Davenport City Hall
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Davenport City Hall
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Davenport built a new City Hall in 1895 for $90,000, without issuing any bonds.
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| Location | 226 W. 4th St. Davenport, Iowa |
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| Coordinates | 41°31′27″N 90°34′35″W / 41.52417°N 90.57639°WCoordinates: 41°31′27″N 90°34′35″W / 41.52417°N 90.57639°W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1895 |
| Architect | John W. Ross |
| Architectural style | Richardsonian Romanesque |
| NRHP Reference # | 82002639 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | April 22, 1982 |
| Designated DRHP | June 2, 1993 |
Davenport City Hall is the official seat of government for the city of Davenport, Iowa, United States. The building was constructed in 1895 and is situated on the northeast corner of the intersection of Harrison Street (U.S. Route 61) and West Fourth Street in Downtown Davenport. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 and on the Davenport Register of Historic Properties in 1993.
Davenport started to outgrow its previous city hall, which had been built on Brady Street from 1857-1858. The role of city government expanded during the mayoral administration of Henry Vollmer (1893-1896). Among his major achievements were several public works projects. Streets were paved in the older sections of the city and developers laid out new subdivisions around the perimeter.
In 1895, in the midst of a deep national economic depression, Davenport built an ornate new City Hall. The cost was about $90,000 — an astronomical sum at that time — and the City constructed the new building without issuing any municipal bonds. Local legend has long suggested that the city retired the debt so quickly by taxing the city's brothels, but the fines levied against the brothels accounted for only between $7,000-$9,000 per year, just a portion of the financial windfall the city reaped in the mid-1890s. The bulk of the funds came from a new state law (the "mulct tax") which applied to the city's 150 illegal saloons and amounted to around $50,000 per year. This tax allowed for construction not only of City Hall, but also paved streets and a new sewer system, and from 1902–08, the city eliminated its property taxes altogether.
Besides Vollmer there were two other noteworthy Davenport mayors associated with this city hall. Alfred C. Mueller served the city during two separate periods (1910-1916, 1922–24). He was responsible for initiating the city's building code, sewer planning and construction, street paving, and planning and implementing improvements to the riverfront. Dr. C.L. Barewald (1920-1922) was the city's first Socialist mayor. Davenport's German community had become a political force by the early 20th century and they had become disenchanted with the Democratic Party's war stance that lead the country into World War I and the anti-German sentiments that resulted. They were also opposed to the Republican Party's support for national prohibition of alcohol so they threw their support behind the Socialist Party of America. Two years prior to Barewald's election as mayor two Socialists were elected as aldermen and they were reelected in 1920. During his term as mayor Barewald began several public works projects that put people to work and enhanced city improvements. The municipal natatorium was built, new streets were opened and a major sewer was completed. Barewald and the other two Socialists were overwhelmingly voted out of office in 1922 because of the debts these projects and others incurred.
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