The Muskwaki Block was built in 1897 for lawyer Benjamin Franklin Heins as an investment property. It was designed by Cedar Rapids architect William Fulkerson as a three-story commercial building with a stone base, brick cladding with stone details, and arched window openings. To advertise the building, developers used an adaptation of Meskwaki, the name of a local American Indian tribe. The first story was divided into three storefronts that were occupied by a variety of tenants over the years including grocery stores and restaurants. The Dragon, a Chinese restaurant, occupied the corner space for about 55 years. Offices were located on the upper stories. The space was converted to apartments in the 1930s.
Download this plaque (PDF format)
Download this plaque (PDF format)
