Historic Resources Survey of Downtown Sioux City, Woodbury County, Iowa

Vogel, Robert; Pathfinder CRM, LLC

From management summary: "The Sioux City Downtown Historic Resources Survey was carried out between June, 2008 and June, 2009 by Pathfinder CRM, LLC under contract to the City of Sioux City. The project was funded in part by a Certified Local Government grant-in-aid from the US Department of the Interior, administered by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. The purpose of the survey was to identify, document and evaluate the preservation value of buildings, structures and other historic resources located within a defined area to determine whether or not they meet established criteria for historical, architectural, engineering or cultural significance. Survey activities included planning, archival research, development of historic contexts, field survey to document individual historic resources, review and organization of survey data, public participation, and preparation of the final products. The survey area boundaries encompassed an 84-block area (approximately 200 acres) in extent. The focus was on commercial architecture, although background knowledge indicated that a number of residential, civic, and religious buildings were also present within the survey area boundaries. Properties documented by previous surveys, with the exception of those already listed in the National Register of Historic Places, were inspected and re-evaluated. While the survey was not intended to result directly in National Register nominations, it was designed to produce sufficient information to make decisions regarding the preservation values of all surveyed properties and prepare a workable plan for implementing the results of the survey. A local historic context, "Development of Downtown Sioux City" was developed on the basis of documentary information on the most important broad patterns of downtown urban development during its period of historical significance from 1855 to 1958. The survey identified 36 individual historic resources worthy of preservation and eligible for listing in the National Register or local landmark designation. Of these, 9 were located within the boundaries of a proposed "West End" historic district, comprising 41 buildings (32 contributing, 9 noncontributing resources). 32 downtown properties had been previously listed in the National Register, including the fourteen buildings located within the boundaries of the Fourth Street Historic District. 36 of the surveyed properties were evaluated as significant and potentially eligible for nomination to the National Register or for local landmark designation.100 buildings and one landscape feature which met the minimum criteria for being considered historic resources by being over fifty years old were evaluated as not worthy of preservation interest due to their lack of historical significance or compromised integrity. 86 of the buildings surveyed proved to be nonhistoric (i.e., less than fifty years old)." Project funding was provided in part by a 2008 Historic Preservation Fund grant to Sioux City (project number IA-08-005) administered by the Iowa State Historic Preservation Office (grant number 19-08-21720) administered by the State, Tribal, and Local Plans and Grants Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Sioux City, Iowa is a Certified Local Government.

Historic Resources Survey of Downtown Sioux City, Woodbury County, Iowa

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