Gordon–Van Tine Company Historic District

Gordon–Van Tine Company
Historic District
Location 736 Federal & 737 Charlotte Sts., Davenport, Iowa
Coordinates 41°31′31.7″N 90°33′48.7″W / 41.525472°N 90.563528°W / 41.525472; -90.563528Coordinates: 41°31′31.7″N 90°33′48.7″W / 41.525472°N 90.563528°W / 41.525472; -90.563528
NRHP reference # 100000718[1]
Added to NRHP March 7, 2017

The Gordon–Van Tine Company Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located east of downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.[1] The Gordon–Van Tine Company manufactured pre-cut, mail-order homes in this facility, beginning around 1916. It was incorporated as a subsidiary of the U.N. Roberts lumber company in 1907. They began by selling construction materials to builders, but by 1910 they offered house plans and became one of the first companies in the United States to offer fully pre-cut houses.[2] The customer could choose from a variety of floor plans, finishes, design features, and equipment choices. The lumber for the houses came from company mills in Washington state and Mississippi. They sold an estimated 54,000 homes under the Gordon–Van Tine name, and another 20,000 under the Montgomery Ward name.[3] The company remained in operation into the post–World War II housing boom when it was sold to a Cincinnati salvage firm that liquidated it.

Two of the buildings in the historic district are being transformed into an apartment complex.[3] The four-story brick office building is the more ornate of the two. The factory was located in a five-story brick building next door. The office building will house 15 apartments, and the production facility will house 98.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register of Historic Places Program: Weekly List". National Park Service. 2017-03-17. Retrieved 2017-03-20.
  2. ↑ Marlys A. Svendsen. "Jefferson Street Historic District (Iowa City)". National Park Service. Retrieved 2017-05-21.
  3. 1 2 Alma Gaul (April 2, 2016). "Old factory to come alive with new apartments". Davenport: Quad-City Times. Retrieved 2017-03-20.

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