Architectural Survey Research

Narrative Description

This is a 2-story, commercial building of masonry construction. The storefront features an entrance to the first floor on the east end of the facade and an entrance to the upper floor on the west end. Storefront windows are situated between the doors. A 4-pane transom is situated above the west door. A pressed metal cornice is situated between the first and the second floor. The second floor features four bays, defined by four brick pilasters, which extend slightly from the plane of the wall. The western bay (and the narrowest) is lank, while the other three bays feature windows. This fenestration is 1/1 double-hung sash, which rest on cast stone sills. Cast stone, arched hood molds crown these windows. A partial cornice with brickworked dentils surmounts the facade. The pressed metal cornice, which originally capped the building, is nonextant. The date applied to this building by the Dallas County Assessor's Office-1900-is too late. The building might have been constructed a full decade before that time. The replacement of the pressed metal cornice would add considerable visual appeal to this building. Some of the second floor surfaces are inappropriately painted with an unfortunate effect.

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 land use around the Public Square in Adel and local entrepreneurs' preference to locate businesses within the 800 block of Main Street.

This building is a contributing resource to the historic district because of its significance under Criterion C. The building calls attention to the influence of the Late Victorian styling to its design. (See cover document.) This influence is most evident in the high windows and elaborate hood molds on the upper floor, the small-scale dentils and brickworked cornice, the pilastered configuration of the facade, the pressed metal cornice between the first and second floors, and the high doorways, store windows, and transoms on the first floor.

Historic Uses*

• Late 1940's J.E. DeFord sold to Hoffman. DeFord was town mortician and ambulance service.

• 194?-? Hoffmans Furniture

• Adel Post Office

Second floor

• Dr. Maulman 's office

• Gordon Russell law office

• Early 1950's-apartments

• 2004: State Farm Insurance

Basement

• Verle Marlenee, barber, Tom Duffy, barber

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