Newport Apartments
placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce • Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1929.
Location. 48° 6.896′ N, 98° 51.418′ W. Marker is in Devils Lake, North Dakota, in Ramsey County. It is at the intersection of 7th Street Northeast and 6th Avenue Northeast, on the right when traveling west on 7th Street Northeast. The marker is mounted at eye-level, directly on the subject building, on the right side of the south/front entrance. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 601 7th Street Northeast, Devils Lake ND 58301, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in North Dakota’s Red River Valley. It is also in the American Lewis & Clark Corridor, on the prairies, and on the Northern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: St. Olaf Lutheran Church (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Episcopal Church of the Advent and Guild Hall (about 500 feet away); Methodist Episcopal Church (about 700 feet away); Sheriff's Residence (about 800 feet away); Westminster Presbyterian Church (approx. 0.2 miles away); Central High School (approx. 0.2 miles away); Devils Lake Masonic Temple (approx. 0.2 miles away); Devils Lake Carnegie Library (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Devils Lake.
Regarding Newport Apartments. National Register of Historic Places #88000985.
From the National Register Nomination:
This 1929 building is an excellent example of the Craftsman style of architecture popular in North Dakota during the teens and twenties. At this time, it is the only known example of a Craftsman style design by John Marshall, a local architect. The front facade is symmetrical. Wall surfaces areflat and the design of the structure comes from massing and use of decorative brickwork. Walls are sheathed in yellow and brown wire-cut brick. Windows are of two sizes with the smaller windows in bathrooms. Floors are defined by bricks laid in soldier courses between each floor. The soldier coursing runs in continuous horizontal bands at the top of window lintels on each floor. There is a subtle diamond pattern to the way the contrasting-colored brick is laid in the frieze area above the third story and below the parapet. A horizontal band of brick separates the parapet, which has raised corner piers and a slightly gabled raised center portion topped by brick coping.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 2, 20232. Newport Apartments MarkerMarker is on the right side of the south/front entrance.The original owner was Herman Shark. Shark was a retail merchant of men's clothing and proprietor of the Hub Clothing store. He was a member of the original board of directors of the Commercial Club, forerunner of the Civic and Commercial Association. Shark decided to build the Newport Apartment building during civic discussions about the housing shortage in the city. Like most of the boosters at the time, his faith in the future of Devils Lake knew no bounds. But, unlike most of his colleagues, he was willing to privately finance additional housing in the city. This seems to explain the reason for Devils Lake's only older apartment building. Shark owned the building until his death in 1944 at the age of 69, although he almost lost it after the stock market crash just as it was being completed in the fall of 1929. Financing through the RFC, Reconstruction Finance Corporation, ultimately saved his investment. Among the notable features when the building was erected was that it was fireproof; had built-in bathtubs, sizable apartments of from three to four rooms, some of which, besides the regular bedrooms, had built-in Murphy beds for additional sleeping accommodations; and built-in breakfast nooks with all electric kitchens. It was equipped with oil heat and had a full-time janitor. The building also had its own well and pressure tank for potable water because the water supply in Devils Lake was bad.
Also see . . . Newport Apartments (Wikipedia).
The Newport Apartments were built in 1929. They were designed in Bungalow/Craftsman style by Devils Lake architect John Marshall. They were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.(Submitted on February 19, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 19, 2024. It was originally submitted on February 19, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 146 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 19, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
