AgdaPkt 2016-09-12 Closed and Joint SA PFA

Browse Search

Alpha Reference: W Historic Name: Dessin Bros. – Barnbauer Motors Address: 1101 Main Street Construction Date: 1931 Parcel #: 053-142-040 This is a further variation of the single-story one part commercial block, albeit set on a corner and originally intended as a car showroom. The building angles along a full block fronting three intersecting streets. Its main entry is canted to confront the juncture of the three streets at the top of the block (which it divides into a short and long arm). The building is further divided into a series of large bays with expansive display windows and transoms set within polygonal arches (disguising the industrial mushroom columns and steel beams) with a trefoil motif in the spandrels. Above, a decorative brick parapet with moulded cap is subdivided into unequal tripartite panels, each circumscribed by a roll moulding. The panels carry devices, shields in the smaller ones flanking a large circular cusped ornament in the center. The pattern is repeated for each bay, save that a quatrefoil motif appears in the central panel of every other bay. The Gothic intimations are fully evident in the entrance portal: here, the bay is disguised as a polished stone veneer with columns reminiscent of compound piers, a vine and grape motif fills the spandrels of the polygonal arch and decorative blind cusped arches flank the empty center panel of the parapet above. An alternating pattern of rosettes and blind cusped arches line the intrados of the arch and doorjamb. The interior is still fairly well preserved with a glazed office enclosure with Gothic detailing. The garage bays towards the rear of the block show skylights and reveal more of the internal steel reinforced concrete construction. The irregular plan of the building and its elaborate Gothic detailing serves deliberately both to take advantage of its site fronting three major downtown streets and to impart an associative richness, luxuriance and artistic quality to the motorcar particularly indicative of car showrooms of the 1920s. In 1924, Main Street was Redwood City's Auto Row. The Dessin Bros. (H.W. and W.J. Dessin) were Burlingame auto dealers. In May 1924 they opened up a Dodge dealership in the Old Bell Theater on Main Street near Stambaugh. That building was too small, so they bought a large lot with 110 ft. frontage on Main, 26 ft. on Heller and 36 ft. on Maple. In 1931 they had a large angular building designed to contain a new Dodge sales salon with display windows, rooms for sales offices, a machine shop, and an auto parts store. The Dessin Bros. operated here through 1935. Later on, this became the Dodge dealership headquarters for Ferris Miles. Sources: •City Directories of RC, 1929-1930, 1933, 1935 •Sanborn Fire Insurance Map Book, 1919-1945 •Richard Schellens Collection, RC Library Local History Room Page 61 7.B. - Page 72