Flynn--Griffin Building

The story

Written by AI from this property's National Register nomination and the record above; every sentence is checked against its sources before it appears here. Corrections: privacy@treealive.com

The Flynn--Griffin Building is a commercial building at 319 7th St. in Des Moines, Polk County. Built in 1885 as the Flynn Block, it was expanded to six stories in 1906, in the Commercial Style, with Gothic Revival details.

Why it's listed

It was listed under criteria A and B, with local significance in commerce and social history. Its period of significance runs from 1885, when the Flynn Block was built, to 1966.

Physical character

Its brick walls, trimmed in stone, feature segmented arch window headers and a stringcourse and belt course; a historic iron staircase and fire escape remain, and a skywalk was connected to the Hub Tower around 1995. The building grew from three stories to six in 1906, its storefronts were altered for a Katz Drug Store in 1930, and by 1984 its historic cornice and windows had been removed and replaced.

Historical context

Edna M. Griffin led a 1948 sit-in at the Katz Drug Store in this building; the Iowa Supreme Court ruled for the plaintiffs in 1949, and the company's Des Moines stores were desegregated that year. The building was renamed the Edna M. Griffin Building in 1998, and its upper floors had served as professional offices from 1906 to 1966.