Younker Brothers Department Store

The Younker Brothers Department Store is a historic building located in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.[1]

Significant dates

Younker Brothers Department Store
U.S. National Register of Historic Places


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Location	713 Walnut St. Des Moines, Iowa
Coordinates	41°35′9″N 93°37′36″W
Area	less than one acre
Architect	Liebbe, Nourse & Rasmussen
Architectural style	Early Commercial
NRHP reference No.	10000079 [1] 100002487 (decrease)
Added to NRHP	March 17, 2010
Boundary decrease	June 4, 2018

History

Younkers was founded in Keokuk, Iowa in 1856. They opened their first store in Des Moines in 1874 and moved their headquarters to Des Moines in 1879. Their flagship store moved to this location in November 1899.[2] The original Tea Room opened in 1913 and was replaced in 1927. The building installed the first escalator in Iowa, known as the "electric stairs", in this building in 1939.[2] Younkers closed their downtown Des Moines location on August 12, 2005.

Part of the building was destroyed in a fire during the early morning hours of March 29, 2014, that caused the upper floors of the building to collapse. At the time of the fire, the building was undergoing renovation into 120 apartments and retail space.[3] While no cause of the fire has been announced, the ATF had ruled out arson as a possible cause following an investigation shortly after the fire.[4] Demolition of the eastern part of the building began a short time later.

In August 2014, the Alexander Company, a Wisconsin-based developer, announced plans to continue with the ongoing renovation and restoration of the western half of the building. The revised plans call for adding 14,000 square feet of commercial space on the first floor of the building, creating 60 apartment units on the remaining floors, and renovating the historic Tea Room, which was spared during the fire.[5]

Architecture

The building is seven stories tall and rises 138 feet (42 m) above the ground.[6] It was designed by the Des Moines architectural firm of Liebbe, Nourse & Rasmussen in the Commercial style.

References

"National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
"Younkers-An Iowa Icon". Des Moines Public Library. Retrieved 2012-01-11.
Smith, Ryan (2014-03-29). "Downtown Younkers building burns". KCCI News.
Hassanzade, Erin (2014-04-07). "ATF: Cause of Younkers fire undetermined; Arson not suspected". KCCI News.
Darr, Kent (2014-08-06). "All not lost at Younkers site". Des Moines Business Record.
"Younkers Department Store". Emporis. Archived from the original on September 12, 2014. Retrieved 2012-01-11.

U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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Related	National Historic Preservation Act Historic Preservation Fund List of jails and prisons on the National Register of Historic Places University and college buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places portal Category

Historic buildings and structures in Des Moines, Iowa
Apartment buildings	Ayrshire Apartments Bryn Mawr Apartments The Elmwood-The Oaks-The Birches Franklin Apartments Hallett Flats–Rawson & Co. Apartment Building Kromer Flats The Lexington The Maine Murillo Flats The New Lawn Norman Apartment Building Plymouth Place
Civic buildings	Des Moines Fire Department Headquarters-Fire Station No. 1 and Shop Building Fire Station No. 4 Iowa Commission for the Blind Building Iowa State Capitol Iowa State Historical Building Municipal Building Polk County Courthouse Public Library of Des Moines United States Courthouse U.S. Post Office
Commercial buildings	American Republic Insurance Company Headquarters Building Apperson-Iowa Motor Car Company Building Argonne Building Baker-Devotie-Hollingsworth Block Burnstein-Malin Grocery D.S. Chamberlain Building Clemens Automobile Company Building Des Moines Building Earle & LeBosquet Block Elliott Furniture Company Equitable Life Insurance Company of Iowa Building Fleming Building Flynn-Griffin Building Hawkeye Insurance Company Building Hippee Building Hohberger Building Home Federal Savings and Loan Association of Des Moines Building Homestead Building Hubbell Building Iowa-Des Moines National Bank Building G.W. Jones Building Liberty Building Perry and Brainard Block Register and Tribune Building Seth Richards Commercial Block Rumely-Des Moines Drug Company Building Sargent's Garage Studebaker Corporation Branch Office Building Syndicate Block Teachout Building Walnut Tire and Battery Co.-Globe Publishing Company Building Wherry Block Youngerman Block Younker Brothers Department Store
Education	Abraham Lincoln High School Fort Des Moines Provisional Army Officer Training School Grand View College (Old Main) Methodist Deaconess Institute—Esther Hall David W. Smouse Opportunity School Theodore Roosevelt High School
Hotels	Hotel Fort Des Moines Hotel Kirkwood Hotel Randolph Northwestern Hotel Savery Hotel
Industrial buildings	Boyt Company Building Crane Building Des Moines Saddlery Company Building Des Moines Western Railway Freight House Firestone District Office and Warehouse Grocers Wholesale Company Building L. Harbach and Sons Furniture Warehouse and Factory Complex Hawkeye Transfer Company Warehouse Herring Motor Car Company Building Iowa Ford Tractor Company Repair and Warehouse Building Mack-International Motor Truck Corporation Building National Biscuit Company Building Schmitt and Henry Manufacturing Company Standard Glass and Paint Company Building Taft-West Warehouse Warfield, Pratt and Howell Company Warehouse
Structures	Court Avenue Bridge Allen Hazen Water Tower Southeast Water Trough Southwest Fifth St. Bridge
Miscellaneous	Des Moines Art Center Fish and Game Pavilion and Aquarium Masonic Temple of Des Moines Scottish Rite Consistory Building
National Register of Historic Places listings in Des Moines, Iowa List of National Historic Landmarks in Iowa

External links

SAH Archipedia Building Entry

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