Thursday, September 25, 2008

Sioux City History and Culture by Bicycle Part 39: Sioux City Terra Cotta, Nebraska St.

There are 4 buildings on Nebraska Street mentioned in the book Breaking The Mold, Sioux City Terra Cotta. They are the Masonic Temple, The Bennett Motor Mart Building, Sioux City Optical & the Martin Department Store.

The Masonic Temple at 9th & Nebraska was built in 1922. Designed by Beuttler and Arnold, architects it has beautiful Moorish Facade on the north side of the building. The west side was designed with Classical Spanish Facade. The temple was built at a cost of $350.00 by Fleisher Company. The Masonic bodies that currently occupy the building are Tyrian Lodge, the Sioux City York Rite, the Abu Bekr Shrine, Jobs Daughters & Daughters of the Nile. The building also has a beautiful Masonic Museum. The museum is a little unorganized right now. The hope is to eventually place the exhibits in the new Sioux City Public Museum or designate a a larger room of the temple to the Masonic Museum. The building was added to the National Regsiter of Historic Places in 2004.
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At 510 Nebraska is the Bennett Motor Mart Building. Built in 1912, designed by E.R. Henriques, architect the building shows a fine example of both Sullivanesque and Chicago School Elements architecture. Early automobile dealer Ralph Bennett commissioned C.F. Lytle Construction Company to build the structure. The Motor Mart was the first of many reinforced concrete buildings. It was renamed the Commerce Building because of the long run tenant Sioux City Chamber of Commerce. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.
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The Sioux City Optical Company building was built with it's own unique style of terra cotta architecture. Built at 419 Nebraska St. in 1920. By 1923 it was the largest manufacturing company of lenses in Iowa & one of the largest in the midwest.
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Finally on Nebraska St. is the Martin Department Store building. Built in 1902 & located at 409 Nebraska the building was designed by Henry Fisher. The building is Sioux City's only Beux Arts style building. It was built by Thomas S. MArtin for the expansion of his dept. store. on 4th St. Beaux Arts is fairly limited in the United States. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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