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The Victory Building, named to commemorate America's victory
in World War I, is one of Nebraska's finest examples of early 20th century
industrial architecture. It was constructed between 1917 and 1920 by harness
maker William Dutton as a factory and warehouse and financed in part by
converting wartime Victory Bonds into capital for the project.
Hastings architect
C.W. Way designed the six-story structure in the Sullivanesque style,
using steel reinforced concrete, concrete pan-joist floors and a brick
and terra cotta facade. The finished building included a hot water heating
system, fire sprinklers, steel sash windows and steel office furniture,
all very modern for the time. The building's fireproof features also gave
it one of the highest safety ratings in the Midwest.
Other distinctive characteristics include decorative terra cotta "VB"s
(for Victory Building) and "D"s (for Dutton Company) on the
facade, the ornate clock from the former German National Bank of Hastings,
which was added to the building in 1970, and the height of the structure,
tallest in the Hastings business district. The Dutton-Lainson Company,
founded in 1886, has occupied the building continuously since its completion.
The Victory Building was named to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1987. |
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