National Register of Historic Places

Bell, John, Block

Dubuque, Dubuque County, Iowa
Listed
December 20, 2002
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
02001540

About this property

The John Bell Block, also known as the German Bank & Trust Building, is a historic building located in Dubuque, Iowa, United States. The three-story brick commercial Italianate building was constructed by local businessman John Bell in 1886. Its location on the north side of the central business district meant that it housed several businesses owned by the city's German immigrant population. Chief among them was the German Trust and Savings Bank. It became a tenant when the building was completed and it remained until it built its own building in 1922. In 1918 anti-German sentiments that resulted from World War I forced the bank to change its name to Union Trust and Savings Bank. It remained in operation until 1932 when a run on its deposits as a result of the Great Depression forced it to fail. Its building was taken over by Dubuque Bank and Trust. Three prominent Dubuque professionals also had offices on the second floor of the building. German-born architect Martin Heer had offices beginning in 1888. He partnered with another German-born architect, Guido Beck, from 1889 to 1895. Beck was noted for his commercial blocks and churches. Contractor Anton Zwack had offices here from 1911 to c. 1965. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. An early tenant was Baumgartner and Kleih Hardware store

Location

1307-07 Central Ave.
Dubuque, Dubuque County, Iowa
42.50579, -90.66659

Categories

ARCHITECTURECOMMERCEEUROPEAN
National Register nomination ›
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

Ziepprecht Block
Industrial
0 mi
Dubuque City Hall
Industrial
0.1 mi
Upper Main Street Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Listed
0.2 mi
Upper Central Avenue Commercial Historic District
Listed
0.2 mi
Upper Main Street Historic District
Modern
0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Attack on Sinsinawa Mound
1832Early Republic
8.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Bell, John, Block listed on the National Register?

Bell, John, Block was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 20, 2002.

What type of historic resource is Bell, John, Block?

Bell, John, Block is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Bell, John, Block?

The period of significance for Bell, John, Block is recorded as the industrial era.

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