State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number __ 82-01282_______
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number ____________
Continuation Sheet
Page ___ 1 ___
Name of Property ______ Hibernian Hall _______________ County ________ Scott ________
Address ________ 421 Brady Street _______________________ City ________ Davenport ________ ___________________________________________________________
SITE DESCRIPTION
Hibernian Hall is located on Lot 3, Block 55 of LeClaire’s 2nd Addition. The structure is sited on the east side of Brady Street, near the middle of the block; its façade faces west. The building is neighbored on the north by the two-story Worley House of 1860, and by the three-story, 1923 Democrat Building on the south. A north-south alley bisects the block at the rear of the property. A public sidewalk provides access to the building’s entrances on Brady Street.
PROPERTY DESCRIPTION
Hibernian Hall is a large, three-story brick construction, built on what is likely a partially brick foundation (the rear, original building foundation is likely stone.) The building’s character evokes the Richardsonian Romanesque, seen here in the vertical grouping of windows within round-arched arcades and the general sense of mass and weight. The use of wide piers with plinth-like capitals adds to the sense of stability.
Hibernian Hall features a doublewide storefront with a centralized projecting pavilion. A gabled parapet and decorative pinnacles surmount the pavilion. Access to the upper stories is gained through a turned brick arch in the center pavilion, which features an ornate grill announcing the building’s name, “Hibernian Hall”. Modern, metal frame, double doors fill the entrance arch.
Oversized windows, now diminished by infill, dominate the building’s upper stories. The wall plane between the windows of the second and third story features patterned brickwork. A conservative, metal cornice finishes the upper wall.
Condition
As a masonry construction, the greatest concern for Hibernian Hall is the condition of its brick, which appears to be in very good condition, with no evidence of joint loss or brick deterioration. In addition, the stone detailing appears to be in good condition, as does the metal work of the cornice.
Hibernian Hall retains a high level of historic integrity, the greatest compromise being the inappropriate windows and infill of the upper stories.
PROPERTY HISTORY
According to the 1886 Sanborn Fire Insurance map, a “Christian Chapel” first occupied the site of Hibernian Hall. Various records indicate that the church structure may date to as early as 1855. The building was two-stories, with a deep setback from Brady Street. By the 1892 Sanborn map, the same structure was known as Hibernian Hall.
In January of 1891 Davenport architect Frederick G. Clausen designed a “new” lodge for the Hibernians. Judging from the footprint of the building on the 1910 Sanborn map, Clausen’s design was for the front section of the present building; the original structure is intact at the rear. Although they were not reviewed as part of the present survey, Clausen’s drawings for Hibernian Hall are on file at the Rock Island office of his successor firm, SGGM Architects & Interior Designers.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number __ 82-01282 _______
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number ____________
Continuation Sheet
Page ___ 2 ___
Name of Property ______ Hibernian Hall _______________ County ________ Scott ________
Address ________ 421 Brady Street _______________________ City ________ Davenport ________ ___________________________________________________________
Frederick Clausen, a German immigrant who came to Davenport in 1869, founded the architectural firm of F.G. Clausen in 1871. Clausen’s son, Rudolph joined him in the practice in 1904 when the firm became Clausen & Clausen. Known
by various names over the course of its one hundred thirty-four year history, the firm is responsible for some of Davenport’s landmark buildings including the Democrat Building, the Scott County Savings Bank, the Davenport Municipal Stadium (aka John O’Donnell Stadium), and the Petersen Memorial Music Pavilion. Today the firm is known as SGGM (Scholtz-Gowey-Gere-Marolf) Architects & Interior Designers and is one of the oldest architectural firms in Iowa.
As noted in the 1983 Svendsen/Bowers historical survey, Hibernian Hall is the only remaining downtown structure associated with the Irish population that made its home in Davenport in the mid to late nineteenth century. Davenport Irish Catholics organized the Ancient Order of the Hibernians in 1884, replacing the earlier Irish National League of America. The organization aggressively promoted Ireland’s independence from Great Britain by raising funds for the Irish military and providing general economic assistance to those who remained in their home country. The order disbanded in 1937.
Currently a portion of Riverbend Antiques occupies the building.
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
Hibernian Hall was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. Then, as remains true today, the building is significant under Criterion C as an important example of the Romanesque Revival in commercial architecture. The building possesses additional significance under Criterion C as the work of locally prominent architect, Frederick G. Clausen.
In addition, Hibernian Hall is considered significant under Criterion A in association with the Irish ethnic population which emigrated to Davenport in the mid to late nineteenth century. The building’s significance is enhanced, as it appears to be the sole remaining secular structure in the Davenport Central Business District bearing a direct association to the Irish.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number __ 82-01282 _______
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number ____________
Continuation Sheet
Page ___ 3 ___
Name of Property ______ Hibernian Hall _______________ County ________ Scott ________
Address ________ 421 Brady Street _______________________ City ________ Davenport ________ ________________________________________________________
View of Hibernian Hall within the context of its present streetscape (looking northeast across Brady Street.)
(SOURCE: AKAY Consulting – November 2004)
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number __ 82-01282 _______
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number ____________
Continuation Sheet
Page ___ 4 ___
Name of Property ______ Hibernian Hall _______________ County ________ Scott ________
Address ________ 421 Brady Street _______________________ City ________ Davenport ________ _________________________________________________________
**IMAGE NOT AVAILABLE**
View of the primary (west) elevation, looking southeast across Brady Street.
(SOURCE: AKAY Consulting – November 2004)
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number __ 82-01282 _______
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number ____________
Continuation Sheet
Page ___ 5 ___
Name of Property ______ Hibernian Hall _______________ County ________ Scott ________
Address ________ 421 Brady Street _______________________ City ________ Davenport ________ __________________________________________________________
**IMAGE NOT AVAILABLE**
View of the primary (west) entrance. Note the use of multiple courses of turned brick to create the
Roman arch, and the beautiful grillwork announcing “Hibernian Hall”.
(SOURCE: AKAY Consulting – November 2004)
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number __ 82-01282 _______
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number ____________
Continuation Sheet
Page ___ 6 ___
Name of Property ______ Hibernian Hall _______________ County ________ Scott ________
Address ________ 421 Brady Street _______________________ City ________ Davenport ________ ___________________________________________________________
**IMAGE NOT AVAILABLE**
View of the south storefront, currently occupied by a portion of Riverbend Antiques.
(SOURCE: AKAY Consulting – November 2004)
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number __ 82-01282 _______
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number ____________
Continuation Sheet
Page ___ 7 ____
Name of Property ______ Hibernian Hall _______________ County ________ Scott ________
Address ________ 421 Brady Street _______________________ City ________ Davenport ________ ________________________________________________________
**IMAGE NOT AVAILABLE**
This c.1890 streetscape of Brady Street, documents the block in the years just prior to the construction
of the front portion of the present Hibernian Hall (1891). It appears that the original “Christian Church” structure
is visible on the site north of the Forrest Block.
(SOURCE: Putnam Museum of History and Natural Science. Davenport, Iowa.)
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number __ 82-01282 _______
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number ____________
Continuation Sheet
Page ___ 8 ____
Name of Property ______ Hibernian Hall _______________ County ________ Scott ________
Address ________ 421 Brady Street _______________________ City ________ Davenport ________ __________________________________________________________
**IMAGE NOT AVAILABLE**
This 1966 image of Brady Street documents the block in a more contemporary era.
(SOURCE: Putnam Museum of History and Natural Science. Davenport, Iowa.)
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number __ 82-01282 _______
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number ____________
Continuation Sheet
Page ___ 9 ____
Name of Property ______ Hibernian Hall _______________ County ________ Scott ________
Address ________ 421 Brady Street _______________________ City ________ Davenport ________ __________________________________________________________
The arrow indicates the location of Hibernian Hall. Note that from this aerial view the footprint
of the original structure is clearly visible.
(SOURCE: City of Davenport – Planning Department – 1/2005)
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa Site Number __ 82-01282 _______
Iowa Site Inventory Form Related District Number ____________
Continuation Sheet
Page ___ 10 ___
Name of Property ______ Hibernian Hall _______________ County ________ Scott ________
Address ________ 421 Brady Street _______________________ City ________ Davenport ________ ________________________________________________________
BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES
Special Collections
Davenport Public Library; Richardson-Sloane Special Collections
Davenport City Directory Collection 1890-1940
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map Collection
Quad Cities Photograph Collection
Putnam Museum of History and Natural Science. Davenport, Iowa.
Database of SGGM Architects & Interior Designers. Rock Island, Illinois.
Local Publications
Huebinger, Adam. “First Album of the City of Davenport, Iowa”. Davenport, IA. 1887.
Svendsen, Marlys. “Davenport, Where the River Runs West: A Survey of Davenport History
& Architecture”. ND
Internet Resources