Parkhurst Davis Building

101 Kansas Avenue Lofts

The Parkhurst Davis Building was constructed in 1909 after the previous warehouse that occupied the site was destroyed by fire. The four-story warehouse anchors the south end of the small Mill Block Historic District, the National Register historic district nomination Rosin Preservation prepared in 2015. The building functioned as a warehouse until about 2012 when it was vacated. Architect Mike Wilson purchased the building with the plan to rehabilitate it into loft apartments and brought Rosin Preservation onboard to facilitate the historic tax credit process.

The brick building was clad with stucco over time, and most of the windows had been infilled. Despite these significant alterations, the building’s character-defining massing and the brick details of corbels, arches, sills, and beltcourses were still visible under the stucco. The historic loading bays and pedestrian entrances that conveyed the historic use were intact. Rosin Preservation successfully presented the Part 1 to convince SHPO and NPS that the building retained integrity and continued to contribute to the district. Rosin worked with the owner during rehabilitation to ensure the character-defining features were preserved. This included incorporating historic partitions on the 1^st floor into the new plan, ensuring new windows met SHPO and NPS requirements, and carefully treating the masonry.

The transformation is remarkable. The stucco is painted red to match the color of the brick underneath, and the windows once again open up the facades. The building looks alive and bears little resemblance to its former shuttered self.