The Palace Building - South Kansas Avenue Commercial Historic District - Topeka, Ks. - NRHP Historic Districts - Contributing Buildings on Waymarking.com

Contributing
doc. 1908, alt. 1915
Architect: James C. Holland
Commercial

This four-story Commercial-style building has glazed terra cotta cladding. A single storefront spans the entire first floor and retains its historic configuration and materials. The deeply recessed storefront is clad in black glazed tile and has floor-to-ceiling display windows, pressed tin panels for the ceiling, and an entry floor with blue and white ceramic tile laid to indicate the name of the historic tenant: “The Palace”. Three terra cotta pilasters run the full height of the upper three stories, dividing the façade into two bays. Each bay contains a Chicago Style window with narrow double-hung windows flanking a wide fixed window. Terra cotta relief panels with urns and floral motifs ornament the base and capital of each pilaster. A simple terra cotta cornice caps the building. The rear (west) elevation is field stone and brick and retains some of its historic multi-light metal windows. The Palace Clothing Company was issued a building permit for 709 S Kansas in 1895. The company was issued building permit for 709-711 S Kansas in 1908, indicating the construction of the current building. The 1913 Sanborn Map indicates a three-story building at this location. The 1955 Sanborn Map shows a four-story building. A building permit issued for this address in 1915 may have been to construct an additional story and update the façade. The change in materials visible on the west elevation indicates two separate building campaigns while the unified façade reflects early-twentieth-century commercial aesthetic.