Washington Gardens (Davenport, Iowa)
History
This combination tavern and residence was built by John Wiese in 1885. It is one of the oldest taverns in the city. Claus Gruneau bought it three years later from Wiese's widow, Sophie. He had previously operated the St. Louis House on Washington Square downtown. Adolph Herman "Audie" Brammann purchased is sometime later until his retirement in 1966. The facility originally combined a tavern, social hall and beer garden. It was a focal point for the local German community. The tavern itself was known alternately as Washington Park and Washington Gardens. The name came from the establishment's proximity to elaborately landscaped gardens used by the German community as beer gardens. The building continues to be used as a tavern.
Architecture
The building is a commercial version of the Italianate style. The bracketed eaves in the gables are typical of the style. Originally the gables had round-arch windows that are associated with local German immigrants.
See also
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ Martha Bowers; Marlys Svendsen. "Washington Gardens". National Park Service. Retrieved 2014-11-01. with photo