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Kenneth & Ruth Sturtevant House, 3735 14th Street
Most Significant Unprotected Structures:
Beautifully preserved Tudor Revival home with several high style details
Architectural Style:
Tudor Revival
Construction Date:
1930
Architect/Builder: Rudolph C. Sandberg, Architect
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Kenneth Sturtevant was the secretary-treasurer and later the general manager for Sturtevant Dairy at 420 16th Street, which manufactured and sold wholesale ice cream, milk, cream and butter, as well as retail milk. The business was founded by Kenneth's father in 1910, but made only ice cream at the time. In 1930, production was extended to milk. At its peak, Sturtevant Dairy employed 175 people, and the business was known for its family-friendly ways. The dairy factory is now a parking lot. Office operations were in a building still standing at the southwest corner of 5th Avenue and 16th Street. In news that even made the August 6, 1954, New York Times, Sturtevant Dairy merged with the Borden Company and Kenneth became the chairman of the board for the Iowa region, in which capacity he would serve until about 1970. He also served with the Chamber of Commerce and was a member of the Arsenal Golf Club. Borden quit production in the Quad Cities in 1974.
Kenneth and Ruth lived in this beautiful Tudor Revival home for more than four decades. It was one of the homes listed in 1930's year-end building review published annually by the Rock Island Argus. It features steep roof planes, decorative half-timbering and stucco, diamond paned windows, a massive end chimney and casement windows. Also notable are the patterned stonework, the arched entrance and the prominent, overlapping gables in the front facade. An outstanding detail is the semi-hexagonal one story bay with the metal roof.
The architect was Rudolph Sandberg, who was often known for his modern designs and experimental use of concrete. The Sturtevant House uses more traditional building methods and finishes. Sandberg designed an impressive number of well-known buildings in Rock Island, including St. Pius X Catholic Church (structural design), the former junior high school on 7th Avenue, Denkmann School, Thoms House, Quad City Coca Cola Bottling Plant (now MidAmerican Energy), Klockau House, Criswell House, Eichelsdoerfer House, and many others. He is also credited with the magnificent terra cotta designs for the Fort Armstrong Theatre (Circa ‘21) and the Illinois Oil Products Building.
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