Cedar Rapids Central Business District Commercial Historic District | |
Location | Roughly bounded by 1st & 5th Aves., SE & 5th & 2nd Sts., SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa |
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Coordinates | 41°58′39″N91°39′56″W / 41.97750°N 91.66556°W |
Area | 34.45 acres (13.94 ha) |
MPS | Commercial and Industrial Development of Downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa, ca. 1865 -1965 |
NRHP reference No. | 15000757 [1] |
Added to NRHP | November 2, 2015 |
The Cedar Rapids Central Business District Commercial Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. [1] At the time of its nomination it consisted of 60 resources, which included 46 contributing buildings, one contributing structure, 12 non-contributing buildings, and one non-contributing structure. [2] Cedar Rapids was platted on the east bank of the Cedar River as Rapids City in 1841, and it was incorporated under the same name in 1849. Kingston was established on the west bank of the river in 1852. The two smaller communities consolidated in 1870 as Cedar Rapids. The streets were laid out parallel and perpendicular to the river, which flowed from the northwest to the southeast. The Chicago, Iowa and Nebraska Railroad was the first to arrive in the community in 1859 and the tracks were laid on Fourth Street on the eastern edge of the central business district. The first bridge across the river was built at Third Avenue in 1871.
The first commercial buildings in this area were log and wood-frame construction. After the American Civil War they began to be replaced by more substantial masonry structures. The buildings that make up the historic district date from 1880 to 1965, and are representative of the various architectural styles and vernacular building forms that were popular during this time period. [2] While they differ in height and historic use, the buildings all feature masonry facades, ground-floor storefronts, and uniform alignment that creates a uniform street wall. The buildings have housed a variety of commercial functions that include retail, office buildings, banking, post office, public library, industrial, saloon/restaurant, theater, hotel, and a social hall. The Fourth Street Railroad Corridor is the contributing structure, and a parking garage is the non-contributing structure. The following buildings are individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places: Cedar Rapids Post Office and Public Building (1908), Security Building (1908), Sokol Gymnasium (1908), Lattner Auditorium Building (1910), Iowa Building (1914), Hotel Roosevelt (1927), and the Paramount Theatre (1928). [2]
The Crescent Warehouse Historic District is a 10.5-acre (4.2 ha) historic district in Downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. The district is a collection of multi-story brick structures that formerly housed warehouses and factories. Most of the buildings have been converted into loft apartments. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.
The Bohemian Commercial Historic District, also known as New Bohemia, is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. At the time of its nomination it consisted of 75 resources, which included 48 contributing buildings, and 27 non-contributing buildings. Bohemian immigrants began settling in Cedar Rapids in the 1850s, and increasingly after the American Civil War in the 1860s and the Austro-Prussian War in 1866. They grew to be the largest ethnic group in the city, and the only one to settle in a distinct part of Cedar Rapids. They settled along the Cedar River between the downtown area and the T.M. Sinclair and Company meat packing plant. The buildings in the district were constructed between the 1880s and the 1930s. They are largely narrow-front commercial buildings and corner blocks. The buildings housed a variety of commercial establishments: a movie theater, two banks, and several filling stations. It also includes a railroad corridor factory building, a fire station, and fraternal halls. The buildings are representative of various commercial architectural styles and vernacular building forms popular at the times they were built. The Lesinger Block (1883) and the C.S.P.S. Hall (1891) are individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Hotel Roosevelt is a historic structure located in downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. In 2015 it was included as a contributing property in the Cedar Rapids Central Business District Commercial Historic District. The building is now known as the Roosevelt Lofts.
The Iowa Building is an historic structure located in downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. In 2015 it was included as a contributing property in the Cedar Rapids Central Business District Commercial Historic District.
The Security Building is an historic structure located in downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States. The building is eight stories tall and rises 117 feet (36 m) above the ground. It was designed by the Cedar Rapids architectural firm of Josselyn & Taylor, and it was completed in 1908. The building was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. In 2015 it was included as a contributing property in the Cedar Rapids Central Business District Commercial Historic District.
The Central City Commercial Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Central City, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. At the time of its nomination it consisted of 27 resources, which included 18 contributing buildings, one contributing object, and eight non-contributing buildings. The historic district exemplifies the importance transportation played in the development of the central business district.
The Cedar Rapids Post Office and Public Building, also known as the Witwer Building, is an historic building located in downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. In 2015 it was included as a contributing property in the Cedar Rapids Central Business District Commercial Historic District.
The West Liberty Commercial Historic District in West Liberty, Iowa, United States, is a historic district that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. At that time, it included 41 contributing buildings, six other contributing structures, and eight non-contributing buildings.
The State Center Commercial Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in State Center, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. At the time of its nomination it contained 36 resources, which included 31 contributing buildings, two contributing structures, and three non-contributing buildings. The historic district covers the town's central business district. State Center is located at the highest point in Marshall County, midway between Marshalltown and Nevada. The town was established by the Cedar Rapids & Missouri Railroad on 80 acres (32 ha) of land in 1863. It was initially named "Centre Station," but William Barnes, the first railroad agent, changed the town's name to "State Centre."
The Burlington, Cedar Rapids, and Northern Railroad-Rock Rapids Station, Railroad Track and Bridge is a nationally recognized historic district located in Rock Rapids, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. At the time of its nomination the district included one contributing building and three contributing structures.
The Belle Plaine Main Street Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Belle Plaine, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013. At the time of its nomination it contained 63 resources, which included 46 contributing buildings, one contributing structure, and 16 non-contributing buildings. The historic district covers most of the city's central business district. Belle Plaine was laid out in 1862 as a railroad town. The Chicago & North Western Railroad was extended from Cedar Rapids the following year. The commercial district is adjacent to the tracks. A major fire destroyed much of the business district in 1894. Thirty-five buildings in the district were built in the months after the fire.
The Kimballton Commercial District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Kimballton, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. At the time of its nomination the district consisted of 34 resources, including 26 contributing buildings and 8 non-contributing buildings. The district covers parts of four blocks of the central business district. The commercial buildings are mostly masonry structures constructed with locally produced bricks and concrete blocks. Eleven of the buildings are frame construction. The buildings are from one to two stories in height, and Late Victorian architectural styles dominate. Because of the hilly terrain, buildings on one side of Main Street have exposed basements, while those on the other side of street are built into the side of a hill. The Bennedsen, Boldt, and Hansen Building is individually listed on the National Register.
The Lansing Main Street Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Lansing, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. At the time of its nomination the district consisted of 51 resources, including 42 contributing buildings, 8 non-contributing buildings, and one non-contributing site. The district covers most of the central business district, which is generally along Main Street. The commercial buildings are mostly masonry structures constructed with bricks or native limestone. A few buildings are frame construction with gable roofs. The buildings are from one to three stories in height, although most are no taller that two stories. The Italianate architectural style dominates. Most of the upper stories in the buildings housed retail or office space, but a few were residential. The commercial buildings that did not house retail establishments were located near the Mississippi River and were industrial in nature. The G. Kerndt & Brothers Office Block (1861) and the G. Kerndt and Brothers Elevator and Warehouses, No. 11, No.12 and No. 13 (1868) are individually listed on the National Register. Three public buildings are located in the district: the former jail and fire station, the Art Deco former City Hall (1938), and the modern U.S. Post Office.
Fort Dodge Downtown Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Fort Dodge, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010. Additional documentation for the district was approved by the National Park Service on January 4, 2019. At the time of its nomination it contained 177 resources, which included 100 contributing buildings, one contributing site, one contributing structure, five contributing objects, 64 non-contributing buildings, three non-contributing structures, and three non-contributing objects. The district covers the city's central business district, mainly along Central Avenue, but also along the adjoining streets as well. Commercial development in the district began with the city's original plat in 1854 and continued through the opening of the Crossroads Mall in 1964. Webster County Courthouse (1902), First National Bank Building (1908), and the Wahkonsa Hotel (1910) are all located in the district and are individually listed on the National Register.
The Anamosa Main Street Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Anamosa, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. At the time of its nomination the district consisted of 52 resources, including 42 contributing buildings, one contributing structure, and nine non-contributing buildings. The district takes in most of the city's central business district. For the most part, the buildings here were used for commercial purposes, but some of them housed light industrial operations, the post office, and the Masonic lodge. The buildings generally range from one to two stories, but a couple structures are three stories in height. Built between the 1860s and the early decades of the 20th century, the buildings are composed of masonry construction. Several were built using the areas limestone. The Italianate style is dominate, but other late 19th and 20th century revivals, and late 19th and early 20th century American movements are also found here.
The Mills Tower 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 1990. At the time of its nomination the district consisted of six resources, including two contributing buildings, and four non-contributing buildings. All of the buildings are associated with the Illinois Central Railroad (IC). The Dubuque & Sioux City Railroad, an affiliate of the IC, laid the first rail track to Iowa Falls in 1866. The following year the Iowa Falls & Sioux City Railroad, another IC affiliate, continued construction of the line to the west, and it reached Sioux City by 1870. The Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railway (BCR&N) by way of its affiliate the Cedar Rapids, Iowa Falls & North Western, entered Iowa Falls in 1880. Two years later it was expanded to the north and intersected with the IC main line, which required a controlled crossing. Little is known about this first crossing and what it contained.
Sokol Gymnasium is a historic building located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States. Sokol is a Czech social and gymnastics organization. It had this three-story, brick, Neoclassical structure built in 1908. It was designed by local architect Charles A. Dieman. The organization used the facility as a social hall and gymnasium until it was inundated by 4 feet (1.2 m) of water in a 2008 flood. It was cleared out and Sokol moved to another building in southwest Cedar Rapids. This building was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013. In 2015 it was included as a contributing property in the Cedar Rapids Central Business District Commercial Historic District.
The West Side Third Avenue SW Commercial Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. At the time of its nomination it consisted of 10 resources, which included seven contributing buildings and three non-contributing buildings. Cedar Rapids was platted on the east bank of the Cedar River as Rapids City in 1841, and it was incorporated in 1849. Kingston was established on the west bank of the river in 1852, and it was annexed by Cedar Rapids in 1870. The streets were laid out parallel and perpendicular to the river, which flowed from the northwest to the southeast. The Chicago, Iowa & Nebraska Railway, later the Chicago & North Western Railway, was the prominent railroad on the west side of town. The first bridge across the river at Third Avenue was built in 1871. The current bridge was completed in 1912. Prior to a bridge, Rapid City and Kingston were connected by a ferry operated by David W. King, the founder of Kingston.
The Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in the central business district of Davenport, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020. At the time of its nomination it consisted of 43 resources, which included 33 contributing buildings, one contributing structure, and nine non-contributing buildings. In addition, the district also contains 33 buildings that are individually listed on the National Register. This historic district is bordered by four other districts: the Crescent Warehouse Historic District and the Davenport Motor Row and Industrial Historic District on the east, the Hamburg Historic District to the northwest, and the West Third Street Historic District on the west.
The Iowa City Downtown Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2021. At the time of its nomination it consisted of 102 resources, which included 73 contributing buildings, one contributing site, one contributing object, 21 non-contributing buildings, and seven non-contributing objects. Eight buildings that were previously listed on the National Register are also included in the district. Iowa City's central business district developed adjacent to the Iowa Old Capitol Building and the main campus of the University of Iowa. This juxtaposition gives the area its energy with the overlap of university staff and students and the local community. The district was significantly altered in the 1970s by the city's urban renewal effort that brought about the Ped Mall, which transformed two blocks of College Street from Clinton Street to Linn Street and Dubuque Street from Burlington Street to Washington Street. It is the contributing site and the large planters/retaining walls that are original to the project are counted together as the contributing object. There are also several freestanding, limestone planters, five contemporary sculptures, and a playground area are the non-contributing objects.