Foundation has submitted a letter to the Historic Preservation Commission petitioning the Four Mounds Estate Historic District to become designated as a City (local) Landmark. The Four Mounds Estate Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. DISCUSSION The City of Dubuque has designated 7 local landmark sites for the Historic Preservation Commission to administer: City Hall, Dubuque County Courthouse, Old Dubuque County Jail, William M. Black steamboat, Shot Tower, Mathias Ham House, and Julien Dubuque Monument. All of these structures are on the National Register. As required by the Historic Preservation Ordinance, the Long Range Planning Advisory Commission has reviewed the request, and has found that the designation of the Four Mounds Estate Historic District as a City Landmark is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan, Zoning Ordinance, and proposed public improvements. As required by the Historic Preservation Ordinance, the proposal was submitted to the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) for review and recommendations. 1 reviewed the SHPO's comments and recommendations with City Planning and Legal staff, and our response is enclosed. We concur with the SHPO's recommended changes to the ordinance designating Four Mounds Estate Historic District both as a City Landmark, and also as a City Landmark Site. Service People Integrity Responsibiiity Irmovafion Teamwork Four Mounds Estate Historic Distdct - Petition for Landmark Status Page 2 The additional designation as a City Landmark Site recognizes the important prehistoric resources of the Four Mounds archeological site. The Four Mounds archeological site is individually listed on the National Register. As required by the Histodc Preservation Ordinance, after the public headng on November 17, the City Council is to approve or disapprove the ordinance designating Four Mounds, or refer the nomination back to the Histodc Preservation Commission for modification. RECOMMENDATION The Historic Preservation Commission respectfully requests that the City Council approve the enclosed ordinance to establish the Four Mounds Estate Historic District as both a City Landmark and a City Landmark Site. Sincerely, Christopher Wand, Chairperson Historic Preservation Commission Attachments Michael Van Milligen, City Manager Barry Lindahl, Corporation Counsel Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager PIatming Services Department City Hall 50 West i3th Street Dubuque, Iowa 52001~4864 (563) 5894210 office (563) 5894221 fax (563) 690-6678 TDD plann/ng~c!tyo£dubuque.or g November 10, 2003 Kerry McGrath, Project Manager Community Programs Bureau State Historical Society of Iowa 600 East Locust Street Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0290 Subject: Designation of the Four Mounds Estate as a City of Dubuque Historic Landmark and Landmark Site Dear Ms. McGrath: I have received the comments and recommendations from you, Ralph Christian, and Barbara Mitchell about the designation of the Four Mounds Estate as a City of Dubuque Historic Landmark to Assistant Planner Wally Wemimont. We are pleased to find that the State Histodc Preservation Office is in support of the property being listed as a City Landmark. These comments have been reviewed by Assistant Planner Wally Wernimont, Planning Services Manager Laura Carstens, Assistant City Attorney Tim O'Brien and myself. The following is a response to the comments and recommendations we received. The numbers below correspond to the numbered paragraphs submitted in your letter dated October 13, 2003 (enclosed). The Four Mounds Estate Histodc District does include the Founds Mounds Site as a contributing site as identified in Section No. 7 on Page 6 of the Four Mounds Estate Histodc Distdct National Register Nomination Form. We aflree that the ordinance should add a section that the designated property has archaeological, architectural, and historic significance. We agree the first sentence of Section 1 of the ordinance should include the property being designated as a City Landmark and a City Landmark Site. We agree the third paragraph in Section 1 of the ordinance should include objects and sites. (Actually the second ~.4 in your letter) The information the Four Mounds Foundation submitted did not contain the portion of the National Register Service People Integrity Responsib~tity Innovation Teamwork Letter to Kerry McGrath Designation of Four Mounds as a City Landmark and City Landmark Site November 10, 2003 Page 2 Nomination that contains the scaled map. The City has a copy of the photographs and a scale map of the property that was submitted with the National Register nomination. The City did not feel that photographs needed to be submitted because the SHPO should have a copy available in the State Archives. (Actually #5 in your letter) The preparation of the Iowa Site Inventory Forms for each of the buildings, structures, objects and sites within the Four Mounds Estate was not required for the National Register nomination. The Historic Preservation Commission will evaluate whether preparation of these forms should be a future CLG or HRDP grant project, and then provide our recommendation to the City Council. (Actually ~6 in your letter) The City has a scale map of the property showing the location of all buildings, structures, objects and sites as stated before. In addition, the City has aedal photos of the property. These were included in the National Register nomination on file in the State Archives. As per the CLG Agreement between the State of Iowa and City of Dubuque, you will receive copies of the nomination and ordinance designating the property if the City Council approves the designation. The City of Dubuque is the owner of the property. The Historic Preservation Commission will evaluate your suggestion to apply for HRDP or Iowa Cultural Grant for preparation of a maintenance and management plan for the property, and then provide our recommendation to the City Council. If you have any questions feel free to contact Assistant Planner Wally Wernimont at 563-589-4210. Thank you for your comments. Sincerely, Christopher J. Wand Chairperson, Histodc Preservation Commission Enclosure cc: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members Michael Van Milligen, City Manager Gil Spence, Leisure Services Manager Preparer:. Laura Carstens, Planninq Services Mananer Address: 50 W, 13th Street Telephone: 563-589-4210 ORDINANCE NO. 90-03 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 25 (HISTORIC PRESERVATION ORDINANCE) OF THE CITY OF DUBUQUE CODE OF ORDINANCES BY AMENDING SECTION 25-6 IDENTIFICATION AND DESIGNATION OF LANDMARKS, LANDMARK SITES AND HISTORIC DISTRICTS TO INCLUDE THE FOUR MOUNDS ESTATE HISTORIC DISTRICT AS A CITY LANDMARK. Whereas, the Historic Preservation Commission has recommended amendments to Chapter 25 (Historic Preservation Ordinance) of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Dubuque; and Whereas, the City Council finds that the recommended amendments to the Historic Preservation Ordinance are consistent with the goals and objectives of the Comprehensive Plan and the purpose and intent of the Historic Preservation Ordinance. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA: Section 1. The Historic Preservation Ordinance (Chapter 25) of the City of Dubuque Code of Ordinances is hereby amended by amending Section 6 to add (12) Four Mounds Estate Historic District as a City Landmark and a City Landmark site as follows: Section 25-6.12 FOUR MOUNDS ESTATE HISTORIC DISTRICT. The property hereinafter described is hereby designated as a landmark, according to the provisions of this chapter, to wit: The buildings, structures, objects, sites, and property situated on LOT 1-1-2-1 & LOT 1- 1-2-1-1 of SW-NW & GOV 1 & MIN LOT 331 & LOT 1-7-SW & LOT 2-NW-NW ALL IN SEC 1 OF T89N-R2E & LOT 1 & LOT 2~1-1-1 OF SUB OF 1-7 SW and SW OF NW SEC 1 T89N-R2E & GOV LOT 1 NKJA MIN LOT 331 & LOT 1-1-4, 2-2-4, 2-1-2-4. LOT 2 & 3 OF SW SEC 1 OF T89N-R2E & LOT 1 FOUNTAIN HILL RE-SUB & LOT 16 JOHN DEERE DUB TRACTOR WORKS & LOT 2-1-1-2-2 OF SE ¼ NE ¼ SEC 2 OF T89N-R2E 5TM, commonly known as 4900 Peru Road. Section 2. That the foregoing has heretofore been reviewed by the Historic Preservation Commission and Long Range Planning Advisory Commission of the City of Dubuque, Iowa and the State Historical Society of Iowa. . ' Ordinance No. - 03 Page 2 Section 3. The property has archaeological, architectural, and historic significance and meets the requirements for designation as a city landmark and city landmark site. Section 4. This ordinance shall take effect immediately upon publication. Passed, approved and adopted this 17th day of November, ,2003. Attest: Jeanne F. Schneider, City Clerk F:\USERS\Wwemimo\HPC~four mounds ordinance.doc I_iSTATE ISTORICAL 'SOCIETYof iOWA A Division Of The Department of Cultural Affairs October 13, 2003 Wally Wernimont, Assistant Planner City of Dubuque Planning Services Department City Hall 50 west t3th Street Dubuque, Iowa 52001-4864 RE: Designation of the Four Mounds Estate as a City of Dubuque Historic Landmark Dear Wally: We received your letter of September 18, 2003 containing information pertaining to the proposed designation of the Four Mounds Estate as a municipal historic landmark. Thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on the designation of this important cultural resource. Ralph Christian, historian; Barbara Mitchell, architectural historian and myself conducted the review and offer the following comments and recommendations: 1. The Four Mounds Estate Historic District contains significant prehistoric and historic period properties~all of which have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places through two nominations. The first nomination focused on the prehistoric properties and was titled, "Four Mounds Site, 13DB21', listed in 2000. The second nomination focused on the historic period properties and was titled. "Four Mounds Estate Historic District", listed in 2001. We recommend that the local noraination consist of both of these National Register Nominations. 2. We recommend that the ordinance, designating the property, should include a Section that specifies all the significance criteria met by the Four Mounds Site and the Four Mounds Estate District. According to the "Definitions" in Dubuque's historic preservation ordinance, the property has archaeological, architectural, and historic significance. 3. We recommend that the first sentence of Section 1 of the ordinance, designating the property, be amended by indicating that the "Four Mounds Estate Historic District is designated as a City Landmark and a City Site". This would recogn/ze the National Register hsted archaeological deposits on the property and accord with the definitions in the City's historic preservation ordinance. 4. We recommend that the third paragraph in Section 1. of the ordinance designating the property should be amended as follows: "The buildings, structures, objects, sites, and property situated on Lot 1-1-2-1'.... 600 F~AST LOCUST STREET I)ESMOINES, I& 50319-0290 P: (515) 281-6826, EMAILckerry.mcgrath~dca.srate.ia.us -2- This wording will clarify that the ordinance pertains to the archaeological sites and significant landscaping found on the property as well as various buildings and structures. 4. The nomination that we reviewed contained neither scale maps nor photographs of the properties found within the proposed historic landmark and site. We recommend that the City prepare and/or obtain a set of photographs documenting the current status of all buildings, structures, objects and sites within the designated property. 5. In addition, we recommend that the City prepare and/or obtain completed Iowa Site Inventory Forms for each of the buildings, structures, objects, and sites within the designated property. This detailed inventory should describe the current condition of each and provide a base line for assessing the appropriateness of future alterations. 6. We also recommend that the City prepare and/or obtain a detailed scale map of the property showing the location of all buildings, structures, objects and sites within the designated property. Like the inventory, this will be needed for future review and management purposes. Per the CLG Agreement between the State of Iowa and City of Dubuque, we ask that you furnish us with revised, final copies of the nomination and ordinance designating the property for the State Inventory. Finally, the City of Dubuque might encourage the owner of this property to apply for a REAP-Historical Resource Development Grant and/or an Iowa Cultural Grant to underwrite preparation of a maintenance and management plan for the property that will assist in preserving the integrity and historic character of the property. The submission deadlines for these grants fall in January, 2004, and March, 2004 respectively. Information about each is found on the Department of Cultural Affairs website, www.culturalaffairs.or.q. For your file and information, a copy of the Four Mounds Site National Register nomination is enclosed. We are pleased that the City of Dubuque continues to add properties to its locally designated list and look forward to reviewing more nominations in the future. If you have questions, need clarification or more information, please do not hesitate to contact me at the address page 1, by phone at 515/281-6826 or by email at kerr¥.mc.q rath@iowa.us. Sincerely, Kerry C. McGrath Local Governments/CLG Program Coordinator Cc: Ralph Christian, Historian Barbara Mitchell, SHSI Architectural Historian Enclosure Plam-~g Services Department C~ty ~ 50 West 13th Street Dabuque, Iowa 520014864 (563) 5894210 office (563) 589-4221 fax (563) 690-6678 TDD plam~ng~ci~o f dubuque.or g The Honorable Mayor and City Council City of Dubuque 50 W. 13~ Street Dubuque, lA 52001 RE: Four Mounds Estate Historic Distdct - Petition for Landmark Status September 9, 2003 Dear Mayor and City Council Members: INTRODUCTION The Four Mounds Foundation has submitted a letter to the Historic Preservation Commission petitioning the Four Mounds Estate Historic District to become designated as a City (loCal) Landmark. The Historic Preservation Commission has recommended approval of this petition to designate the Four Mounds Estate Historic District, 4900 Peru Road, as a City Landmark. As required by Section 6 of the Historic Preservation Ordinance, the Long Range Planning Advisory Commission has review the request and concurs with the Historic Preservation Commission. BACKGROUND The Dubuque area is rich in historic, architectural, and archeological resources. Dubuque County has 5 archeological districts, 4 historic districts, and 46 individual structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places as well as 3 National Historic Landmarks. The city limits of Dubuque encompass many of Dubuque County's nationally recognized cultural resources, including 1 of the archeological districts, all 4 histodc districts, and 36 of the 46 individual structures listed on the National Register. Two of the County's 3 National Historic Landmark are located in the Dubuque city limits. The City of Dubuque has been adding to its National Register inventory in the last few years, principally through histodc tax credit projects in the central business district. There are 615 structures in five locally designated historic districts administered by the City of Dubuque's Histodc Preservation Commission: Cathedral, Jackson Park, Langworthy, West 11 ~ Street and Old Main. Three of these districts, Cathedral, Jackson Park, and Old Main, are also listed on the National Register. The City of Dubuque has designated 7 loCal landmark sites for the Historic Preservation Commission to administer: City Hall, Dubuque County Courthouse, Old Dubuque County Jail, William M. B/ack steamboat, Shot Tower, Mathias Ham House, and Julien Dubuque Monument. All of these structures are on the National Register. Service People Inte~ity Responsibility Innovation Teamwork Four Mounds Estate Histodc District - Petition for Landmark Status Page 2 DISCUSSION According to the Historic Preservation Ordinance, the Historic Preservation Commission's recommendation on the nomination of a landmark, and its supporting report, is to be flied w~th the Long Range Planning Advisory Commission with an ordinance that establishes the toce] landmark and describes its location and boundaries by address and legal description. According to the Historic Preservation Ordinance, after receipt of the Histodc Preservation Commission's recommendation, report and proposed ordinance, the Long Range Planning Advisory Commission is to report to the City Council with respect to the relation of the nomination to the Comprehensive Plan, Zoning Ordinance, proposed public improvements and any plans for the renewal of the area involved. The Long Range Planning Advisory Commission has found that the designation of the Four Mounds Estate Historic District as a City Landmark is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan, Zoning Ordinance, and proposed public improvements. According to the Historic Preservation Ordinance, the City Council is to submit the proposed ordinance to the State Historic Preservation Office of the State Histodcel Society of Iowa for review and recommendations at least forty-five (45) days prior to the date of any public hearing conducted by the City Council. Upon receipt of the recommendation and report of the Historic Preservation Commission and the report of the Long Range Planning Advisory Commission, and after having received a recommendation from the State Histodc Preservation Office or if the forty-five day waiting period has lapsed since submission of the request for such recommendation, the City Council shall approve or disapprove the ordinance or amendment, or refer the nomination back to the Histodc Preservation Commission for modification. RECOMMENDATION The Historic Preservation Commission respectfully requests that the City Council forward the proposed ordinance and supporting documentation to the State Histodc Preservation Office and set a public headng for November 17, 2003 to establish the Four Mounds Estate Historic District as a City Landmark. Sincerely, Christopher Wand, Chairperson Historic Preservation Commission Attachments Michael Van Milligen, City Manager Barry Lindahl, Corporation Counsel Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager lvlar tr ting Services Department C~ty Hall 50 West 13th Street Dubuque, Iowa 5200122364 (563) 589-4210 office (563) 589-4221 fax plarming~ci[yofdubuque.org September 9, 2003 The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members City of Dubuque City Hall - 50 W. 13th Street Dubuque, IA 52001 RE: Petition for City Landmark Status -- Four Mounds Estate Historic District Dear Mayor and City Council Members: The Long Range Planning Advisory Commission has reviewed a petition by the Four Mounds Foundation and the Historic Preservation Commission's recommendation, report and proposed ordinance in support of this petition to designate the Four Mounds Estate Historic District, 4900 Peru Road, as a City (local) Landmark. According to the Historic Preservation Ordinance, after receipt of the Historic Preservation Commission's recommendation, report and proposed ordinance, the Long Range Planning Advisory Commission is to report to the City Council with respect to the relation of the nomination to the Comprehensive Plan, Zoning Ordinance, proposed public improvements and any plans for the renewal of the area involved. The Long Range Planning Advisory Commission has found that the designation of the Four Mounds Estate Historic District as a City Landmark is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan, Zoning Ordinance, proposed public improvements and any plans for the renewal of the area involved. The Long Range Planning Advisory Commission is pleased to support the designation of the Four Mounds Estate Historic District as a City Landmark. Sincerely, David Wm. Rusk, Chairperson Long Range Planning Advisory Commission cc Christopher Wand, Historic Preservation Commission Plarmlng Services Department City Hall 50 We~ 13th Street Dubuque, Iowa 52001-4864 (563) 589~210 office (563) 5894221 fax plannlngglcityofdubuque.or g August11,2003 David Wm. Rusk, Chairperson Long Range Planning Advisory Commission City of Dubuque City Hall - 50 W. 13th Street Dubuque, IA 52001 RE: Request for Input on Petition for City Landmark Status Four Mounds Estate Historic District, 4900 Peru Road Dear Chairperson Rusk: The Historic Preservation Commission has reviewed and approved a petition by the Four Mounds Foundation to designate the Four Mounds Estate Historic District, 4900 Peru Road, as a City (local) Landmark. A staff report and related information are enclosed. The Four Mounds Estate Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 24, 2002 with a level of local significance. As supported by the enclosed nomination, the Historic Preservation Commission has determined that the property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our local history and the property has yielded, or is likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history. The property is over 50 years old and is well preserved. The Historic Preservation Commission respectfully requests the support of the Long Range Planning Advisory Commission for the designation of the Four MOunds Estate Historic District as a City Landmark. Sincerely, Christopher Wand, Chairperson Historic Preservation Commission Enclosures Service People Integ~fty Responsibility llmovalSon Teamwork MEMORANDUM August11,2003 TO: FROM: SUBJECT: Long Range Planning Advisory Commission Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager Four Mounds Estate Historic District -- Petition for Landmark Status INTRODUCTION The Four Mounds Foundation has submitted a letter to the Historic Preservation Commission petitioning the Four Mounds Estate Historic District to become designated as a City (local) Landmark. The Historic Preservation Commission has recommended approval of this petition to designate the Four Mounds Estate Historic District, 4900 Peru Road, as a City Landmark. BACKGROUND The Dubuque area is rich in historic, architectural, and archeological resources. Dubuque County has 5 archeological districts, 4 historic districts, and 46 individual structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places as well as 3 National Historic Landmarks. The city limits of Dubuque encompass many of Dubuque County's nationally recognized cultural resources, including 1 of the archeological districts, all 4 historic districts, and 36 of the 46 individual structures listed on the National Register. Two of the County's 3 National Historic Landmarks are in the Dubuque city limits. The City of Dubuque has been adding to its National Register inventory in the last few years, principally through historic tax credit projects in the central business district. There are 615 structures in five locally designated historic districts administered by the City of Dubuque's Historic Preservation Commission: Cathedral, Jackson Park, Langworthy, West 11th Street and Old Main. Three of these districts, Cathedral, Jackson Park, and Old Main, are also listed on the National Register. The City of Dubuque has designated 7 local landmark sites for the Historic Preservation Commission to administer: City Halt, Dubuque County Courthouse, Old Dubuque County Jail, William M. Black steamboat, Shot Tower, Mathias Ham House, and Julien Dubuque Monument. All of these structures are on the National Register. Four Mounds Estate Historic District Page 2 DISCUSSION According to the Historic Preservation Ordinance, the Historic Preservation Commission's recommendation on the nomination of a landmark, and its supporting report, is to be filed with the Long Range Planning Advisory Commission with an ordinance that establishes the local landmark and describes its location and boundaries by address and legal description. Enclosed is a copy of this proposed ordinance. A time line for this process also is enclosed. According to the Historic Preservation Ordinance, after receipt of the Historic Preservation Commission's recommendation, report and proposed ordinance, the Long Range Planning Advisory Commission is to report to the City Council with respect to the relation of the nomination to the Comprehensive Plan, Zoning Ordinance, proposed public improvements and any plans for the renewal of the area involved. Enclosed is the City of Dubuque's Historic Preservation Plan, including a Vision for Dubuque's Historic preservation Districts and Long Range Goats for Planning and Development of Dubuque's Historic Preservation Districts. The Historic Preservation Plan is based on the City's Comprehensive Plan. The Dubuque Zoning Ordinance also refers to the historical and cultural resources of the community in Section 1-2. Purpose (emphasis added): "The zoning regulations and districts have been made for the purpose of promoting the health, safety, and general welfare of the community, and for the protection and preservation of places and areas of historical and culfural importance and significance. The zoning regulations and districts have been designed to lessen congestion in the streets; to secure safety from fire and other hazards; to provide adequate light and air; to prevent the overcrowding of land; to avoid undue concentration of population and to facilitate the adequate provision of transportation, water, sewage, schools, parks and other public requirements. The zoning regulations and districts have been made with reasonable consideration of the character of the district and its suitability for the particular uses, and with a view of conse~ing the vatue of buildings and encouraging the most appropriate use of land throughout the community." The Fiscal Year 2004-2008 Capital Improvement Plan includes a budget for Four Mounds of $164,000 from the General Fund for road improvements in FY2007 and $505,000 in private fund raising and General Fund revenues for land acquisition in FY2008. RECOMMENDATION Planning Services staff recommends approval of the designation of the Four Mounds Estate Historic District as a City Landmark based on its consistency with the Comprehensive Plan, Zoning Ordinance, and proposed public improvements. Enclosures City Landmark Status for Four Mounds Estate Historic District (Time Line) June 18, 2003 Letter received from Four Mounds Foundation petitioning the Histodc Preservation Commission and City of Dubuque to establish the Four Mounds Estate Historic District as a City Landmark. Ju~ 17,2003 Historic Preservation Commission holds public hearing, reviews request and recommends the Long Range Planning Advisory Commission and City Council approve the Four Mounds Estate Historic District as a City Landmark. Augu~ 20,2003 Long Range Planning Advisory Commission reviews HPC's recommendation, report and proposed ordinance and submits report to City Council. September 2, 2003 City Council submits the proposed ordinance to State Histodc Preservation Office of the State Historical Society of Iowa for review and recommendations at least forty-five (45) days before any public headng. Sets public hearing date for October 20, 2003. October 20, 2003 City Council reviews and approves or disapproves the proposed City Landmark Status for the Four Mounds Estate Historic District. l:OIJl '/ OIJI1DS I=OIJI'IDI I'IOI1 4900 Peru Road. Dubuque, Iowa 52001 * 319-557-7292 Mr. Chris Wand, Chair Historic Preservation Commission c/o Planning Services Department CITY OF DUBUQUE 50 West 13m Street Dubuque, IA 52001 June 12, 2 )O~'[ANNING SERVICE~ tI£PARTMFffiT Re: Petition for nomination of landmark status Dear Chairperson Wand, The Four Mounds Foundation values the preservation and conservation of the Four Mounds estate as one of its highest priorities-- after all, it is an integral part ofits mission. In 2001, Four Mounds successfully completed nomination of the estate to the National Register of Historic Places, and it is now known as Four Mounds Estate Historic District. We areproud of this accomplishment and consider the status an honor. However, we are also aware that this status provides'little to no protection for Four Mounds. We understand that local status as a landmark, together with sensitive stewardship., cnn'be a highly effective tool for protecting Dubuque's historic places. The Foundation is interested in pursuing status as a local landmark first as a means to convey the , importance of this property in relation to Dubuque's history, but also as an additional, effective mol for its long term preservation. Representing the board and staff of Four Mounds Foundation, we now petition the Historic Preservation CommiSSion to consider creating a landmark of Four Mounds estate. We have attached a copy of the nomination with this letter and Welcome any questions you have regarding our request. Thank you for your time and attention to INs matter and your continued service to.the Dubuque community. Sincerely, ~ohn Gronen, President A Non Profit Foundation ~ Preservation · Education NPS Form 10-900 (Oct. 1990) OMB No. 10024-0018 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 Howto Complete the National Register of Histodc Places Registration Form (National Register Bulletin 18A). Complete each item by marking '~' 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 applicable." For functions, architectural cisssification, materials and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcetegories from the instructions. Place addEiona[ entries and narrative items on continuation sheets (NPS Form 10-900a). Use a typewriter, word processor, or computer, to complete ail items. t. Name of Property historic name Four Mounds Estate Historic Distdct other names/site number 2. Location street & number 4900 Peru Road N/A [_] not for publication city or town Dubuque X[~_] vicinity state Iowa code IA county Dubuque code 061 zip code 52001 3. Stata/Federal A(3encv Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, I hereby ceA[fy that this IX1 nomination [_] request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets th~ procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property FX] meets [._] does not meet the National Register criteda. I recommend that this property be considered significant [_] nationally i'~ statewide P~q locally. ([_] see continuation sheet for additional carements). Signature of cartif¥~ng official/Title 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 cart~FJing officiaFT~tle Date State or Federal agency and bureau 4. National Park Service Certification hereby cartify that the properbj is: [_] entered in the National Register. L] See continuation sheet. [_] determined eligible for the National Register. 11 See continuation sheet. [_~ determined not eligible for the Nstisnaf Register. [_] removed from the National Register. [_] other, (expisib:) S~nature ~theKee~r Date of Action ~Four Mounds Estate Historic Distr~ct Dubuque County. iowa Name of Property County and State Statement of Siqnificance Applicable National Register Criteria (Mark "x" in one or more boxes for the cdteria qualifying the property .for National Register listing.) iX] A Property is associated with events that have made a significant conthbution to the broad patterns of our history. B Property is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past. [.X_] C Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, 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. X[~ D Property has yielded, or is likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history. Areas of Significance (Enter categories from instructions) ARCHITECTURE AGRICULTURE ARCHEOLOGY/PREHISTORIC Period of Significance A.D. 350-1250 1907-1951 Significant Dates 1907 1908 1924 Significant Person (Complete if Cdtedon ~ is marked above) Cultural Affiliation Late Woodland Architecfl'Builder Buck, Lawrence Criteria Considerations (Mark '~' in ail the boxes that apply.) Property is: [_] A owned by a religious institution or used for religious purposes. ~] B removed from its original location. [..] C a birthplace or grave. r._] D a cemetery. [._] E a reconstructed building, object, or structure. [_] F a commemorative property. [._] G less than 50 years of age or achieved significance within the past 50 years. Narrative Statement of Significance (Explain the significance of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) 9. Major Biblioclral~hical References Wyman, A. Phelps Bibliography (Cite the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form on one or more centJnuation sheets.) Previous documentation on file (NPS): Primary location of additional data: [_] preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67) has been requested [~] previously listed in the National Register [_] previously determined eligible by the National Register r._] designated a National Historic Landmark [_~ recorded by Historic Amedcan Buildings Survey L.] recorded by HJstodc American Engineering Record # X[~_] State Histodc Preservation Office [_] Other State agency [_] Federal agency [_] Local government [_.] University [._] Other Name of repository: United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 7 Page Four Mounds Estate Historic District Dubuque County, Iowa Narrative Description The Four Mounds Estate Historic District encompasses the country estate established in 1908 by George A. and Viola Burden between Peru Road and the Mississippi River just north of the City of Dubuque in Dubuque Township, Dubuque County~ Iowa. The extant buildings include their home, the Grey House built in 1908; a barn; corncrib; icehouse; hog house; garage; pump house; porch ramada; root cellar; and two servants' homes (for the gardener and the chauffeur); and the White House built in 1924 for their son, George R. Burden and his wife, Elizabeth, upon their marriage. George R. ("Bill") and Elizabeth Burden added a garden shed, two playhouses (only one is extant), a woodworking shop, and a rock garden to the estate. The final building added to the estate was a cabin built in 1956 for Frindy Burden Gronen, daughter of George R. and Elizabeth. The Four Mounds estate derived its name from the presence of four prehistoric burial mounds that line the blufflop just downslope from the Grey House. The Burden family has always been careful and respectful of these mounds and has preserved them in place. The estate also includes landscaping features such as the planted trees, shrubs, and flower gardens, many of which remain in place or have been restored. The entire site is dominated by expansive, blufftop views of the Mississippi River valley to the east and rolling farmland to the west of this blufftop estate. Originally, the binffiop had been Cleared of much of its vegetation but through time, the woodlands have grown in as part of a maturing landscape plan giving the estate a wooded park-like appearance. The property is entered from Peru Road along a narrow driveway that winds through the woods up to the bluffiop location of the estate proper. The entryway is marked by a metal Four Mounds sign and rustic rock walls that flank the driveway. As one drives up onto the bluffiop, the driveway winds past the working part of the farm including the ham and agricultural outbuildings and two houses for servants of the Burden family before heading directly up to the Grey House, a mansion perched at the apex of the blufftop. The driveway circles up to the house but also leads over to the White House where it circles around and heads back to the Grey House. A second side driveway leads to the burial mounds and the Gronen cabin just below the Grey House. Grey House The Grey House was actually the second house built on this estate. During the construction of this house, George A. and Viola Burden lived in what would become their chauffeur's house. The Grey House was completed in 1908 and is an early example in Iowa ora large house strongly influenced by the Arts & Crafts Movement. It was designed by Chicago architect, Lawrence Buck, and is the only surviving house in Iowa designed by Buck. The basic layout of the estate grounds was designed by the Chicago landscaping fn'm of A. Phelps Wyman. This 21-room house is two-stories in height and is distinguished by a massive clipped-gable or jerkinhead roof and a massive horizontal emphasis. The roof is covered with wood shakes. The walli are grey rough-cast stucco, while the foundation is limestone block in construction. The roof has flared, wide overhanging eaves and small hip- roofed dormers on the roof slope at the attic level. Exterior features of note include the original casement and multi- pane double-hung windows, the use of rectangular and rounded cantilevered bay windows on both the first and second floors, a distinctive two-story bow window at the juncture of the two ells on the rear elevation of the house, and the use of round-arched, segmental-arched and rectangnlur window and door openings. Also of note is the stuccoed porte-cochere that shelters the main front entry door, which is a single door flanked by sidelights. The metal- and-glass light fixtures flanking the entry and hanging down from the porte-cochere roof are Arts & Crafts fixtures featuring two versions of the Four Mounds logo (see attached photographs). These fixtures may have been designed by Eleanor d'Arey Gaw, who had developed a national reputation as an Arts & Crafts metal worker and was an associate of architect, Lawrence Buck, who designed the Grey House. United States Department of the Interior National Park Service 'National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 7 Page 2 Four Mounds Estate Historic District Dubuque County, Iowa The interior of the house follows a T-shaped plan (see attached floor plans). The first floor is raised above ground level and is reached via a stalmase in the formal entry vestibule. The vestibule leads into an open hall, with the curved bow window on the right and an open staircase to the second floor on the left. Turning right, one enters the living room, which is graced by a brick and tile fireplace at one end and distinctive Arts & Crafts light f'm'tures. Two sets of French doors open into the screened veranda or sunroom at the east end of this ell. To the left of the front entry hall one can enter the card room opposite the staircase or continue on into the formal dining room, which in turn leads into the screened summer dining room. The pantry, kitchen, and maids' dining room are situated offthe main hallway in the no~th ell of the house. Natural woodwork and Mission-style furniture complete the feel of this Arts & Crafts- inspired home. The second floor is reached via the open staimase that leeds into an open hall like that of the first floor (see attached floor plan). Here the bow window includes a window seat that offers a spectacular view of the Mississippi Kiver valley. The second floor includes seven bedrooms, including two for the house servants, four bathrooms with original fixlures, and a screened veranda off the east bedroom that may have been used as a sitting room by the Burden family. The basement extends underneath the main portion of the house and is remarkable for the massive limestone walls even for the interior support walls (see attached floor plan). The basement includes a laundry room, a bathroom, a milk storage room, a fruits, vegetable and preserves storage room, a large boiler room, two smaller rooms for general storage and storage of all the screens and storm windows for the house, and a larger tank room that still houses the massive water-pressure tank that provides water throughout the house. Finally, the attic, which extends the full length of the house consists of unfatished storage space. This space currently houses much of the extra furniture collection donated to the Four Mounds Foundation. The Grey House currently serves as the Four Mounds Conference Center and Inn (Four Mounds Foundation n.d.). Meeting space and overnight stays can be reserved. The former card room on the first floor now serves as the museum shop for the Four Mounds Foundation. White ][louse The White House was built in 1924 for George R; "Bill" and Elizabeth Adams Burden upon their marriage. Elizabeth Burden lived in this house until her death in 1982, and it was her decision to bequeath Four Mounds to the citizens of Dubuque. The house when built was a two-story side-gabled building designed in the Colonial Revival style of architeeture. It is distinguished by a very steep, salt-box gabled roof with extended gable over the rear porch. The roof is covered with wood shingles. Steep shed-roofed dormers mark the rear roof slope. The formal front entry has a Colonial Revival-style portico entry porch supported by paired round columns. Other distinctive features include the 8/8 and 6/6 double-hung windows, the fanlight windows in the gable peaks flanking the brick chimneys, and the round archways and latticework of the side entryways. The only modification to the original house was the construction of a gable-roofed addition to the west side of the house. However, this addition had been made by 1934 because it was shown in a photograph of the house published in a 1934 article in the local newspaper (Telegraph HeraM & Times Journal, September 9, 1934). The eddition likely reflects the growing family of Bill and Elizabeth Burden by that time. The White House is currently being restored to serve as an extension of the Four Mounds Conference Center and Inn (Four Mounds Foundation n.d.). NPS Form 1 ~30~ United States Department of the Interior National Park Service OMB ApprovaI No. 1024~018 National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 7 Page 3 Four Mounds Estate Historic District Dubuque County, Iowa ]~aFu The barn was the main building for the Burden's farming operation. It was built in 1908, and housed a shop and garage as well as stalls for cows and workhorses. The second floor was used for a hayloft and grain storage as well as living space for the original carriage driver. This rectangular gable-roofed building has a wood-shingled roof with two pyramidal hip-roofed ventilators on the roof ridge. The siding is horizontal drop siding, and the foundation is rough- cut limestone blocks. The ham is banked into a slight slope but does not have a basement level. The construction of the barn is plank framing, with much of the interior of the ground level being f'mished with beaded-board siding on the ceiling and walls. The majority of the ground floor interior was used for an automobile garage and workshop, with the mrnainder having a few stalls for horses and milking stanchions for cows. A tack room and granary occupied the remaining space (see attached floor plans). The upper level of the barn included a small room for the carriage driver and a large open loft area for hay and grain storage. Restoration of the barn began in 1997-98, with restoration of the interior continuing to the present day. The ham currently serves as a workshop while restoration is ongoing (Four Mounds Foundation n.d.). Gardener's ][louse This house was built in 1910 to serve as housing for the estate gardener. Two generations of the Heitzman family lived here. The house is a 1.5 story side-gabled building with a wood-shingle roof, nsrrow-width clapboard siding, and a limestone foundation. It is banked slightly into the natural slope. Distinctive features include the shingled cornice returns, the hip-roof portico porch supported by round posts, and the front door with transom window. The windows are all 1/1 double-bungs likely original to the house construction. The Gardener's House currently serves as the residence for the Four Mounds Grounds Manager and his family. Chauffeur's }louse This was the first building constructed on the estate. It was built in 1907 and served as the Burden home until the Grey House was completed in 1908. It later became the home of Milton and Irene Kirch and their family. Milton Kirch was the chauffeur. This house is similar in scale and design to the Gardener's House but lacks the cornice returns and has a different porch design than that later house. The Chauffeur's house has a wood-shingled side-gabled roof, a shed-roofed dormer on the front roof slope, and a shed-roofed front porch that extends out from the ftont roof slope. The porch is supported by round columns. The windows include 2/2 double-bungs and fixed four-panes on the front fagade, The house is sided with narrow board clapboards, while the dormer has natural wood shingle siding. The foundation is of rough-cut limestone blocks. The Chauffeur's House currently serves as the offices of the Four Mounds Foundation (Four Mounds Foundation n.d.). Gronen Cabin and Privy This cabin was built in 1956 as a home for Frindy Burden Gronen, daughter of Bill and Elizabeth Burden. It is a one-story rectangular building with a tow-pitched gabled roof with wide cave overhang. The roof is covered with asphalt shingles, and the siding consists of horizontal beveled boards. A large brick chimney occupies one end of the building. A deck at the rear provides a wonderful view of the river valley below. The cabin is currently used as a guest house for overnight reservations (Four Mounds Foundation n.d.). A small gable-roofed privy is adjacent to the cabin. This privy has a low-pitched gabled roof with exposed raftar ends, horizontal clapboard siding, and a fixed four-pane window. United States Department of the Interior National Park Service OMBApprovalNo. 1024~018 National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 7 Page 4 Four Mounds Estate Historic District Dubuque County, Iowa Porch Ramada The Open porch or ramada was built in 1910 by the Burdens on the edge of the bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. This screened-in open porch provided a pleasant summer retreat for informal family meals and relaxation. It has a low-pitched hip roof covered with asphalt shingles and square wood posts and rail with screaned-in panels. It is open on all four sides. The hip roof has a Wide cave overhang: The porch ramada was restored in 1992 as an Eagle Scout project (Four Mounds Foundation n.d.). Pump House The limestone pump house was built in 1908 to house a gasoline driven pump. The water was pumped to a large, black, iron tank still located in the basement of the Grey House. The entire estate is provided by water from this single welt (Four Mounds Foundation n.d.). The pump house is constructed of rough-cnt limestone blocks laid in regular courses. The mortar joints are tooled with a concave profile. The pump house has a truncated hip roof covered with asphalt shingles, a corbelled brick chinmey, a fixed six-pane window, and a plank door. Garden Shed The garden shed was built in 1924 in front of the White House and housed the tools and gardening supplies used by Elizabeth Burden to tend her gardens. This shed is a front-gabled structure with a wood-shingled roof and white- painted clapboard siding and has interesting windows with a three-pane fixed section over a four-light moveable pane. The front fagade is distinguished by an extended roof overhang and a latticework round-arched effect framing the doublewide doors. It rests on a concrete foundation. The overall style of the garden shed complements that of the · White House. It is situated dowuslope from the White House and off the front fagade of that building within the interior of a circle drive. The garden shed is still under restoration; however, the roof was replaced as part of an Eagle Scout project (Four Mounds Foundation n.d.). Woodworking Shop The woodworking shop was built in 1924 by Bill Burden. It is a one-story, linear front-gabled building, with two side shed-roofed additions. It has an asphalt-shingled roof and stained shingle siding. The woodworking shop was restored and added onto by multiple Eagle Scout projects in 1992-93. It is currently used as a shop for participants of the YES and YES Impact programs to produce birdhouses, butterfly houses, and bat houses for sale to the public. The funds raised are channeled back into the YES programs (Four Mounds Foundation n.d.). The shop is also used in the restoration work for the White House for things such as repairs and replacements of the windows, sashes, screens, and doors. Playhouse This playhouse was one of two built c.1930 for Bill and Elizabeth Burden's daughters and their friends. It is a small side-gabled building with a wood-shingled roof, vertical board siding, and a rock foundation. The windows are fixed four-panes. A central front door is flanked by two single windows. The playhouse was restored as part of an Eagle Scout project in 1992 (Four Mounds Foundation n.d.). Originally, these playhouses had their own miniature working electric stoves, lights, and a connecting phone system to the White House. United States Department of the Interior National Park Service 'National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 7 Page, 5 Four Mounds Estate Historic District Dubuque County, Iowa Corncrib The corncrib was built c.1909 and was originally used for storing eom and providing housing for chickens. It later became a shelter for split wood. It is a front-gabled building that has a linear emphasis and is rectangular in plan. It has an asphalt-shingle roof and vertical board siding. The corncrib currently serves as shelter for the chickens and goats cared for by the Four Mounds staff and YES program participants (Four Mounds Foundation n.d.). Icehouse The icehouse is an insulated building constructed c.1909 to store ice through the summer months. It now serves as a tool and hardware storage shed (Four Mounds Foundation n.d.). It is a side-gabled building with horizontal drop siding, an asphalt-shingled roof, and a limestone foundation. It has a pyramidal hip-roofed ventilator on the roof apex similar to those on the barn roof. Hog House The hog house was built c.1917 with cork-brick flooring to keep the hogs warm during the winter. It has a broken-gable or half-monitor roof with metal aeratom on the roof apex. The roof is covered with asphalt shingles, while the siding is vertical board-and-battan siding. The foundation is poured concrete. The hog house was restored in 2000-2001 (Four Mounds Foundation n.d.). Garage This lower garage was used for additional storage. It was built in 1920 and was originally larger in size but partially collapsed in the 1960s due to a heavy snowstorm. It was later rebuilt to its current look, which includes a shed roof, vertical board-and-hatten siding, and a stuccoed concrete foundation. The garage currently serves as storage for the restoration tools used on Four Mounds projects (Four Mounds Foundation n.d.). Root Cellar This limestone subterranean structure was built c.1908 into the hillside along the curving driveway just below the Gardener's and the Chauffeur's houses. It was used for cold storage of fruits and vegetables. The cellar is built of rough-cut limestone blocks with tooled mortar joints having a convex or rounded profile. A wood-paneled door with hundwrought hardware provides access to the cellar. The root cellar is still in use today (Four Mounds Foundation n.d.). Rock Garden and Other Landscape Features The rock garden was created and cared for by Elizabeth Burden. R is located off the east end of the White House and is buik into the hillside (Four Mounds Foundation n.d.). One of the features of this garden was the use of natural limestone for steps, sidewalks, and terrace walls. The garden is built into the natural slope off the end of the house. Th/s garden is one of several original landscape features that remain intact on the estate. These other features include a limestone wishing well with wood-shingled roof in the back yard of the Grey House, a limestone pillar with brass sundial in front of the Grey House, at least two limestone slabs with indentations that may have been used for NPS Fcrrn United States Department of the Interior National Park Service OMB ApprovaI No. I024-~018 National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 7 Page 6 Four MoUnds Estate Historic District Dubuque County, Iowa flowerpot displays and/or birdbaths, a children's pOOl that is a sunken rectangular pool located near the playhouses around the White House, some of the original concrete sidewalks and concrete driveways with concrete and stone curbing leading into and through the estate, the rock retaining wallS flanking the fxont entry drive into the property, the metal Four Mounds sign at the front entry just offPera Road, and many of the trees and shrubs planted as part of the original landscape design. Burial Mounds The estate was named for the presence of a row of four conical burial mounds that line the blufftop overlooking the Mississippi River valley. The four mounds are prehistoric in origin and have been listed separately in the National Register of Historic Places as archeological site 13DB21. Integrity Statement For the most part, all of the buildings and structures retain good integrity having been carefully restored and refurbished in recent years. Where original materials had to be replaced due to deterioration, similar materials and construction techniques were utilized to match the original as closely as possible. The most altered buildings include the wood shop, which has had two additions made to the original building, and the garage, which had to be reduced in size alter having suffered partial collapse during a snowstorm. However, these buildings still retain sufficient integrity to be considered contributing to the overall district. The following is a list of the buildings, structures and sites within the Four Mounds Estate Historic District and the status of each as either contributing or non-contributing to the district. The only two non-contributing buildings are the Gronan Cabin and Privy, which were built in 1956 and are considered non-contributing because they were built after the period of Significance for this District. These resources are listed in general order of construction. Name of Resource Date of Construction Burial Mounds A.D. 350-1250 Chauffeur's House 1907 Grey House 1908 Bam 1908 Pump House 1908 Landscape Features 1908-c. 1930 Root Cellar c. 1908 Corncrib c. 1909 Icehouse c. 1909 Gardener's House 1910 Porch Ramada 1910 Hog House c. 1917 Garage 1920 White House 1924 Garden Shed 1924 Wood Shop 1924 Playhouse c. 1930 Gronen Cabin 1956 Gronen Privy 1956 Contributing or Non-Contributin[, Contributing Site (Areheological Site) Contributing Building Contributing Building Contributing Building Contributing Structure Contributing Site (Designed Landscape) Contributing Structure Contributing Structure Contributing Structure Contributing Building Contributing Building Contributing Building Contributing Building Contributing Building Contributing Building Contributing Building Contributing Building Non-Contributing Building Non-Contributing Building United States Department of the Interior National Park Service OMB Approval No. 1024L0018 National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 7 Four Mounds Estate Historic District Dubuque County, Iowa Statement of Significance Introduction The Four Mounds Estate Historic District is locally significant under Criterion A for its representation of an early twentieth-century "Gentleman's Farm" and as the locally well-known counlry estate of the Burden family, all of whom were prominent and influential persons in the development of Dubuque banking and mai estate interests in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and in the public and social interests of the Dubuque community as a whole. The District is also locally significant under Criterion C for the Arts & Crafts-inspired design of the Grey House by noted Chicago architect, Lawrence Buck, and the landscape plan for the estate, designed by the landscape architectural firm of A. Phelps Wyman, as well as for the subsequent additions to the estate's building stock including a barn, two servants' houses, a Colonial Revival-styled house built for George R. and Elizabeth Burden, and the various agricultural and domestic outbuildings associated with the operation of this country estate. Except for two buildings added in 1956 by the Gronen family, the remainder of the buildings and structures are considered contributing to the district as are the designed landscape and the appurtenances associated with the landscape plan and development of this estate including the rock garden, rock walls, children's pool, wishing well, and the sidewalks and driveways throughout the estate. The Four Mounds prehistoric site (13DB21 ), to which the name of the historic estate refers, consists of four conical-slmped Native American burial mounds. This site was previously listed in the National Register under Criteria A, C, and D, and is considered a contributing site to the historic district because the mounds were incorporated into the historic landscape plan and because it gave the estate its distinctive name and logo.' The period of significance for the Four Mounds Estate Historic District is from 1907-1951, encompassing the major span of building construction within this country estate. The burial mounds add an additional span of A.D. 350-1250 to the historic district's period of significance. Significant dates include 1907 when the first building was constructed on the' estate (i.e., the Chauffeur's House), 1908 when the Grey House and barn were built, and 1924 when the White House was bulk. The end date of 1951 represents the 50-year cutoff for consideration of National Register eligibility. As a result, the Gronen cabin and privy, which were built in 1956, are currently considered non-contributing to the District. The Burden Family The known history of the property, which the Four Mounds Estate now encompasses, began in 1847 when William Hempstead purchased this land from the government. Since that time, little of importance was recorded about the property until the early twentieth century when George A. and Viola Rider Burden retained an architect and a landscape architect to design a mansion and landscape plan for their new country estate. George Albert Burden was the son of George and Eliza A. (Richards) (Holmes) Burden. His father was a native of Devonshire, England, and immigrated to the United States in 1833 settling first in western New York State. In 1855, he migrated to Iowa where he settled permanently in the City of Dubuque. He married Eliza A. Holmes (n6e Richards; prior marriage to a Holmes) on November 5, 1861. Eliza was the sister of his Dubuque business associate, Benjamin B. Richards. George and Eliza had one surviving child, son George Albert Burden, who was born on February 3, 1866, in Dubuque. George Burden had a successful real estate and land business in Dubuque and was also involved in the banking business for a time (Bowerman 200la). The Burden family became well known in Dubuque's business and social circles and began to amass a fortune that would culminate in the creation of the Four Mounds estate by their son, George A. Burden. The obituary for George Burden, who died April 27, 1889, at the age of 74, noted the following: United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 8 Four Mounds Estate Historic District Dubuque County, Iowa Mr. Burden [i.e., the father George Burden], after coming to Dubuque, invested largely in lands, in which he has always been interested, in which he has largely dealt, and in which he has made large sums of money. His capital is still largely invested in that way. He has always been a careful, far seeing and successful business man, and in this way, accumulated a large fortune. He was of late interested in a dozen different banks, in many of which he was a director. At the time of his death, he was a director in the First National and the Dubuque National banks of this city, in the latter of which his only child, George A. Burden, is assistant cashier (Daily Herald April 28, 1889). Eliza Burden lived on until January 11, 1908, when she passed away at the age of 79. She still resided in Dubuque at the time of her death. Both George and Eliza Burden are buried at the Linwood Cemetery in Dubuque (Bowerman 200la). It is interesting to note in the obituary for George Burden, that he was characterized as a man who: was exceedingly fond of flowers, and cultivated thera extensively for his own pleasure and delight. He was devoted to his home, and spent ali his time there except when absent on business, and there was none pleasanter in the city (Daily Herald April 28, 1889). Perhaps this love of home and landscaping was instilled in his son, George A., culminating in the son's establishment of his country retreat at Four Mounds. When Eliza Burden passed away, her obituary noted that she had been prominent and influential in Dubuque society. Her particular interest was in education reform, with her background including graduation from Carey Collegiate Seminary in New York (Telegraph Herald January 12, 1908). She also taught in a private school in Rockford, Illinois, and helped to establish a female seminary in that community prior to moving to Dubuque (Western Historical 1880:770). Her obituary also noted that her son, George A. Burden, had "long been prominent in business and social circles in the city of Dubuque" (Telegraph HeraldJanunry 12, 1908). George A. Burden married Viola S. Rider on June 25, 1890. Viola had been born in October 1868 in Iowa. She and George would have two children: daughter Viola (Mrs. Alexander James) born in 1893 and son George R. ("Bill") born in June 1899. Prior to the construction of the Four Mounds estate, George A. and Viola Burden, had built what has been termed a "mansion" at 130 W. 11t~ Street in Dubuque (Bowerman 200lb). In 1908, however, they d.ecided to remove to the eounlry where they purchased a large tract of land on a high blufftop and having expansive views of the Mississippi River valley below. It was here on this tract of land off Peru Road north of the city of Dubuque that the Burden's built their new home, called the Grey House because of the grey color of the rough-cast stucco finish of its walls. To this property they added a barn, houses for their gardener and chauffeur, several agricultural outbuildings, and many appurtenances associated with the operation and comfort of their home, including a pump house, icehouse, and a porch ramada perched on the bluff overlooking the river. Like his father, George A. Burden, pursued a career in real estate and investment. He developed several subdivisions in the city of Dubuque, including the Belmont Addition and Lhe Burden and Lawtber Addition (Lyon I991:52, 1998:48). He had also been associated with the Rider-Wallace Company, a wholesale dry-goods firm in Dubuque until 1912, after which he resumed an association with the Iowa Trust & Savings Bank, of which he was vice-president until 1915. He then engaged in the investment business until his retirement (Citizens Historical Association 1940). When George A. Burden passed away on May 19, 1945, his death register listed him as a "retired capitalist" (Death Register 1, page 546, Recorder's Office, Dubuque County Courthouse, Dubuque, Iowa). Viola Burden died in 1962 at the great old age of 94. Both died at Four Mounds and are buried at Linwood Cemetery in Dubuque (Bowerman 200lb). United States Department of the Interior National Park Service OMB Approval No. National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 9 Four Mounds Estate Historic District Dubuque County, Iowa George and Viola's son, George Rider Burden, went by the name of "Bill." He was bom June 15, 1899, and married Elizabeth Taylor Adams on April 18, 1925 (Bowerman 2001c). Upon their marriage, Bill and Elizabeth Burden took up residence at their newly built home on the Four Mounds estate very near his parents' Grey House. Their new home, built in 1924 in the Colonial Revival Style, was called the White House because it was a white, painted frame house. Elizabeth Burden's love of gardening resulted in the construction of a rock garden on the hill below the White House and the construction of a lovely frame garden shed built in a style to match that of the White House. Two playhouses were also built for Bill and Elizabeth's daughters, with one of the playhouses surviving to the present day. A woodworking shop built in 1924 for Bill Burden completed the set of buildings accounted for by Bill and Elizabeth Burden's tenure on the property. . Bill Burden also made his career in investment and banking. Early on he had engaged in farming in Dubuque County (likely on his father's country estate), afterwards engaging in the real estate investment business as a member of the firm, George A. and George R. Burden. He was also a director of the First National Bank, secretary-treasurer and director of the Dubuque Thritt Plan, Inc., a director of the Spahn & Rose Lumber Company and Caradco, Inc., and a member of various social and civic organizations including the Chamber of Commerce, Knife and Fork Club, Dubuque Golf Club, Dubuque Art Association, The State Historical Society of Iowa, Elks Lodge, Dubuque Chapter of the Citizens Historical Association, and a member of the Episcopal Church. He was also the author of The Wandering Gastronaut, which is now distributed through the Dubuque County Historical Society. It was also noted that his hobby was fishing (Citizens Historical Association 1940; Lyon 1991:52). His daughter, Vidie Lunge, would later recall that: We had a houseboat called the Pampoo, which was the nickname for my grandfather. My father and mother were both avid fishermen. My mother fished in Africa, all over the world. We had a lot of antique fishing reels. We fished the Mississippi offtbe houseboat (Fryxel11983). Bill and Elizabeth Burden had three daughters: Winifred Adams Burden Cout called by the name of"Frindy" and later becoming Mrs. John N. Oronen); Viola Rider Burden, or "Vidie" (Mrs. Robert B. Lunge), and Elizabeth Partridge Burden, or "Betsy" (Mrs. William MacLeod). All three daughters moved out of state upon their marriages, although Frindy would later move back to Dubuque. George R. Burden died in Rochester, Minnesota, on February 28, 1974, with wife Elizabeth passing away on October 18, 1982. Both are buried at Linwood Cemetery in Dubuque (Bowerman 2001 c). Upon her death, Elizabeth Burden had been the last family member to live at the Four Mounds Estate. On her bequest, the estate was given to the City of Dubuque to use the property as a park. It was noted that in addition to Elizabeth, there had been two other longtime residents of the estate, Mildred Haymun and Leo Heitzman, who had served the Burden family and lived on the Four Mounds estate for 50 years. They became like members of the family. Vidie Lunge noted "I'd never call them 'servants.' They're not just people who work for us. Mildred's been like a second mother" (Fryxell 1983). "I suppose the Burden family was the last family in town with servants, plural," family historian Tad Ellsworth noted later. Ellsworth of 1492 Locust St. in Dubuque is Elizabeth Burden's cousin. "I remember maids in starched white apron and black dress--that's recent times. Not too long ago Mrs. Burden advertised in the Telegraph Herald for an upstairs maid, at a time when nobody in Dubuque had an upstairs maid; People had housekeepers, but not the fleet of maids and groundskeepers the Burdens did." Big houses, cacbes of antiques, cadres of servants--they conjure visions of life in the high style ofF. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby." Efiswoxth admitted, "It had 'Great Gatsby' qualifies, but it's not a good analogy because GaBby was a climber whereas these people had made it long ago." United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 10 Four Mounds Estate Historic District Dubuque County, Iowa He went on, "It was not that big a social place. There was very 1ittle drinking, for instance. They were close to being thys. When you'd go to dinner there'd be one drink before dinner, that's all. There weren't big lawn parties, big dances. It was high society for Dubuque but on a low-key scale. It was always the best families in town, in bfinking end real-estate. An invitation to Four Mounds was always cherished and if enyone was late they uever got invited back" (ibid.). It was Elizabeth Burden's dying wish that the Four Mounds estate would become a park-like place to be enjoyed by the people of Dubuque. While it did not become a city park, it has become a property that retains its country estate look and feel and yet serves a greater purpose as an edaeational and social programs center. Today, the Y.E.S. and Y.E.S. Impact programs are at-risk youth programs held at Four Mounds. Through these programs, youth develop self-esteem, communication skills, problem-solving skills, self respect and respect for others. They are taught to work as a team and learn valuable work ethic and skills. In addition, the Ropes Course and the Conference Center and Inn at Four Mounds serve as support enterprises providing additional funding for the youth program. The Gentleman Farm Movement In the first three decades of the twentieth century, the so-called "Gentleman Farm Movement" grew out of a larger country life movement that resulted from the pressures of the rapid rise in urban density by the tam-of-the-last- century producing nostalgia for the countryside. While this nostalgia typically resulted in the construction of country homes, some went one step further by creating whole farm complexes where one could commune with nature. The increasing availability of the automobile made country living more feasible for the well-heeled urban worker. Magazines such as Country Life in America "promoted the idea of country living and offered detailed advice on how to achieve the ideal" (Hack 2001). In 1907, the magazine reported that the full measure of country living will not be realized through [a] dwelling in the country...the barn, chicken- house, dairy, icehouse, silo, mol-house, end pump house... [are a necessity] (ibid.). The Four Mounds Estate certainly fit this description having many of the same support buildings in this list. The gentleman farm was different from the typical working farm in the following ways: Most importantly, they were not intended as profit-making activities. Wealthy lendowners put large sums of money into hir~g experts, importing purebred cows and raising exotic breeds of animals. Well-known architects were hired to design farm complexes that were not only functional but artistic showpieces as well. Although the farms were hobbies, owners took their animal breeding end crop cultivation seriously. The benefits of pare breeding spread fi:om gentlemen farms down to working farms end the quality of herds end flocks throughout the county was improved. Some gentleuren farmers, such as Grace Dum~d of Crab Tree Farm, were part cfa progressive farm movement to raise production end dis~'bution standards through scientific research (Hack 2001). While scientific research does not appear to have been a major part of the plan at the Four Mounds Estate, it was a fairly self-sufficient farming operation, albeit small in scale. The Burdens did raise purebred hogs housing them in a state-of-the-art hog house that was recently restored on the Four Mounds estate. A 1934 description of the Four Mounds estate also emphasized the natural setting of the place: United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NatiOnal Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page Four Mounds Estate Historic District Dubuque County, Iowa The Burdens have been careful in their cultivating ora lovely lawn in the midst of the wildwood, not to mar the natural beauty they mast cross to come to their homes. The roadway into the estate winds delightfully among the trees...Nor is there any abrupt departure from civilization. Clumps of tree and various short hedges---sumac, barberry, and other bushes ramble off from the edge of the lawn in the wcodlawn nearby. Gardeners, caretakers, and servants' quarters are built away from the homes, along the drive that leads to them (Telegraph Herald & Ti/nos Journal, September 9, 1934). Wildlife also abounded at the estate, with "partridges, pheasant, deer, eagles, and opossums" frequent visitors (Fryxell 1983). However, it was also a working farm, albeit a small operation. Vidie Lange, daughter of George R. and Elizabeth Burden, recalled that "we had a small farm, five cows" at Four Mounds. "When I was little, my oldest sister and I spent a lot of time in the barn with the cows and in the garden" (Fryxell 1983). A 1915 census, listed two milk cows and two horses, among George A. Burden's farm animals (State of Iowa Census 1915, Dubuque Township, Roll 145). Purebred hogs and chickens were also raised through the years. The barn on the Four Mounds property was used not only for the cows and horses but as a garage to shelter George A. Burden's beloved automobiles. His last will and testament listed a Ford Super De Luxe 1941 model station wagon and a Ford 1929 Model A truck among his assets. Lawrence Buck, Architect by Ronald Ramsay Lawrence Buck was born in 1865 in New Orleans, where his father, William H. Buck, was a regionally important landscape painter. Little is known of Lawrence Buck's education or apprenticeship, except that New Orleans city directories for 1885-1886 list him as a draughtsman, possibly working for architect Thomas W. Carter. By 1887, Lawrence had relocated to Birmingham, Alabama, where there were;likely greater opportunities for a young architectural apprentice. Over the next five years, Buck worked with a succession of practitioners in Birmingham, including A:J. Armstrong, John Sutcliffe, and Charles Wheelock. in 1888 William Buck died, leaving a widow and two daughters who then moved to Birmingham to live with Lawrence, now the head of the household. This new role, compounding the uncertain economic times of the early 1890s, may have encouraged yet another move, this time to Chicago, site of the World's Columbian Exposition. Lawrence Buck f~rst appears in the 1894 Lakeside Directory of Chicago, listed as an architect and, occasionally, in subsequent editions as an artist. That same year, Buck participated in the seventh annual exhibition of the Chicago Architectural Club, listed in the catalogue as an active member and contributing five unspecified watercolor sketches. His earliest known architectural work--an entrance gate to Chicago's Lincoln Park was done during a brief partnership with John Sutcliffe and appeared in the Chicago Architectural Club exhibition catalogue for 1897. Sutcliffe himself had recently relocated to Chicago from Birmingham. Buck's practice during the late t890s is unclear; he seems to have delineated the work of other architects as much as being the author of his own architectural commissions. In 1902 Buck became a member of "The Crafters," a loose working relationship with Eleanor d'Arey Gaw and Mary Mower, two recent graduates of Chicago's Art Institute. Their studio-offices were located in Steinway Hall, the heart of Chicago's progressive architectural movement where Dwight Perkins, Robert C. Spencer, A. Phelps Wyman, and Frank Lloyd Wright also maintained their professional presence in the city. Buck undoubtedly knew these men both socially and professionally; one source even suggests that he may have been one of "The Eighteen," the group of young progressive architects who clustered around Wright. Though "The Crafters" remained active for only a few years, Buck continued to maintain his professional space at Steinway Hall well into the 1920s; one of Buck's professional neighbors was landscape architect, A. Phelps Wyman, another figure connected with the Four Mounds project. United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 12 Four Mounds Estate Historic District Dubuque County, Iowa A surge in Buck's career occurred about the time his Charles Reeves house in Oak Park, Illinois, was published in the House £eautiful. The Reeves design was of specifically Arts & Crafts character, showing the influence of M.H. Baillie Scott, C.F.A. Voysey, Wilson Eyre, and other British and American designers. With or without Buck's knowledge, copies of the Reeves house were built as far away as New York and North Dakota. During the years 1909-1912 Buck entered into an architectural partnership with Edwin B. Clark, though their separate roles within the firm are not yet known. For the majority, of his professional life, Buck appears to have preferred being a sole proprietor working with a minimum support staff and forming brief associations with other architects for those commissions which required larger office support. For example, Buck remodeled "Walden," the Lake Forest estate of Harold McCormick, in association with architects Sclunidt, Garden & Martin, and his design for the Roycemore School (a National Register property) in Evanston involved collaboration with prominent Prairie School figures Talmadge & Watson. Through his entire career, Buck also worked as an architectural delineator, providing presentation drawings for other Chicago architectural offices. Prairie School architect George W. Maher was a frequent client, as were Dwight Perkins, Holabird & Root, and Louis Sullivan. Buck's watercolor and gouache delineations were rendered in a soft romantic style reminiscent of his father's Mississippi delta landscapes and which also parallel the diffuse pencil and watercolor perspectives of Philadelphia architect Wilson Eyre. Publicity derived from the presentation of his work in professional journals and popular magazines brought Buck a regionally diverse architectural practice, which was largely residential and extended beyond Chicago to include several other communities in Illinois and at least nine other states. The popular influence of the so-called women's magazines can be seen in the case of the 1907 Charles Reeves house at Oak Park, Illinois, for example, which appeared in both the October 1908 issue of the House Beautiful and in the Ladies' Home Journal for April 1909. As a likely result of that national exposure, duplicates of the Reeves design were subsequently built for other clients in illinois, New York, Kansas, and North Dakota. In addition to the occasional inclusion of his work in professional architectural periodicals, two other publications suggest the breadth of Buck's national exposure. Herman Von Holst included six of Buck's design in the 1913 book Modem American Homes. And another of the architect's small single-family homes became an instructional example in an American School of Correspondence educational manual on the topic of architectttral draughting. Buck gradually retired from active architectural practice by the mid-1920s, probably because of declining health. He continued to paint and exhibit his watercolors, however, and died at this home in the Ravinia neighborhood of Highland Park, Illinois, in October 1929. He was sixty-five years old. Eleanor D'Arey Gaw and The Crafters by Ronald Ramsay Even earlier than its influence in architecture, the Arts & Crafts philosophy was evidenced in the decorative arts. The American auxiliary took its direction from William Morris, whose writings circulated widely in the United States. Arts & Crafts societies formed in Boston, Cincinnati, Chicago, and other large American cities during the 1890s, while clubs devoted to china painting, needlework, and other small-scale decorative arts appeared in smaller communities. Important regional schools at the Art Institute of Chicago attracted students who often took the philosophy back to their home towns. Mary Mower of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Eleanor d'Arcy Gaw from Leadville, Colorado, were two of those students drawn to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. It is suspected that Eleanor d'Arcy Gaw, who had developed a reputation as an Arts & Crafts metal worker, may have been responsible for the distinctive light fixtures at the Four Mounds estate. United States Department of the Interior National Park Service . ational Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page t 3 Four Mounds Estate Historic District Dubuque County, Iowa A. Phelps Wyman, Landscape Architect by Ronald ]~Lmsay About the career of landscape architect A. Phelps Wyman, considerably less in known. Wyman was bom at Manchester Center, Vermont, in April 1870. He eamat his undergraduate degree in agriculture at Comell University, which was followed by two years at Boston Tech studying both architecture and landscape architecture. To prepare for independent practice as a landscape architect, Wyman gained professional experience in Boston with the Olmsted Brothers, successor firm to Frederick Law Olmstend, and then with the New York architectural office of Charles A; Platt. Between t905 and 1910, Wyman seems to have had a professional presence in both Chicago and Minneapolis. Except for the commission at the Four Mounds estate, and a possible connection with Custer State Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota, however, too little is known about Wyman's carecr to characterize the nature of his landscape design, especially the degree to which he may have subscribed to the "nativist" design philosophy of University of Illinois faculty member Wilhelm Miller or his fellow Chicago practitioner Jens Jenson. Buck, Wyman and the Design of the Four Mounds Estate by Ronald Ramsay How the Burden family chose Lawrence Buck as their architect is not documented either in family memorabilia or other published sources. Family legend says that Frank Lloyd Wright was contacted initially, but that the Burdens felt the house he might have designed for them would be more Wright's than their own (John Gronan, Personal communication with Ronald Ramsay). Instead, the Burdens selected a designer of solid but less extreme reputation, someone closer to the mainstream of the Arts & Crafts philosophy. The Burdens could have been exposed to Buck's work in a variety of ways: George and Viola Burden were frequent visitors in the Chicago area; Mrs. Burden may have seen Buck's work in the so-called women's magazine; or the architect's other nearby Iowa work may have come to their attention (Buck eventually designed at least four single-family residences in Cedar Rapids and one other home in Dubuque). The Arts & Crafts Movement and American Residential Architecture by Ronald Ramsay The American Arts & Crafts Movement owes much to William Morris and his many'British and American followers. Reacting to the social evil and aesthetic corruption of the Industrial Revolution, Arts & Crafts designers returned to a more "honest" expression derived from an appreciation for natural materials simply crafted, an unacademic approach to architectural and deeomtive design which acknowledged vernacular tradition and regional variation. By 1900 Arts & Crafts societies had formed in Boston, Detroit, Chicago and countless smaller communities, where they served to promote the movement's philosophy of reform through lecture, instruction, and exhibition. While no single style of American residential architecture can be called "Arts & Crafts," the movement did influence a number of domestic styles at the tarn of the century, including the late nineteenth century Richardsoulan Romanesque and Shingle Styles, the early twentieth century Crafaman Style, and several regional vernacular revivals (especially the Tudor and Mission varieties). As architectural historian Richard Guy Wilson demonstrates, Arts & Crafts designers represented a spectrum of attitudes, rather than adhering to any single stylistic point of view: To identify an American Arts and Crafts arckitecture is to encompass diverse attitudes and contradictions toward style, image, history, the region, the machine, materials, nature, and how llfe should be lived CKaplan 1987:101). United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 14 Four Mounds Estate Historic District Dubuque County, Iowa The movement's geographic distribution fi.om Boston to California was compounded by its encouragement of individualism, making generalization very difficult. Despite their diversity of scale and expression, however, buildings of Arts & Crafts design--especially single- family residences--oftan drew from the same basic vocabulary of reformist ideas: 1) interior planning based on natural functional relationships rather than abstract or arbitrary design principles; 2) expression of construction through the nature of materials, the logic of their assembly, and the simplicity of their articulation; 3) organic incorporation of mechanical systems and coordination of decorative arts; and 4) integration of the building with its site through materials und arehitectural forms. Lawrence Buck's interpretation of these ideas at the Four Mounds estate identify it as a remarkably well- preserved example of the Arts & Crafts Movement's influence in American architecture. Buck habitually chose rough-cast stucco as the surface covering for his houses, whether of wood frame or clay file construction. Secondary materials included wood siding and brick. The Grey House at Four Mounds uses this familiar vocabulary, a palette which is also characteristic of contemporary houses by other Arts & Crafts architects, including Americans like George Maher and Wilson Eyre, mad British designers Voysey, Mackintosh, Baillie Scott, and Barry Parker. Articles featuring the work of both Eyre and Parker appeared in Gustav Stickley's magazine The Craftsman, a possible influence on Buck or his clients, the Burden family. A broad front elevation appears in at least three of Buck's larger houses of the period: the L.K. Wymond house near Louisville, Kentucky; the John Ely residence at Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and the Grey House at the Four Mounds estate in Dubuque. While the Wymond design has more overt historical elements (small-paned casement windows, multiple dormers and gables, all suggestive of "Tudor" influence), the Ely and Burden houses share other characteristics: a central porte cohere, boldly asymmetrical window placement expressive of interior room arrangement, extension of its width by means of porches, and flared wall extensions anchoring the building visually to its site. But, whereas the roofs for Wymond and Ely are complex and picturesquely broken in the spirit of Wilson Eyre, the Burden roof appears to be one simple unifying hip, with its rafters exposed at the eaves. The "T" plan of the Grey House at Four Mounds illustrates Buck's resolution of contradictory site conditions: predominant views across the Mississippi River open to the northeast, while sun and preyalling breezes come out of the south. The broad south front addresses three environmental issues: (1) principal entertaining and sleeping rooms are stretched along the broad south elevation, providing solar access and through ventilation; (2) the living room and master suite at its east end gain access to dramatic views across the river, while the. dining room and second-floor bedrooms take advantage of late afternoon light and Wyman's romantic English-style landscape: O) the kitchen wing extends north, discreetly out of sight, yet convenient for service access. All three wings of the house offer minimum of resistance to prevailing breezes, a variety of view types are accessible from principal rooms, and servants are humanely located at the same level required by their work. That the Grey House and Four Mounds estate have been little changed through the years, and the landscape plan of 1908 allowed to mature and evolve, is a testament to the love and care for this estate by the Burden family. It was in the hope that it would find use as a park that Elizabeth Burden donated this property to the City of Dubuque. The property has found new life as an educational center under the auspices of the Four Mounds Foundation. The nomination of this property to the National Register of Historic Places is being forwarded at this time to recognize the significance of this property to the people of Dubuque and the State of Iowa and to assist in the continued restoration and maintenance of the estate. United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 9 Page 15 Four Mounds Estate Historic District Dubuque County, Iowa Major Bibliographic References Bowerman, Biays, compiler 200la Part One: George Burden and Eliza A. (Richards) (Hohnes) Burden. Biographical and genealogical information compiled by Biays Bowerman of Dubuque, Iowa, using primary and secondary sources. 200lb Part Two: George Albert Burden and Viola S. (Rider) Burden. Biographical and genealogical information compiled by Biays Bowerman of Dubuque, Iowa, using primary and secondary sources. 2001c Part Three: George Rider ("Bill") Burden and Elizabeth Taylor (Adams) Burden. Biographical and genealogical information compiled by Biays Bowerman of Dubuque, Iowa, using primary and secondary SOUrceS. Brooks, H. Allen n.d. Steinway Hall. Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians. Citizens Historical Association 1940 Biographical Sketches of George A. and George R. Burden. Citizens Historical Association, Indianapolis. Copy on file Carnegie-Stout Public Library, Dubuque, Iowa. Four Mounds Foundation n.d. Four Mounds Self Guided Tour Brechure. Copy on file Four Mounds Foundation, Dubuque, Iowa. Fryxell, David 1983 Sunday Marks the end of an era. Telegraph Herald, Dubuque, Iowa, March 9,1983, page 3. Hack, Janice C. 2001 Narrative from Museum Exhibit on Gentleman's Farm Movement. Lake Forest-Lake BluffHistorical Society, Lake Forest, Illinois. Hawkes, Dean, editor 1986 Modern Country Homes in England: The Arts and Crafts Architecture of Barry Parker. Cambridge University Press, New York. Jackson, Frank t985 Sir Raymonf Unwin, architect, planner and visionary. In Architects in Perspectives, Peter Willis, editor. Zwemmer Ltd., London. Kaplan, Wendy 1987 "The Art That is £ife: " The Arts & Crafts Movement in America. Little, Brown & Company, Boston. Komwolf, James n.d. M.H. Baillie Scott and the Arts & Crafts Movement. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. Lyon, Randolph W., compiler 1991 Dubuque: The Encyclopedia. Union-Hoermann Press, Dubuque, Iowa. 1998 Faith and Fortunes, An Encyclopedia of Dubuque County, Iowa. Flyan Printing and Graphics, Dubuque, Iowa. Manson, Grant C. 1958 Frank Lloyd Wright to1910. Reinhold, New York. Telegraph Herald & Times Journal 1934 Three Homes at Four Mounds Enjoy River View. Telegraph Herald & Times Journal, Dubuque, Iowa, September 9, 1934, page 10. Von Holst, H.V. 1913 Modern American Homes. American School of Correspondence, Chicago. United States Department of the Interior National Park Service OMB ApprovaJ NO, 1024~018 National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 9 Page 16 Four Mounds Estate Historic District Dubuque County, Iowa Wallick, Frederick n.d. The Rational Art of Wilson Eyre, an Architect Who Designs Houses to Meet the Needs and Express the Qualities of Today. The Craftsman, pages 537-551. Western Historical 1880 The History of Dubuque Cownty, Iowa. Western Historical, Chicago. Other Sources: Chicago Architectural Club exhibition catalogues, 1894-1924 Four Mounds Park. Report of the Four Mounds Task Force to the City of Dubuque, Iowa, Park and Recreation Department, September 1984 Lakeside Directory of Chicago 1891 - 1923 Wyman, A. Phelps, biographical file, Northwest Architectural Archives, University of Minnesota Libraries, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Wyman, A. Phelps, 1915 application for membership in the Minnesota Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Information provided by Alan Lathrop, Curator of the Northwest Arckitectural Archives. United States Department of the Interior National Park Service 'National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 10 Page 17 Four Mounds Estate Historic District Dubuque County, Iowa Geographical Data UTM References (Continued) 5 15 Easting 691,040 6 15 Easfing 691,050 7 15 Easting 690,360 Northing 4,713,740 Northlng 4,713,520 Northing 4,713,480 Verbal Boundary Description The boundary of the Four Mounds Estate Historic District is shown as the dashed line on the accompanying map entitled "Plat Map of Four Mounds Estate Historic District." Boundary Justification The boundary includes all the property historically associated with the Four Mounds estate and includes all Of the standing buildings of the estate and farm operation. CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA MEMORANDUM June 30, 2003 TO: FROM: Historic Preservation Commission Wally Wemimont, Assistant Planner SUBJECT: Four Mounds Estate Historic District Petition for Landmark Status The Four Mounds Foundation has submitted a letter to the Historic Preservation Commission petitioning the Four Mounds Estate Historic District to become designated as a City (local) Landmark. Section 25-6. Identification and designation of landmarks, landmark sites and historic districts (see attached) of the Historic Preservation Ordinances gives the Commission the ability to designate property to become a city landmark. The Commission's role is to make a determination upon evidence submitted as to whether the nominated landmark does or does not meet the criteria for designation. The Commission needs to make a determination that the property meets the following criteria: (1) The nominated property, structure, object, site or area: a. Is of architectural significance, as defined by this chapter; or b. Is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the bread patterns of the history of the City of Dubuque, Dubuque County, the State of Iowa or the nation; or c. Is associated with the lives of persons significant in the past the City of Dubuque, Dubuque County, the State of Iowa or the nation; or d. Has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in pre- history or history; and (2) The structure, property, object, site or area has sufficient integrity of location, design, materials and workmanship to make it worthy of preservation or restoration; and (3) The structure, property, object, site or area is at least fifty (50) years old, unless the Commission determines that it has achieved Four Mounds Estate Historic District Page 2 significance within the past fifty (50) years and is of exceptional importance. The Four Mounds Estate Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 24, 2002 with a level of local significance. The attached nomination form indicates that the property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history and the property has yielded, or is likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history. The property is over 50 years old and is well preserved. if the Commission feels the property meets the requirements for designation, then they should provide a recommendation and supporting documentation to the Long-Range Planning Advisory Commission. In addition, a proposed ordinance establishing the landmark should accompany the recommendation. I have attached a copy of a proposed ordinance establishing the Four Mounds Estate Historic District as a Landmark. attachment Sec. 25-6. Identification And Designation Of Landmarks, Landmark Sites And Historic D... Page 1 of 3 Sec. 25-6. Identification And Designation Of Landmarks, Landmark Sites And Historic Districts: (a) Generally: The commission may conduct studies for the identification and nomination of landmarks, landmark sites and historic districts, as defined by this chapter. The commission may proceed on its own initiative or upon a petition from any person, group or association. (b) Nomination: (1) Landmarks And Landmark Sites: The nomination of landmarks and landmark sites shall be initiated by an application submitted to the commission by the property owner on a form supplied by the commission. (2) Historic Districts: The designation of historic districts shall be initiated by a nomination for such designation. A nomination shall be made to the commission on a form prepared by it and may be submitted by a member of the commission, the owner of record of property within a proposed historic district, the city council, or any other person or organization. When a commissioner, as a private citizen, nominates an historic district for designation, the nominating commissioner shall abstain from voting on the designation. This provision shall not extend to a designation motion presented by a commissioner as part of commission proceedings. (c) Criteria For Consideration OrA Nomination: The commission shall, upon such investigation as it deems necessary, make a determination as to the following: (1) The nominated property, structure, object, site or area: a. Is of "amhitectural significance", as defined by this chapter; or b. Is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of the history of the city of Dubuque, Dubuque County, the state of Iowa or the nation; or c. Is associated with the lives of persons significant in the past of the city of Dubuque, Dubuque County, the state of Iowa or the nation; or d. Has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history; and (2) The structure, property, object, site or area has sufficient integrity of location, design, materials and workmanship to make it worthy of preservation or restoration; and (3) The structure, property, object, site or area is at least fifty (50) years old, unless the commission determines that it has achieved significance within the past fifty (50) years and is of exceptional importance. (d) Notification Of Nomination: Within sixty (60) days after receipt of a completed nomination in proper form, the commission shall hold a public hearing. Notice that a nomination for designation is being considered and the date, time, place and purpose of the public hearing http://66.113.195.234/IA/Dubuque/30000000000006000.htm 06/30/2003 Sec. 25-6. Identification And Designation Of Landmarks, Landmark Sites And Historic D... Page 2 of 3 shall be sent by certified mail, at least fourteen (14) days prior to the date of the hearing, to the owner(s) of record of the nominated landmark, landmark site, or property within the nominated historic district and to the nominator(s). Notice shall also be published in a newspaper having general circulation in the city. The notice shall state the street address and legal description of a nominated landmark or landmark site or the boundaries of a nominated district. (e) Public Hearing: Oral or written testimony concerning the significance of the nominated landmark, landmark site or historic district shall be taken at the public hearing from any interested person. The commission may request expert testimony, consider staff reports or present its own evidence regarding the compliance of the nominated landmark, landmark site or historic district with the criteria set forth in subsection (c) of this section. The owner of any nominated landmark, landmark site or of any property within a nominated historic district shall be allowed a reasonable opportunity to present evidence regarding the nomination, shall be afforded the right of representation by counsel and shall be given reasonable opportunity to cross-examine expert witnesses. The hearing shall be closed upon completion of testimony. (0 Determination By The Commission, Recommendation And Report: Within thirty (30) days following the close of the public hearing, the commission shall make a determination upon the evidence as to whether the nominated landmark, landmark site or historic district does or does not meet the criteria for designation. Such determination shall be made in an open meeting by resolution of the commission, shall be reduced to writing in the form of a recommendation and shall be supported by a written report in support of the nomination. The commission's recommendation on the nomination of a landmark, landmark site or historic district, and its supporting report, shall be filed with the long-range planning advisory commission, and shall include a proposed ordinance or amendment establishing such landmark, landmark site or historic district and describing its location and boundaries by address and legal description. (g) Action By Long-Range Planning Advisory Commission: Within sixty (60) days after receipt of the commission's recommendation, report and proposed ordinance or amendment, the long-range planning advisory commission shall report to the city council with respect to the relation of the nomination to the general development plan, zoning ordinance, proposed public improvements and any plans for the renewal of the area involved. Upon submission of the report of the long-range planning advisory commission, or upon the expiration of the sixty (60) day period, the matter shall be transmitted to the city council. (h) Action By City Council: (1) The city council shall submit the proposed ordinance or amendment to the bureau of historic preservation of the state historical society of Iowa for review and recommendations at least forty five (45) days pdor to the date of any public hearing conducted by the city council. Any recommendations made by the bureau of historic preservation shall be made available by the city to the public for viewing during normal working hours at a city government place of public access. (2) Upon receipt of the recommendation and report of the historic preservation commission and the report of the long-range planning advisory commission, and after having received a recommendation from the bureau of historic preservation or if the forty five (45) day waiting http:#66.113.195.234~A/Dubuque~0000000000006000.htm 06/30/2003 Sec. 25-6. Identification And Designation Of Landmarks, Landmark Sites And Historic D... Page 3 of 3 period has lapsed since submission of the request for such recommendation, the city council shall conduct a public hearing on the ordinance or amendment establishing the proposed landmark, landmark site or historic preservation district. After public hearing, the city council shall approve or disapprove the ordinance or amendment, or refer the nomination back to the historic preservation commission for modification. A modified nomination shall require compliance with the same procedure for designation as set forth above. (3) City council approval of the ordinance or amendment shall constitute designation of the landmark, landmark site or historic district. (i) Amendment And Rescission Of Designation: A desig nation may be amended or rescinded upon petition to the commission and compliance with the same procedure and according to the same criteria as set forth above for designation. (Ord. 18-01, § 1, 3-19-2001) http://66.113.195.234/IA/Dubuque/30000000000006000.htm 06/30/2003 Preparer: Laura Caretens, Planning Services Manaqer Address: 50 W. 13th Street Telephone: 563-589-4210 ORDINANCE NO. -03 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 25 (HISTORIC PRESERVATION ORDINANCE) OF THE CITY OF DUBUQUE CODE OF ORDINANCES BY AMENDING SECTION 25-6 IDENTIFICATION AND DESIGNATION OF LANDMARKS, LANDMARK SITES AND HISTORIC DISTRICTS TO INCLUDE THE FOUR MOUNDS ESTATE HISTORIC DISTRICT AS A CITY LANDMARK. Whereas, the Historic Preservation Commission has recommended amendments to Chapter 25 (Historic Preservation Ordinance) of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Dubuque; and Whereas, the City Council finds that the recommended amendments to the Historic Preservation Ordinance are consistent with the goals and objectives of the Comprehensive Plan and the purpose and intent of the Historic Preservation Ordinance. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA: Section 1. The Historic Preservation Ordinance (Chapter 25) of the City of Dubuque Code of Ordinances is hereby amended by amending Section 6 to add (12) Four Mounds Estate Historic District as a City Landmark as follows: Section 25-6.12 FOUR MOUNDS ESTATE HISTORIC DISTRICT. The property hereinafter described is hereby designated as a landmark, according to the provisions of this chapter, to wit: The buildings, structures and property situated on LOT 1-1-2-1 & LOT 1-1-2-1-1 of SW- NW & GOV 1 & MIN LOT 331 & LOT 1-7-SW & LOT 2-NW-NW ALL IN SEC 1 OF T89N-R2E & LOT 1 & LOT 2-1-1-1 OF SUB OF 1-7 SW and SW OF NW SEC 1 T89N- R2E & GOV LOT 1 NK/A MIN LOT 331 & LOT 1-1-4, 2-2-4, 2-1-2-4, LOT 2 & 3 OF SW SEC 1 OF T89N-R2E & LOT 1 FOUNTAIN HILL RE-SUB & LOT 16 JOHN DEERE DUB TRACTOR WORKS & LOT 2-1-1-2-2 OF SE ¼ NE ¼ SEC 2 OF T89N-R2E 5TM, commonly known as 4900 Peru Road. Section 2. That the foregoing has heretofore been reviewed by the Historic Preservation Commission and Long Range Planning Advisory Commission of the City of Dubuque, Iowa and the State Historical Society of Iowa. Section 3. This ordinance shall take effect immediately upon publication. Ordinance No. - 03 Page 2 Passed, approved and adopted this day of ,2003. Attest: Terrance M. Duggan, Mayor Jeanne F. Schneider, City Clerk F:\USERS\Wwemimo\HPO~four mounds ordinance.doc City of Dubuque Historic Preservation Plan Vision for Dubuque's Historic Preservation Districts Dubuque's five historic preservation districts encompass over 600 primary and secondary structures of national, state, local and neighborhood significance. These districts also include a range of architectural styles that reflects the historic contexts of the development of Iowa's oldest city. As well, these districts reflect a densely developed, mixed use, urban environment with commercial storefronts and upper story housing; one-, two- and multi-family residences; institutional uses; neighborhood parks; and public open spaces. Within this context and consistent with the City's historic preservation ordinance, we envision the preservation, restoration and stewardship of the historical and architectural resources of Dubuque's five historic preservation districts, including: · Promotion of the educational, cultural, economic and general welfare of the community through the protection, enhancement and perpetuation of these districts; · Safeguarding of the city's historic, aesthetic, architectural, and cultural heritage by preserving these districts; · Stabilization and improvement of property values in these districts; · Fostering of civic pride in the legacy of beauty and achievements of the past exemplified by these districts; · Protection and enhancement of the city's attractions to tourists and visitors and the support and stimulus to business these districts provide; · Strengthening of the economy of the city; and · Promotion of the use of these districts as sites for the education, pleasure and wetfare of the people of the city. Long Range Goals for Planning and Development of Dubuque's Historic Preservation Districts Long range goals for the planning and development of Dubuque's historic preservation districts are set forth in the Dubuque 2000 Comprehensive Plan, and are listed below for these districts separately and collectively: Cathedral, Jackson Park, Lan.qworthy and West 11th Street Historic Districts · Preserve historic and aesthetic character and function of established residential neighborhoods. Cathedral, Jackson Park, and Old Main Historic Districts · Preserve historic and aesthetic character and function of established commercial districts. · Maintain and improve the aesthetic qualities of the City parking system's facilities. All Historic Districts · Encourage neighborhood identity, planning and pride of place. · Encourage clean-up/beautification for the public, private and business sectors. · Protect and preserve the city's historic buildings, urban pattern and natural environment. · Protect and preserve existing open space and parkland to meet the community's needs. · Utilize principles of good design and/or historic preservation in all public projects. · Compliment the human scale and historic bulk and mass of existing structures when designing new or redeveloped structures. · Enhance the aesthetics of new and existing development -- design, landscaping, parking, signage - with special sensitivity to the historic character and building materials found in the community. · Adapt land use controls to fit the various historic development patterns and neighborhoods that reflect urban, suburban and rural characteristics. · Safeguard the cultural and historic resources of the community as critical to the quality of life and the attractiveness of Dubuque. · Promote the preservation of historic buildings and architectural resources in the community. · Educate the community about the benefits of historic preservation to the community's quality of life, economic development efforts, tourism and tax base enhancement. · Increase appreciation, education, technical assistance and funding for the community's historical and architectural heritage.