Ford Building: 202 Nile Kinnick Drive N

  • Current Occupant - Brick Street Motors

  • Interior of Building

  • Exterior of Building

Burkett-Mitchell Ford Building

202 Nile Kinnick Drive North

The need for a large interior showrooms and mechanical service space prompted the introduction of this new commercial building in Adel.  Built In 1929 by Harry Archer, it operated as a Ford dealer from 1929 to 2001.  In 1929, Golden Mitchell purchased the dealership from Dave Burkett and then in 1971, Jim Mitchell acquired the ownership of the property and business.  

Over those years it was operated as the Michell Motor Company.  In 2001 the Ford franchise was sold to Stivers Ford for their new facility in Waukee.  The building is currently known as Brick Street Motors.

Click here to read more about the history of the Burkett-Mitchell Ford Building as written by local historian Mike Flinn.

Architectural Survey Research

Narrative Description

This is a 1-story, brick veneer and tile block building covered with an arched roof supported by interior trusses. The facade features a symmetrical arrangement of openings, with a centrally placed entrance flanked by windows and large, storefront windows flanking them. A modem, pent roof is situated on the facade between the storefront and upper portion of the building, and a brickworked panel surmounts it. The gable end of the gently arched roof is reflected in the top of the facade. A flat-roofed wing is situated on the north elevation of the building. This structure was originally designed as a showroom and service center for farm equipment and vehicles, hence its large and open interior space.

Statement of Significance

This building is National Register eligible as a contributing resource to the historic district under Criterion A. It calls attention the evolution of commercial land use and shows how entrepreneurs, whose goods and services were associated with automobiles and machinery, sought to locate their business near, but not directly on, the Public Square. (See cover document.)

This building is National Register eligible as a contributing resource to the historic district under Criterion C. The brick panel above the storefront window, the simple cornice, and the building's plain wall surfaces are hallmarks of this influence in Adel. The arched roof is distinctive of automotive related facilities during the early years of the 20" century. The need for big interior spaces for showrooms and mechanical service prompted the introduction of this new commercial form to Adel.

Historic Uses*

Built by Harry Archer

  • 1929-2001: Ford Motor Company. Purchased by Golden Mitchell from Dave Burkett

Previous uses on site:

  • 1848/49 Benjamin Greene. Mixed stock of goods. Only two stores in town. Sold out to William Ellis.

Survey research completed in 2004 so only includes building uses prior to that time