ArchiTouring the Quad-Cities

04/11/2026

ATTENTION PLEASE. This is kind of off-topic, but not, if you’re traveling out of the country to see the architectural wonders of the world. Don‘t ask me how I know the pain of NOT knowing this RULE. I’m still smarting. 😭

Having a valid passport isn't enough to visit some countries. The expiration date matters, too. Here’s what to do if you’re heading abroad.

03/18/2026

We had a great turn out for the Scott County Historic Preservation Society’s (SCHPS) tour of the Jack Austin & Marjorie Crabbs 1947 home. Many thanks to the current owners, Brian and Devon Irby, for hosting such a lovely event.

Check out a few of the photos from the tour and from some original documents that the Irby’s and I provided.

03/16/2026

Imagine this 1948 Buick Roadmaster parked outside the Jack Austin and Marjorie Crabbs house featured in my last post.

According to “Kustomrama,” an encyclopedia dedicated to traditional hot rod and custom cars, this car was restyled at Dunshee’s Body Shop in Davenport, Iowa by 2 hot rod builders, Eddie Bell and Bill Gartenier, from 1953 to 1956 for Jack Crabbs. The car was know as the “Black Flame.” It received national attention when it was featured in the May, 1957 issue of Rod & Custom magazine.

According to a guy named Craig Fitzgerald, “Crabb’s intent was to build and market a low scale production custom car for wealthy people, like the Kurtis Cad and the Muntz of the same time. When he tried to obtain permission from GM he was told that no matter what he did the car was initially a Buick, and the permission was denied.”

For all you car buff’s, here’s what was restyled, “It originally started life as a four-door Roadmaster and the car was eventually trimmed down to two doors. The front and rear wheels hide behind heavy shrouds. The body was sectioned — or had four inches removed horizontally. It was also channeled, or dropped down onto the frame by three inches, and the top was chopped four inches. At the front, the top is eight inches wider than stock and the roof was made to be removable. The Black Flame’s entire nose tilts forward for service.”

Fitzgerald continues, “The car’s builder, Eddie Bell, purchased the car at some point before he passed away. In 2013, it turned up for sale, and in October of 2014, it was advertised on Craigslist in Worcester, Massachusetts for $8,000.” In 2015 it was still in Worcester but the price had dropped to $3,975. To say it needed a little work, is an understatement. See more photos in comments.

02/26/2026

Many of you may be familiar with this house and, like me, curious about the Who, What, When, Where & Why of it. Now’s your chance to find out, BUT you must be a current member of SCHPS. $20 to join at the door.

Hope to get a better photo of this early on a sunny morning. It faces North at an angle. Timing is everything!

02/16/2026

Davenport’s connection to the Chicago skyline on Valentine’s Day. The Blue Cross Blue Shield Tower, on the left with the big heart, was designed by Davenporter, James Goettsch, and built in 1997. It has won multiple awards through the years and is noted for the variety of messages it spells out, including the recent “Go Bears,” using the lights in the building. It’s known as Chicago’s “biggest billboard.” Check out its latest message the next time you visit the Windy City.

12/02/2025

The Scott County Historic Preservation Society (SCHPS) is always looking for a few good people to support the mission to preserve and protect our historical architecture.

Please join the board and members of the SCHPS for a beautiful Christmas celebration at the Outing Club.

Desserts and Beverages. Silent Auction. Brief Program. Good Cheer.

$10 at the door, but please RSVP to Michele R Darland at [email protected] or call 563-529-0382. Dress code: Festive. Please, no jeans.

All funds raised will go to the production of a May, 2027 Historical Home Tour.

I'm contributing two brand new, beautiful books for the silent auction featuring three icons of the 20th century: Georgia O’Keeffe and her friend Frank Lloyd Wright and Frank’s friend and mentor, Louis Sullivan. Your coffee table needs these stunners!

Looking forward to seeing you there!!!

11/17/2025

Of Jeopardy and Georgia

If you’d been reading my posts here in the last couple of years and been a Jeopardy contestant last week, you would have known the question to this clue right off! ”Who was Georgia O’Keeffe?” And, you could have wowed the audience by naming the painting, “Sky Above Clouds IV,” too.

Now, if the Final Jeopardy category had been “Dumb Decisions” and the final clue, “In 1965 this QC CEO passed up the opportunity to acquire Georgia O’Keeffe’s largest and one of her most iconic paintings for his company,” you would have known that and, hopefully, won the game! “Who was Bill Hewitt of John Deere.”

Any guesses as to the value of that painting today? In 2014, her painting “Jimson Weed/White Flower No.1” sold for 44M+. It set a new auction record for an artwork by a female artist. That was over 10 years ago. “Clouds” is 8’ x 24’ and “Jimson” comes in at a mere 48” x 24.” The Art Institute has had “Clouds “for over 50 years and it's one of their "Top 25 Must Sees."

We don't know yet why Hewitt passed on the painting. It might have been too expensive or it might have been that the color palette was too soft and feminine. Considering the darker tones of the artwork that hangs in the newly opened John Deere Gallery at the Figge, I'm going with the latter explanation. Wouldn't it be something, though, if "Clouds" were hanging there today?

I recently ran into Neil Dahlstrom of John Deere (not sure what his title is these days given all the changes at JD.) He assures me that he has not forgotten our earlier attempts to find an answer for Hewitt's decision and Neil still comes across interesting correspondence among the key players. The search in the archives continues. One day the mystery will be solved.

09/30/2025

Excited to welcome my friend Sarah Rovang back to the QC to talk about her recently released book from Rizzoli. Join us at the Butterworth Center in Moline on 10/13/25 at 6:30 PM. No charge, No sign up

09/21/2025

The architecture firm of James C Goettsch, a 1960 Davenport High School graduate. See my Facebook story (10/19/2022) on this “formidable presence in global architecture.” ”He turns a crappy site into something spectacular.”

Mobilization took place this week for two significant GP projects in the Southeast. In Nashville, Paramount will rise 60 stories, including 500 apartments and condos, associated amenities, and a large parking garage. Scheduled to be the city’s tallest tower, its completion is slated for Spring 2028. In Charlotte, 1111 South Tryon kicked off, bringing 356,000 square feet of office space and 346 apartments to the South End neighborhood. As the second tower in the overall Queensbridge Collective mixed-use development, the building will stand 43 stories and over 540 feet tall. Completion for 1111 South Tryon is also scheduled for 2028. Congratulations to both project teams!

04/27/2025

The lights are on but nobody's home. Davenport Bank Building's stunning Italian Renaissance banking room. (1928; Weary & Alford, Chicago.). I noticed the lights were on one night last week and thought, with fingers crossed, that maybe there were workmen doing some restoration.

Talked the next day with Billy of Me & Billy's restaurant across the street. He's always in the know of all things downtown. Nope, he said nothing's been going on except the lights. Anybody know anything different?

The black and white photo, taken from the opposite side, appeared in the local paper when the $2M American Commercial & Savings Bank opened to "exclamations of surprise and delight." Over 40,000 people attended the opening.