Clarksville Diner National Register Of Historic Places Nomination

NPS Form 10-900-1 .(8-86)OMBApproval No.1024-0018United States Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNational Register of Historic PlacesContinuation SheetSection number7Page2SILK CITY DINER, WINNESHIEK COUNTY, IOWAend for the bathrooms. Some Silk City diners have the bathrooms inthe diner itself, but they are barely the size of a closet. Angie'sBridgeton Grille in Bridgeton, New Jersey is a Silk City Diner nearlylike this one with the exception of the bathrooms and the position ofa door. Most dining car companies could and would custom build to abuyer's specifications.Inside the diner, the ceiling is rounded with shiny metal ribs andenamelled panels that express the machine-made qualities of thestructure. The walls are tiled in creme with a red stripe encirclingthe interior. These colors correspond to those used on the buildingexterior. The encaustic-like tile floor repeats the color scheme ina geometric pattern. The long counter retains all 21 of the originalstools. The tops are round with red vinyl, and red striped chromeset on tapered octagonal black enamelled bases. Behind the counterare a grille and food preparation areas. As much of the originalequipment has been retained as possible. The factory-installedpastry cabinet and the built-in corner cooler have been retained aswas one of the original butcher blocks and a 6' stainless shelf.Lost were griddle stand, coffee maker table, steam table, and 2 smallcorner cabinets. When dismantling these units and pulling them awayfrom the wall for cleaning and restoration, they simply fell apart.The work tables have been replaced with ones in better condition fromanother vintage diner; their size and style nearly duplicate the SilkCity units. Equipment companies making units for diners would findtheir products in more than one diner company's car. Modern codesfor health reasons meant losing original two-compartment sinks aswell as water stations and open ice trays.A vertically ribbed facia runs across the room high on the wallbehind the counter. The forward tilted menu boards are attached tothis surface; they are black with white letters as they wereoriginally from the factory. A round "diner" clock is mounted inbetween the boards. The booths on the outside wall are originalfactory units salvaged from the basement of the Clarksville Motel.They were found in a heap, tossed aside in the 50's for a preferredoverstuffed bench. The original booths, though not as comfortable,were more functional for diner use. The concept then was for thepatron to not get too comfortable so he wouldn't stay too long.Whatever the concepts were, we rebuilt the original wooden benchesand coat racks. They match the interior woodwork of the windows,doorways, and trim.Over the side door, a small metal plate reads "SILK CITY DINER",Paterson Vehicle Company, Pat. #2145919 2107854. This manufacturersI.D. label is an authentic part of vintage diners. This tag wastaken from its spot above the door several years ago by collectors,and we were able to get it back by several small miracles and

NPS Form .10-900-.(8-861 OMB Approval No. 1024 00 IBUnited States Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNational Register of Historic PlacesContinuation SheetSection number7Page3SILK CITY DINER, WINNESHIEK COUNTY, IOWAcoincidences. The tag for the other door is long gone; it wasremoved to make room for more coat hooks. The I.D. tag and asalvaged original griddle knob both retain a streamline design oftheir own. The knob, although no longer used, will be on display inthe cashiers booth along with other diner memorabilia. The woodencashiers booth with glass front will occupy a spot once held by animmense air conditioner said to have been the first one in a diner onRoute 1 in New Jersey.

NPS Form 1 0 - 9 0 0 - aOMB Approvml No.(B-B8IUnited States Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNational Register of Historic PlacesContinuation SheetSection number7Page4SILK CITY DINER, WINNESHIEK COUNTY, IOWA1024-OO1B

NPS Form-10-900-*(8-86)-OMB Approval No.1024-0018United States Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNational Register of Historic PlacesContinuation SheetSection number7Page5SILK CITY DINER, WINNESHIEK COUNTY, IOWAIn July of 1940, John Will received delivery of his new Silk CityDiner and named it the "Princeton Grill". It was located on thenortheast corner of the Penns Neck traffic circle. This is theintersection of Rte. 1 and the Princeton-Hightstown Road (Rte. 518).The new Princeton Grill replaced an earlier model lunch wagon.In 1951, Jim and Jane Swift bought the Princeton Grill and moved it 5miles south to Clarksville, New Jersey. There, it occupied thesoutheast corner of Rte. 1 and Quakerbridge Road. It replaced a c.1920 O'Mahoney diner that was the original Clarksville Diner. Thereason for the move to Clarksville was the Swifts' need for a largerdiner. The seating in the Silk City Diner is 45. The 1920 O'Mahoneyseated about half of that. Business continued to grow throughout the50's for the Swifts, which explains why in 1959 they took delivery ona brand new Swingle Diner and set it up across the highway. It iscalled the Colonial Diner still today. At that point in time, theClarksville Diner, which had also become known simply as "Swifties"over the years, was 20 years old. The Swift family ran both dinersfor many years to come.The Clarksville Diner deteriorated over the years and businesssuffered; it finally closed in 1986. The gas station and motel thatwere also a part of the complex came to an end of their usefulness,too. What had been a very useful, vital and recognizable part ofRte. 1 was quickly becoming a curiosity; it took on an the air of aghost town. Now abandoned, it further deteriorated. Its onlyservice was a shelter for transients who forced their way into theforgotten cabins. In earlier times it was a natural part of thelandscape, but now it looked lost and out of place. This is how thecomplex looked in early April of 1988 just prior to its move to Iowa.Surrounded by Mega-Malls and a 6 lane highway, the old diner justdidn't fit anymore.Others noticed it as well and must have thought the same. There wererumors of it becoming an information center for tourists. I alsoheard that Ryder College was interested in it and that the townshipconsidered putting it in a park. The problem of moving it, dealingwith the restoration costs and vandals put an end to these ideas.One fellow wanted to move it to his home and use it for a cabana nextto his swimming pool. There were those who had concern for thediner's future to be certain; out of this concern came yet anotheralternative, becoming listed on the National Register of HistoricPlaces. Robert Guter and Janet Foster prepared a report for theFederal Highway Administration, New Jersey Division, 25 Scotch Road,Trenton, N. J., project number IXAF-33 (130). This report was doneat the request of the Federal Highway Administration. The reportconcluded that both the motel and the diner possessed the qualitiesnecessary to be considered for inclusion on the National Register,although steps were not taken to follow through at that time. The

NPS Form.10-900-« OMB Approval No.1024-0018(8-86)United States Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNational Register of Historic PlacesContinuation SheetSection number2Page6SILK CITY DINER, WINNESHIEK COUNTY, IOWAproperty was then sold to a large land developer in Washington, D.C.,called "Terranomics". The properties along Rte. 1 in central NewJersey are so valuable that I don't think the diner and motel everhad a chance. It came down to the diner having to be moved by May of1988 or it would be destroyed along with the motel.The timing was right as we investigated the Clarksville Diner inFebruary 1988 and were able to negotiate a contract for its removalfrom the site. Terranomics was very well aware of the diner'ssignificance and were very helpful in our project to save it fromdestruction. We moved the Diner to Decorah the last week in April,1988. It sat for 15 months on blocks at the Carlson Company beforewe were able to secure a permanent location at 504 Heivly Street.The reason for the final move to Iowa differed from the reasons forthe previous moves--this move was not out of a need for a largerdiner.Initially, saving a "classic" diner from demolition was our drivingforce. Of course, we always knew that this was to become our familybusiness as well. Unable to physically perform on my railroad job, Ihad to find something else. A series of peculiar circumstances ledto moving a diner to Iowa. This particular diner was special to mebecause it was part of my early life in Central New Jersey; I wasfamiliar with the diner and the families that ran it.Diners moving to the Midwest and other parts of the world other thanthe Northeast where they are most typically found is a logical andnatural progression. Diners are being restored and being moved asfar away as London. At first thought, it may seem unnatural asetting but that is only because it is new to its surroundings; wherethere is a need for food service there is a chance for a diner. Thesame is true about our diner in Iowa. Its time has come.This mobility is inherent in diners. This reflects the constantlychanging nature of roadside architecture. Diners are built to bemoved so that as business would change, so could the location of thediner. They could logically start up a life on a highway and end upin town. Diner locales can be just about anywhere there's a road,traffic, and people. Such is the 3rd location of the ClarksvilleDiner. The Diner is located at 504 Heivly Street, which is one ofthe busiest streets in town and is surrounded by much activity. TheMidtown Motel, Oneota Lanes, Viking Theatre, and Municipal buildingsare all part of our neighborhood. The setting is made furtherappropriate with the vintage "tourist cabins" directly across thestreet to the west. The Old Mill is directly across the street tothe South; it was just recently repainted. This is a very typicalsetting for diners, definitely not out of place, but rather fittingnaturally in its new surroundings. This location has every bit asmuch integrity as the previous 2 locations.

NPSForm 10-800-«(8-86)-OMB Approval No.1024-0018United States Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNational Register of Historic PlacesContinuation SheetSection number7Page7SILK CITY DINER, WINNESHIEK COUNTY, IOWAOf the 4 diners on the National Register of Historic Places, two ofthem have been moved. The method of moving is by truck down thehighway. We used what is called an expandable low-boy for the 1700mile journey from New Jersey to Iowa. In earlier times, bogeys wereused under the diners for transport. They are 4-wheeled trucks likethose used under railroad cars. The beams to which they attach areplainly visible today; they are part of the framework under thediner, still intact.Summary of Alterations to DinerNew Pella windows were installed in 1990 to replace the originalwindows that were in unusable condition. These modern, energyefficient units were built to the same configuration as theoriginals. They retain their frosted upper panes and curved endwindows.The vestibule was built to original size using stainless panels of"sunburst" design. The vestibule is my own design which is somethingthat was not uncommon to operators. Entryways were designed andbuilt with whatever was available. The handmade vestibule we foundat the New Jersey site was built in the 50's and was too large forour needs. The original vestibule was probably destroyed at thattime.The placement of equipment and the general layout of bathrooms andkitchen addition are very nearly identical to what it was when it wasin New Jersey. The Clarksville Diner has been restored to look asclose as it can to when it was new. We are constantly searching formissing details like the wall sconces that mount between the windowson the front side. There are 8 of them and they will be verydifficult to find; chances are the old lamps were replaced long ago.

MPS Font, 10-900-.(8-8S).OMB Aporovl No.I024-001SUnited States Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNational Register of Historic PlacesContinuation SheetSection number8Page8SILK CITY DINER, WINNESHIEK COUNTY, IOWASignificanceThe Clarksville diner possesses national significance under NationalRegister Criterion C. It is one of the most intact survivingexamples of the Silk City Diners manufactured by the Paterson VehicleCompany of Paterson, New Jersey in the 1930's, and is believed to beone of only 20-50 Silk city Diners from this period that havesurvived.The Diner is an archetype of American roadside architecture. TheClarksville diner represents a characteristic form of pre-fabricateddiners of the late 30's and 40's. Its metal exterior is typical ofchange toward industrial materials in the 30's, away from the earlierwooden lunch wagons. The Clarksville Diner clearly embodiesdistinctive characteristics of diner manufacture of 1939. Wellpreserved examples of this kind are vanishing rapidly due to highwayexpansion and neglect.Diners are signs as much as architecture, easily readable structureswhose function and purpose are explicit from the road. TheClarksville Diner is an example of the factory made metal diner butwithout any of the additions or alterations found on many dinerswhich make them look less like diners and more like immovablerestaurants. I speak mainly of "dining room" additions whichhappened as the obvious result of the need for more room. Often oneend of the diner was destroyed and the addition built on. TheClarksville Diner has never been altered from its original plan.Diners of the 1930's possess workmanship, or more precisely,craftsmanship, design and materials not likely to ever be seen again.Craftsmanship typified in the intricate deigns of the mosaic tilefloor. Company craftsman laid literally thousands of tiny 1 inchindividual tile to complete the interesting floor pattern. Thedesign and styling of these diners reflecting streamline rail travelis a distinctive trademark of 1930's diners. The materials used-porcelain, tile, stainless steel, neon, vinyl, formica, wood grainplastic--are all present in the Clarksville Diner. These man-madematerials are part of this machine age, and a combination of themagain is unlikely.Association of the Silk City Diner with growth and development ofRte. 1 in New Jersey is documented in the Guter and Foster report forthe Federal Highway Administration. Diners were seldom shippedfurther west than eastern Ohio. A handful did make it further.Indianapolis, Milwaukee, St. Paul, Sioux City, and Urbana, Illinoisall had diners built in the east. The further away, the more thecost of trucking became a consideration. Also, trucks and the roadsweren't what they are today. The worse the road and the further awaythe destination, the greater the risk of damage to the car. Fragile

NPSForm.10-900-«- OMBApproval No.I024-00J8(8-86)United States Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNational Register of Historic PlacesContinuation SheetSection number8Page9SILK CITY DINER, WINNESHIEK COUNTY, IOWAtile and glass block could be a costly problem. Diners built in thenortheast did find their way south, however. Rte. 1 from Maine toFlorida had its share of diners. Most diners in the Midwesternstates were built by the Valentine Diner Company in Wichita.The Clarksville Diner does embody the distinctive characteristics ofthis "golden age" of diners. This brief period is long gone as aremost of the other diners. Because the Diner is architecturallysignificant, and because diners were built to be moved, the fact thatthis diner has been moved twice is of no importance. In general,diners found themselves in many differing locales all having onething in common: people and traffic. Of the four diners on theNational Register, two have been moved; they are the Miss BellowsDiner in Bellows Falls, Vermont, and the Half-Way Diner in Red Hook,New York. The Modern diner in Providence and Mickey's Diner in St.Paul are in their original locations.The Paterson Vehicle Company which manufactured the Silk City Dinerhas a long, rich history. Their contributions and innovations to theindustry are major.They built a popular, affordable, wellconstructed diner. The Paterson Vehicle Company was operated by theCooper family from 1886 to 1966. Originally, they made carriages andautomobile bodies, but in 1928 the company began to manufacturediners. The Paterson Vehicle Company is one of the oldest New Jerseymanufacturers of diners, along with O'Mahoney (begun in 1913), andKullman (begun in 1927). These three manufacturers continued todominate the industry in New Jersey even in the late 1940's and early50's when the number of New Jersey's diner manufacturers had swelledto eleven. Representatives of all three companies are present in theMidwest. Archie's Diner in Sioux City is a c. 1941 Kullman Diner,Mickey's Diner in St. Paul is a 1937 O'Mahoney Diner, and theClarksville Diner is a 1939 Silk City Diner in Decorah.Paterson's long manufacturing history and early prominence in theproduction of transportation equipment made it a natural for a dinermanufacturer. The Paterson Vehicle Company acknowledged anotherprominent industry in the city by naming its popular model "Silk CityDiner". The Paterson Vehicle Company was known for its production ofsturdy, inexpensive diners. The company slogan was "See Silk Cityand Save". The company also offered unusually liberal terms topurchasers of a diner, and encouraged customer participation in thedesign of their diners.The Paterson Vehicle Company patented their own system of arc-weldedconstruction for their diners. The lightweight yet strong and rigidstructure was designed to be moved. The firm also assured the publicthat their diners were insulated against the effects of lightning,and they were also billed as being mouse proof. The Paterson VehicleCompany did not apply the "Silk City Diner" name until the late

NPS Form 10-900-1 18-86)OMBApproval No.1024-0018United States Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNational Register of Historic PlacesContinuation SheetSection number8Page1QSILK CITY DINER, WINNESHIEK COUNTY, IOWA1930's. The Clarksville Diner, built in 1939, was one of the earlierSilk City models to be produced. Advertisements from the trademagazine, Diner, of 1940 show the same model as the ClarksvilleDiner. This popular model was also featured in a 1940 article inDiner magazine. Silk City Diners continued to be manufactured withlittle stylistic change until 1949. In the 50's, new diner modelswere introduced, They continued to use the Silk City name eventhough their appearance was more restaurant like, and the styling hadmore in common with design fashions of the 50's than it does with thelunch-car origins of diners.Roadside architecture is a recognized form of American architecturalhistory, with its own literature and scholarly interest. As early asthe mid-60's, Robert Venturi dealt with categories of "roadsid

The Clarksville Diner is a well-preserved and now completely restored example from the "Golden Age" of diners. Its shiny, banded metal exterior and monitor-type roof recall a sleek railroad car, and reflect the interest in streamlined design popular in the 20's and 30's. The long, low, narrow diner has an entry in the center front,