Northwest Davenport Turner Society Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Northwest Davenport
Turner Society Hall |
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Northwest Turner Hall in 2012
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1602 Washington St. Davenport, Iowa |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1882, 1904, 1926 |
| Architect | Frederick G. Clausen Rudolph J. Clausen |
| NRHP reference No. | 79000941 |
| Added to NRHP | July 10, 1979 |
The Northwest Davenport Turner Society Hall is a special historic building in Davenport, Iowa. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. This building is important because it shows the history of the German community in Davenport. Germans were the largest group of immigrants in the city for a long time. The Hall was a key place for social and cultural activities for the German people living in northwest Davenport.
Contents
Discovering the History of the Turner Society Hall
Who Were the Turners?
The story of the Turner Hall begins in Germany with a teacher named Friedrich Ludwig Jahn (1778–1852). In 1811, he started outdoor exercise classes in Berlin. He wanted to help people become physically fit and also feel proud of their German heritage.
Over the next 30 years, many exercise clubs called Turnvereins opened across Germany. The members of these clubs were known as "Turners," which is the German word for gymnasts. These clubs were not just for exercise. They were also places where people could meet and talk about making their governments fairer and more democratic.
Many Turners supported big changes happening in Germany around 1848. When these efforts didn't succeed, many Turners moved to the United States. A good number of them settled in Davenport, Iowa.
The Turners Arrive in Davenport
Two important Turners who came to Davenport were Theodor Gülich and Christian Müller. They helped start the first Turner society in the city in 1852. Theodor Gülich's family had been involved in movements for change in Germany.
In 1854, at the first big public event for the Turners, Gülich announced their goals. The local society would work against unfair treatment of immigrants and promote freedom, education, and well-being for everyone. The early Turners in Davenport supported important social ideas, like women's rights. They also helped create the German Free School Society in Davenport.
Many early members hoped to return to Germany to continue their work for change. At first, the local group was called the Sozialistischer Turnverein, meaning a society focused on community well-being. Even though they wanted to improve American society, they also aimed to be good citizens. They expected new members to become American citizens before joining. They even took part in Fourth of July celebrations.
Over time, their focus shifted from returning to Germany. In 1858, the group changed its name to the Davenporter Turnverein. Then, in 1882, it became the Davenporter Turngemeinde. As more German immigrants arrived in the 1870s, Davenport ended up with three Turner societies instead of just one.
Building the Northwest Turner Hall
The Northwest Davenport Turner Society started in 1871. Their first meeting place was Jacobsen's Hall, which was a boarding house and a tavern. Sadly, this building was destroyed in a fire on July 4, 1882.
Soon after the fire, a new building was constructed at 16th and Washington Streets. This new Turner Hall continued to be a place for members to exercise their bodies and minds. They also held fun folk festivals in a nearby garden. The society grew as more German immigrants came to Davenport.
In 1904, the Turners made their hall even bigger. They hired Frederick G. Clausen, a well-known architect from Davenport who was also from Germany. The building was updated again in 1926. This time, the work was done by Clausen's son, Rudolph, whose company was called Clausen, Kruse and Klein.
Both the East and Northwest Turner societies continued to be active in Davenport for many years, even into the 1980s. The Northwest Davenport Turner Society sold their building in 1991. It then became a club called Uncle Roscoe's Polo Club. In 1994, a Masonic group called the Mohassan Grotto bought the building. They used it for bingo games to raise money for their activities.
In 2017, Compassion Church bought the building. They used it for their breakfast program called Timothy's House of Hope. At present, Turner Hall is privately owned. Timothy's House of Hope moved out several years ago.
The Northwest Turners organization is still active today, but they no longer have their own hall. Members now meet at different places around the community. They also sponsor bowling, golfing, group hikes and social gatherings.
Other Turner Halls in Scott County
At one point, there were five Turner halls in Scott County! Two of these were also in Davenport. The Central Turner Hall, built in 1888, was one of the largest Turner Halls in the United States. It was located downtown. Sadly, it was damaged in a fire in 1961 and torn down in 1975 to make way for new housing for older adults.
The East Turner Hall, built in 1891, is still standing in the Village of East Davenport. It is now used as a theater. The Turner hall in Buffalo, built in 1869, was destroyed in a fire in 1961. The one in Eldridge, built around 1885, was destroyed in a fire in 2013.
Exploring the Building's Design
The Northwest Davenport Turner Society Hall has changed its look several times over the years.
Original 1882 Design
The first part of the building, built in 1882, was almost square. It had two floors and a sloping roof with decorative edges. There was a small window sticking out of the roof, called a dormer, right in the middle of the front. The main door was slightly to the right and had a flat frame with a small triangular top.
Behind this main part was the gymnasium. It was a wooden building, about 74 feet (23 m) long and 48 feet (15 m) wide. Unlike the main building, it had a gable roof, which is a roof that slopes down on two sides, forming a triangle at each end.
Changes in 1904
In 1904, the building got bigger with an addition on the north side. The original dormer was removed. Two new triangular dormers were added, along with a section that stuck out from the second floor. This new section had a tall, pointed roof called a spire.
The windows on the second floor of the new part matched the older section. On the first floor, there were large, three-part windows with another entrance in the middle. The main entrance to the building was moved under the new projecting section.
The old gymnasium was changed into a movie theater and dance hall. A brand new gymnasium was built next to it on the west side. This new gym was made of brick and had a strong stone foundation. It also had a gable roof with flat, decorative walls at the ends, called parapets. The side walls had decorative brick columns.
Updates in 1926
The front of the building changed again in 1926. The windows on the first floor were made larger, and big plate glass windows replaced the older sliding windows. The projecting section and its spire over the main entrance were replaced with a different style of dormer. The iron decoration was removed from the roof.
A full basement was dug under the wooden part of the building. The front of the building, facing Washington Street, was divided into two separate storefronts for businesses. The second floor was turned into an apartment. The main entrance now opened into a hallway between the storefronts, leading to the auditorium and dance hall.
