Belvidere is a city in Boone County, settled on the Kishwaukee River in far northern Illinois, United States. Known as the 'City of Murals', Belvidere is home to several public art installations throughout the North and South State Street historic districts, which are on the national register of historic places. These historic districts are home to places like the Boone County Museum of History, The Funderburg Museum, several restaurants and bars, antique stores and Boutique stores. Popular festivities like Heritage Days are held yearly. The population was 25,339 as of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Boone County. Belvidere is part of the Rockford, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Victorian architecture is a series of architectural revival styles in the mid-to-late 19th century. Victorian refers to the reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901), called the Victorian era, during which period the styles known as Victorian were used in construction. However, many elements of what is typically termed "Victorian" architecture did not become popular until later in Victoria's reign, roughly from 1850 and later. The styles often included interpretations and eclectic revivals of historic styles (see Historicism). The name represents the British and French custom of naming architectural styles for a reigning monarch. Within this naming and classification scheme, it followed Georgian architecture and later Regency architecture, and was succeeded by Edwardian architecture.
The Kishwaukee River, locally known as simply The Kish, is a 63.4-mile-long (102.0 km) river in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is a tributary of the Rock River and its name derives from the Potowatomi word for "river of the sycamore".
The Main Street Historic District encompasses the historic commercial center of Middletown, Connecticut, United States. Middletown was one of the most important ports on the Connecticut River during the colonial period, and Main Street "has been the center of community life since the earliest period of settlement". Today Main Street is home to a number of 19th century buildings, maintaining the bulk of its historic character. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
The Sycamore Historic District is a meandering area encompassing 99 acres (400,000 m2) of the land in and around the downtown of the DeKalb County, Illinois county seat, Sycamore. The area includes historic buildings and a number of historical and Victorian homes. Some significant structures are among those located within the Historic District including the DeKalb County Courthouse and the Sycamore Public Library. The district has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since May 2, 1978.
The Oregon Commercial Historic District is a historic district in Oregon, Illinois, that has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2006. The district is roughly bordered by Jefferson, Franklin, 5th and 3rd Streets in Oregon. It is one of six Oregon sites listed on the National Register and one of three to be so listed since the turn of the 21st century. The other two are the Oregon Public Library, listed in 2003, and the Chana School, listed in 2005.
Summit Avenue is a street in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States, known for being the longest avenue of Victorian homes in the country, having a number of historic houses, churches, synagogues, and schools. The street starts just west of downtown St. Paul and continues four and a half miles west to the Mississippi River where Saint Paul meets Minneapolis. Other cities have similar streets, such as Prairie Avenue in Chicago, Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, and Fifth Avenue in New York City. Summit Avenue is notable for having preserved its historic character and mix of buildings, as compared to these other examples. Historian Ernest R. Sandeen described Summit Avenue as "the best preserved example of the Victorian monumental residential boulevard."
Crown Point Courthouse Square Historic District is a historic district in Crown Point, Indiana, that dates back to 1873. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. Its boundaries were changed in 2005, and it was increased in 2007 to include a Moderne architecture building at 208 Main Street. The late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century commercial and public buildings represent a period of economic and political growth. The Lake County Courthouse stands in the center of the district. Designed by architect John C. Cochrane in 1878, this brick building is a combination of Romanesque Revival and Classical styles. Enlarged in 1909 with the addition of north and south wings, designed by Beers and Beers. Continued growth in the county required second enlargement in 1928. This local landmark was placed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
The Joliet East Side Historic District is a set of 290 buildings in Joliet, Illinois. Of these 290 buildings, 281 contribute to the historical integrity of the area. Joliet was founded in 1831, deemed an ideal place for a settlement to reap the local natural resources. Most importantly, large beds of limestone provided a strong economic incentive to develop the area. Several important structures were constructed with Joliet limestone, including the Old State Capitol and Chicago Water Tower. Joliet incorporated in 1852 and prospered due to its location on the Illinois and Michigan Canal.
The Spring–Douglas Historic District is a set of 496 buildings in Elgin, Illinois. Of those, 455 buildings contribute to the district's historical value. It is a residential district following Spring Street and Douglas Avenue from Kimball Street in the south to River Bluff Road to the north. The lands that now comprise the district were originally settled by Phineas J. Kimball and Vincent Lovell in the 1830s. Kimball's property eventually became the southern part of the district, which mostly housed working-class citizens. Lovell's subdivisions became housing for wealthier managers and doctors. The lower district is noted for its vernacular architecture, mostly gablefront houses, while the upper district represents a wide array of late 19th and early 20th century styles, mostly Queen Anne.
Gay Street is a street in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States, that traverses the heart of the city's downtown area. Since its development in the 1790s, Gay Street has served as the city's principal financial and commercial thoroughfare, and has played a primary role in the city's historical and cultural development. The street contains Knoxville's largest office buildings and oldest commercial structures. Several buildings on Gay Street have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Belvidere South State Street Historic District is a historic district on the north side of the Kishwaukee River in Belvidere, Illinois. It is primarily composed of commercial building representative of architectural trends from 1852 to 1962, the period following the connection of the city to the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad.
The Downtown Aledo Historic District is a national historic district located in downtown Aledo, Illinois. The district includes 75 contributing buildings and a park. The majority of the buildings are commercial structures, but the district also includes the city's Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad station and both the city's and Mercer County's major government buildings. Development in the district began in the 1850s, and the oldest surviving buildings date from the following decade. The district includes examples of many prominent American architectural styles from the mid-19th century onward; the most prevalent styles are Classical Revival, Romanesque Revival, and Italianate.
The Fulton Commercial Historic District is a national historic district located along 4th Street in downtown Fulton, Illinois. The district includes 31 contributing buildings as well as a war memorial and World War II gun; most of the buildings were historically used for commercial purposes. The earliest buildings in the district date to 1856, within the same decade as Fulton's incorporation and the opening of its first railroad; the most recent, the city's fire station, was completed in 1956. The buildings completed prior to 1900, which make up roughly half of the district, primarily feature Italianate designs; noteworthy examples of the style include the Utz Block and the building at 1011-1013 4th Street. The district's 20th century buildings include examples of the Commercial, Classical Revival, and Modern styles.
The Washington Avenue Commercial Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Iowa Falls, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012. At the time of its nomination the district consisted of 59 resources, including 42 contributing buildings and 15 non-contributing buildings. The district takes in most of the city's central business district. The buildings here were generally used for retail and office purposes. An opera house and theater are also located here. Around the edges of the district are buildings that housed automobile dealerships. The buildings generally range from one to two stories, but a couple structures are three stories in height. Built between the 1857 and 1960, the buildings are composed of masonry construction. The commercial Italianate and Classical Revival styles are dominant.
The Seventh Street Commercial Historic District is a national historic district which encompasses several blocks of Seventh Street in Rockford, Illinois. The district was the commercial center of Rockford's substantial Swedish American community. Swedish settlement in Rockford began in 1852, and Swedes accounted for a third of the city's population by the 1890s; while the first Swedish American community formed around a railroad station on Kishwaukee Street, it shifted to Seventh Street in the late 1860s and 1870s. Seventh Street was home to the community's retail stores, community buildings, and two of its three banks. Forest City Furniture, the first major firm in Rockford's furniture industry, was also based there, as were many of its competitors. The buildings in the district exhibit many popular architectural styles of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including Italianate, Romanesque Revival, and Commercial.
The Portland Downtown Historic District is a primarily commercial historic district located along Kent and Maple Streets, between Academy Street and the Looking Glass River, in Portland, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.
The Apollo Theatre is an American theater in Belvidere, Illinois, built in 1921. The Apollo is a contributing property in downtown Belvidere's North State Street Historic District, on the north bank of the Kishwaukee River. On March 31, 2023, the Apollo's roof collapsed in the midst of a tornado outbreak, during a concert attended by 260 persons.
