National Register of Historic Places

Apperson-Iowa Motor Car Company Building

Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa
Listed
June 12, 2016
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
16000363

About this property

The Apperson Iowa Motor Car Company Building, also known as the Garage Building for Rawson Brothers, is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It is significant for its association with the prominent Des Moines architectural firm that designed it, Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson. Completed in 1921, it was designed and built within the period of time the firm was at its most prolific (1910–1925). It is also significant for its association with the rise of the Automobile Industry in the city. Auto dealerships and distributorships leased the building from 1921 to 1951. Architect Harry D. Rawson and his brothers owned the building from 1921 to 1938. The two-story structure is located on a midblock lot in the midst of what was the automobile sales, service, and manufacturing district on the western edge of the downtown area. The first floor housed a showroom in the front with offices on a mezzanine. The back of the first floor and the second floor was used for assembling and servicing automobiles. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.

Location

1420 Locust St.
Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa
41.58426, -93.63548

Categories

COMMERCEARCHITECTURE
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Jones, G.W., Building
Industrial
0 mi
Walnut Tire and Battery Co.-Globe Publishing Company Building
Civil War
0 mi
Register and Tribune Building
Industrial
0 mi
Crane Building
Industrial
0 mi
Fitch, F.W., Company Historic District
Industrial
0.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Apperson-Iowa Motor Car Company Building listed on the National Register?

Apperson-Iowa Motor Car Company Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 12, 2016.

What type of historic resource is Apperson-Iowa Motor Car Company Building?

Apperson-Iowa Motor Car Company Building is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Apperson-Iowa Motor Car Company Building?

The period of significance for Apperson-Iowa Motor Car Company Building is recorded as the industrial era.

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