National Register of Historic Places

Brown Apartments

Cedar Rapids, Linn County, Iowa
Listed
March 17, 2010
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
10000075

About this property

Brown Apartments is a historic building located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States. Designed by local architect William J. Brown, this is an early example of an apartment suites building type and the first known English basement apartment building in the city. Other innovations from the time of construction include the janitor's living quarters, a common laundry room, and tenant storage areas. The building's first owners were Arthur and Elizabeth Brown. He was an ice cream manufacturer and marketer, and it is unknown if he was related to the architect. The four-story, brick structure features American Craftsman influences. The symmetrical facade consists of three projecting solarium bays between which are the entry ways into the building. Both of the entry porches has heavy wooden brackets, and each bay is capped with distinctive wood parapets that are supported by heavy timber brackets. Regionalist painter Marvin Cone lived in the building from 1920 to 1923. He dedicated two oil paintings to the Browns in lieu of rent. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.

Location

1234 4th Ave. SE
Cedar Rapids, Linn County, Iowa
41.98298, -91.65389

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
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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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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Nearby Historic Sites

Perkins, Charles W. and Nellie, House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Calder Houses
Industrial
0.2 mi
First Church of Christ, Scientist
Industrial
0.2 mi
St. Paul Methodist Episcopal Church
Industrial
0.2 mi
Averill, A. T., House
Industrial
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Brown Apartments listed on the National Register?

Brown Apartments was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 17, 2010.

What type of historic resource is Brown Apartments?

Brown Apartments is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Brown Apartments?

The period of significance for Brown Apartments is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Brown Apartments?

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