Highland Park Historic Business District at Euclid and Sixth Avenues

Last updated

Highland Park Historic Business District at Euclid and Sixth Avenues
6th & Euclid Des Moines IA.jpg
USA Iowa location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
LocationRoughly the junction of Euclid and 6th Aves.
Des Moines, Iowa
Coordinates 41°37′42″N93°37′27″W / 41.62833°N 93.62417°W / 41.62833; -93.62417
Area6 acres (2.4 ha)
Architect Wetherell & Gage
Hallett & Rawson
Architectural style Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements
NRHP reference No. 98000867 [1]
Added to NRHPJuly 15, 1998

The Highland Park Historic Business District at Euclid and Sixth Avenues is located in the north-central section of Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It is located on the border of the Oak Park and Highland Park neighborhoods. The commercial historic district has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1998. [1] The Highland Park neighborhood also includes the College Corner Commercial Historic Business District.

Contents

History

Des Moines was growing in a northward direction in the late 19th century with the establishment of the city of North Des Moines. [2] Developers extended that growth in the late 1880s by developing Oak Park and Highland Park across the Des Moines River. They built a bridge at Sixth Avenue, a zoo on the river lowlands and Highland Park College, a non-denominational institution. They also lobbied to have a streetcar built to their development. The river bridge made Sixth Avenue a major farm-to-city road when there were few bridges over the Des Moines River north of the city. The business district itself has the appearance of the downtown of a modest-sized Iowa town. [2] It had banks, fraternal halls, a fire station, post office, local newspapers, department stores, a variety of retail stores as well as other businesses. Most of the business lived a rather short life, but a few lasted for a couple of generations. The first bank in Des Moines outside of downtown was located here. A streetcar line served the district and it was on a major farm-to-city road.

The historic district lies along Sixth Avenue, which is the north–south border of the Highland Park and Oak Park neighborhoods. [2] Both neighborhoods are located on a plateau three miles north of downtown Des Moines. It is considered one of the highest spots in the city. [2] “Highland Park” was chosen for the name of the historic district because it became the more dominant of the two neighborhoods starting in the early 20th century. [2] From its very beginning the business district was organized under the title of Highland Park Business Men's Club. Most of the buildings in the historic district cluster at the intersection with Euclid Avenue. Only six of the properties are not oriented in some way on Sixth Avenue, which is the primary street in the district. All the buildings are brick commercial structures that were built from the early 1890s to just after World War II. The buildings built from the 1920s on were, for the most part, built along Euclid Avenue. Euclid was transformed from a residential street into a state highway at this time.

Highland Park is the largest neighborhood-centered commercial district in the Des Moines area. [2] The district remains largely intact with only a few lots that are vacant. Two of the lots were the location of large frame commercial buildings, which had to be replaced. One lot is vacant while the other is occupied by an infill building.

Architecture

The buildings in the historic district fall into three classifications. The older buildings, which were built between the early 1890s and 1907, are first generation brick buildings in the High Victorian style. [2] They tend toward exaggerated ornamentation on the façade. The windows are narrower and feature window surrounds, narrow storefronts and either cast iron or stone storefront supports. The last buildings in this group replaced older structures that were destroyed in a fire in 1906. It was the only major fire in the district. Corbelled brickwork replaced the tin work, stone and terra cotta of the older buildings.

The second group of buildings was built between 1915 and the mid-1920s. The automobile was growing in importance and these buildings reflect that development. The design flow of the buildings is more horizontal and the window openings are broader and simpler. The decorative elements were constructed with stone or concrete inserts and string courses.

The last group was built in the late 1920s to the years right after World War II. The architecture is a continence of the second group and was influenced by the Modern architectural style. Ornamental materials utilized in the construction include glazed tile, Carrara glass, aluminum, and steel. The buildings in this latter group are all one-story, but one.

Related Research Articles

A streetcar suburb is a residential community whose growth and development was strongly shaped by the use of streetcar lines as a primary means of transportation. Such suburbs developed in the United States in the years before the automobile, when the introduction of the electric trolley or streetcar allowed the nation’s burgeoning middle class to move beyond the central city’s borders. Early suburbs were served by horsecars, but by the late 19th century cable cars and electric streetcars, or trams, were used, allowing residences to be built farther away from the urban core of a city. Streetcar suburbs, usually called additions or extensions at the time, were the forerunner of today's suburbs in the United States and Canada. San Francisco's Western Addition is one of the best examples of streetcar suburbs before westward and southward expansion occurred.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Highland Park (Pittsburgh neighborhood)</span> Neighborhood of Pittsburgh in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States

Highland Park is a neighborhood in the northeastern part of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Highland Park, the neighborhood, fully encompasses the park with the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia–Highland</span> Neighborhoods of Atlanta in Fulton County, Georgia, United States

Virginia–Highland is an affluent neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia, founded in the early 20th century as a streetcar suburb. It is named after the intersection of Virginia Avenue and North Highland Avenue, the heart of its trendy retail district at the center of the neighborhood. The neighborhood is famous for its bungalows and other historic houses from the 1910s to the 1930s. It has become a destination for people across Atlanta with its eclectic mix of restaurants, bars, and shops as well as for the Summerfest festival, annual Tour of Homes and other events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Cleveland</span> Central business district of Cleveland, Ohio, United States

Downtown Cleveland is the central business district of Cleveland, Ohio, United States. The economic and cultural center of the city and the Cleveland metropolitan area, it is Cleveland's oldest district, with its Public Square laid out by city founder General Moses Cleaveland in 1796.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neighborhoods of Tulsa, Oklahoma</span>

Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma. It has many diverse neighborhoods due to its size.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenwood Historic District (St. Petersburg, Florida)</span> Historic district in Florida, United States

The Kenwood Historic District is a district located in St. Petersburg, Florida U.S.A. It was designated on August 4, 2003, and is located immediately west of downtown, bounded by 9th Avenue North, 1st Avenue North, 19th Street North and 34th Street North. It contains 2,203 historic buildings. The Grand Central adjoins the district at its southern boundary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neighborhoods of Milwaukee</span>

The neighborhoods of Milwaukee include a number of areas in southeastern Wisconsin within the state's largest city at nearly 600,000 residents.

Columbus, the state capital and Ohio's largest city, has numerous neighborhoods within its city limits. Neighborhood names and boundaries are not officially defined. They may vary or change from time to time due to demographic and economic variables.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Village (Des Moines)</span> Neighborhood and district of Des Moines, Iowa

Historic East Village is a commercial and residential neighborhood in central Des Moines, Iowa, United States, directly east of the Downtown Des Moines area. The neighborhood is bounded by Interstate 235 on the north, the Des Moines River on the west and south, and East 14th Street on the east. It also sits adjacent to the Historic Court District, which sits west across the Des Moines River. Part of the East Village forms a nationally recognized historic district that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marine Villa, St. Louis</span> Neighborhood of St. Louis in Missouri, United States

Marine Villa is a neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. The neighborhood is located just south of the large and historic Anheuser-Busch Brewery complex along the bluffs of the Mississippi River. It is further defined by Cherokee Street's Antique Row on the north, Gasconade Street on the south, South Broadway and Jefferson Avenue on the west, and the Mississippi River on the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Register of Historic Places listings in Detroit</span>

This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Detroit, Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jefferson–Chalmers Historic Business District</span> Historic district in Michigan, United States

The Jefferson–Chalmers Historic Business District is a neighborhood located on East Jefferson Avenue between Eastlawn Street and Alter Road in Detroit, Michigan. The district is the only continuously intact commercial district remaining along East Jefferson Avenue, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willow–Spence Streets Historic District</span> Historic district in Texas, United States

The Willow–Spence Streets Historic District is a neighborhood that lies east of downtown Austin, Texas. Its houses, churches, and commercial buildings were built in the early twentieth century. It is bounded roughly by Interstate 35 to the west, East César Chávez Street to the north, and Spence Street to the south. It extends a few houses east of San Marcos Street along Willow and Canterbury Streets. It thus includes portions of Willow, Spence, Canterbury, San Marcos, and Waller Streets. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">College Corner Commercial Historic Business District</span> Historic district in Iowa, United States

The College Corner Commercial Historic Business District, also known as the Highland Park Historic Business District at Euclid and Second, is located in the north-central section of Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It is located in the Highland Park neighborhood that also includes the Highland Park Historic Business District at Euclid and Sixth Avenues. The College Corner historic district has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Ninth Streetcar Line Historic District</span> Historic district in Iowa, United States

The West Ninth Streetcar Line Historic District is located in the north-central section of Des Moines, Iowa, United States. The focus of the district is West Ninth Street from University Avenue on the south to Hickman Road on the north, which had a street car line that ran on it. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1998. It is part of the Towards a Greater Des Moines MPS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riverside and Avondale</span> Neighborhood of Jacksonville, Florida

Riverside and Avondale are two adjacent and closely associated neighborhoods, alternatively considered one continuous neighborhood, of Jacksonville, Florida. The area is primarily residential, but includes some commercial districts, including Five Points, the King Street District, and the Shoppes of Avondale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hallett & Rawson</span>

Hallett & Rawson was an architectural partnership in Iowa. George E. Hallett and Harry Rawson were partners. BBS Architects | Engineers is the continuing, successor firm; its archives hold plans of the original Hallett & Rawson firm. Works by the individual architects and the firm include a number that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Des Moines</span> Place in Iowa, United States

Downtown Des Moines is the central business district of Des Moines, Iowa and the Greater Des Moines Metropolitan Area. Downtown Des Moines is defined by the City of Des Moines as located between the Des Moines River to the east, the Raccoon River to the south, Center Street to the north, and 18th and 15th Streets to the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greenwood Park Plats Historic District</span> Historic district in Iowa, United States

The Greenwood Park Plats Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013. At the time of its nomination the district consisted of 393 resources, including 277 contributing buildings, one contributing site, 109 non-contributing buildings, and six non-contributing structures. Most of this district was originally known as Brown's Park, a private park that was the location of the Iowa State Fair from 1879 to 1885. Founded privately in 1854, the fair was held in several locations in the state making it more of a regional event. It was also not profitable. That changed when the fair moved to this location, and its profitability eventually led to funding from the Iowa General Assembly and a permanent location on the east side of the city. Brown's Park continued for a while longer and the streetcar line from Des Moines opened in 1889.

The Washington and Elizabeth Miller Tract-Center-Soll Community Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. At the time of its nomination it consisted of 471 resources, which included 297 contributing buildings and 174 non-contributing buildings. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 James E. Jacobsen. "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form—Highland Park Historic Business District at Euclid and Sixth Avenues". National Park Service . Retrieved January 25, 2012. with photo(s)