Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs State Historical Society of Iowa Iowa Site Inventory Form Continuation Sheet. Related District Number.

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1 Page 1 SITE DESCRIPTION The Firestone building is located on Lot 8, Block 65 of LeClaire s 4th Addition to the Original Town of Davenport. The structure is sited on the southeast corner of East Third and Pershing Streets; its façade faces north. It is bound on the east by commercial structures of similar scale, but much earlier construction. A public sidewalk provides access to the building s entrances on E. Third and Pershing. PROPERTY DESCRIPTION The Firestone building is a one-story structure constructed on a concrete foundation. The building s character is derived, in large part, from the large service canopy located on the north side of the structure. The canopy, which is supported by I-beams, runs the full width of the building s Third Street elevation and is approximately thirty-five feet deep. The building s Art Deco style is manifested in the white of the structure and the decorative details of the canopy. The influence of the Art Deco was exerted most strongly in the 1920s, but it is not uncommon to find mid-century buildings with elements of its decorative influence. As a modern, technologically attuned decorative the style, the Art Deco was considered particularly suited for automotive related architecture. In the Firestone building, the Deco ornamentation in the canopy appears as a stylized medallion or shield flanked by streamlined wings. This motif is mounted in intervals across the north face of the canopy edge and around the corner to connect with the body of the building. The structure itself is set back from the street approximately fifty feet, allowing for the presence of the canopy. Little of the building s north elevation is visible from Third Street, hidden as it is from the depth of the canopy. Garage bays dominate the west (Pershing Street) elevation, with the Art Deco motif carried across the upper wall. Condition Because the building s exterior is painted, it is difficult to determine the structural material or to make an assessment of its condition. However, it can be said that no evidence of damage to the exterior walls or steel structure of the canopy was evident. The Firestone building appears to retain a high level of historic integrity, though a historic photograph was not located to confirm this assertion. PROPERTY HISTORY Prior to the construction of the Firestone building, a livery and a saloon occupied the site. The current structure was built in 1944 to house the Firestone Tire Company, which it has done since that time. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The Firestone Tire Company building is considered individually eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A in association with the history of transportation in Davenport. In addition, the structure is considered eligible for listing under Criterion C as an example of the Art Deco applied to a mid-century automotiverelated commercial building.

2 Page 2 View of the primary (north) and west elevations, looking southeast across the intersection of Pershing and E. 3rd Streets. (SOURCE: AKAY Consulting November 2004)

3 Page 3 Detail view of the primary (north) elevation, looking southeast across E. 3rd Street. Note the Art Deco detailing on the canopy. (SOURCE: AKAY Consulting November 2004)

4 Page 4 Detail view of the west elevation, where the Art Deco detailing is continued from the facade. (SOURCE: AKAY Consulting November 2004)

5 Page 5 The arrow indicates the location of the Firestone building. (SOURCE: City of Davenport Planning Department 1/2005)

6 Page 6 BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES Special Collections Davenport Public Library; Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Davenport City Directory Collection Sanborn Fire Insurance Map Collection Quad Cities Photograph Collection Local Publications Svendsen, Marlys. Davenport, Where the River Runs West: A Survey of Davenport History & Architecture. ND. Internet Resources Scott County Assessor.