The German American Heritage Center, also known as the Germania-Miller/Standard Hotel, is a cultural center and museum in

Davenport, Iowa Davenport is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Iowa, United States. Located along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state, it is the largest of the Quad Cities, a metropolitan area with a population of 384,324 and a ...

, United States, that chronicles and preserves the history of

German-Americans German Americans (german: Deutschamerikaner, ) are Americans who have full or partial Germans, German ancestry. With an estimated size of approximately 43 million in 2019, German Americans are the largest of the self-reported ancestry groups by ...

in the

Midwest The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...

region. The building was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1983.

History

The German American Heritage Center was incorporated in 1994, and the board of directors purchased the Standard Hotel on the Davenport riverfront in 1995. The building was built by John Brus and opened in 1862 as the Germania House, a

gasthaus A Gasthaus (also called ''Gasthof'', ''Landhaus'', or ''Pension'') is a German-style inn or tavern with a bar, a restaurant, banquet facilities and hotel rooms for rent. Gasthäuser are typically found in smaller towns and are often family-owned. ...

(guest house), for immigrants. In 1876 it was bought by John Frederick Miller and renamed the Miller Hotel. He was a German immigrant who had been a manufacturer in the city since the 1850s. Miller also operated the restaurant, billiard room and saloon in the hotel until 1889. The hotel was used at this time by Scott County farmers when they came to Davenport. with The hotel's name was changed several times in the 20th-century. It became the Arcade Hotel around 1906, the Henry Blessing Boarding House around 1917, and the Standard Hotel from 1924 to 1995. The retail space on the main floor was occupied by various tenants over the years. In 1983, the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, and on the

Davenport Register of Historic Properties This is a list of the Davenport Register of Historic Properties in Davenport, Iowa, United States. The historic preservation movement began in the city of Davenport in the mid-1970s with the renovation of several historic structures. A comprehensi ...

in 1996. (Click on "Historic Preservation Commission" and then click on "Davenport Register of Historic Properties and Local Landmarks.") In 2009, extensive renovations to the center were completed with enhanced multimedia and exhibit spaces.

Architecture

The building is a fine example of high Victorian commercial architecture in Davenport. Of particular merit is the metal

cornice In architecture, a cornice (from the Italian ''cornice'' meaning "ledge") is generally any horizontal decorative moulding that crowns a building or furniture element—for example, the cornice over a door or window, around the top edge of a ...

that was apparently added by John Miller, whose name appears on it. The original storefronts had been removed and were restored in the 2009 renovation. The easternmost bay, where the hotel's main entrance was located, is more decorative than the other six and is below the cornice arch.

References

External links

GAHC.org

Transportation Enhancements Image Library
Images from the Restoration of the German American Heritage Center {{Authority control Victorian architecture in Iowa Residential buildings completed in 1862 Museums in Davenport, Iowa Ethnic museums in Iowa Museums of human migration Buildings and structures in Davenport, Iowa Hotel buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa Culture of the Quad Cities German-American history German-American culture in Iowa National Register of Historic Places in Davenport, Iowa Davenport Register of Historic Properties German-American museums 1994 establishments in Iowa