Decorah Commercial Historic District

Last updated
Decorah Commercial Historic District
2009-0528-Decorah-downtown.jpg
Water Street in 2009
USA Iowa location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
LocationBlks. 500-100 W. Water, 100-200 E. Water, 100 Washington, 100 Winnebago, parts of W. Main, Court & W. Day Spring, Decorah, Iowa
Coordinates 43°18′15″N91°47′16″W / 43.30417°N 91.78778°W / 43.30417; -91.78778 Coordinates: 43°18′15″N91°47′16″W / 43.30417°N 91.78778°W / 43.30417; -91.78778
Area20.1 acres (8.1 ha)
Architectural style Late Victorian
Late 19th and Early 20th century American Movements
Art Deco
NRHP reference No. 100001482 [1]
Added to NRHPAugust 21, 2017

The Decorah Commercial Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Decorah, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017. [1] At the time of its nomination it contained 126 resources, which included 85 contributing buildings, one contributing structure, and 40 non-contributing buildings. [2] The historic district covers most of the city's central business district. Water Street, which is a major thoroughfare through the district was named after a millrace (non-extant) that rerouted water from the Upper Iowa River to serve the needs of the mills and the commercial district. The land here is relatively flat and allowed for a linear shopping area. The Broadway–Phelps Park Historic District is largely a residential area that is located to the south.

The buildings in the district are primarily two to three stories tall and built with brick. There are, however, some stone and wood buildings. A majority of the buildings (60%) were built before 1899, with the oldest building from 1853. [2] Another 27% were built between 1900 and 1960. As of 2017, the newest building was from 2014. The buildings are generally vernacular in style, but reflect the styles that were fashionable from the time they were built, including Italianate, Queen Anne, Romanesque, and Colonial Revival. Some of the buildings were designed by architects and built by local contractors, but the designers of most of the buildings are unknown. [2] Architects of note include: Charles Altfillisch, Orff and Guilbert, Turnock & Ohrenstein, Mortimer Cleveland, Gatterdamn & Probst, and Robert Jamieson. General contractor A.R. Coffeen Co. was responsible for both new construction and remodeling old facades. The Decorah Woolen Mill (1867, 1920), the only mill left in the district, and the Steyer Opera House (1870, 1875) are individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The brick pavers on Court Street count as the contributing structure.

Related Research Articles

Marycrest College Historic District United States historic place

Marycrest College Historic District is located on a bluff overlooking the West End of Davenport, Iowa, United States. The district encompasses the campus of Marycrest College, which was a small, private collegiate institution. The school became Teikyo Marycrest University and finally Marycrest International University after affiliating with a private educational consortium during the 1990s. The school closed in 2002 because of financial shortcomings. The campus has been listed on the Davenport Register of Historic Properties and on the National Register of Historic Places since 2004. At the time of its nomination, the historic district consisted of 13 resources, including six contributing buildings and five non-contributing buildings. Two of the buildings were already individually listed on the National Register.

Crescent Warehouse Historic District United States historic place

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.

Hibernia Hall United States historic place

The Hibernia Hall, also known as the Hibernian Hall, is a Romanesque Revival building located in downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. It is located on the east side of Brady Street, near the middle of the block. The Hibernian Hall was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.In 2020 it was included as contributing property in the Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District.

Renwick Building United States historic place

The Renwick Building is located in downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1983, and on the Davenport Register of Historic Properties since 2000. In 2020 it was included as a contributing property in the Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District. It is known locally for the large painted sign on the north side of the building depicting the Bix 7 Road Race.

Fifth Street Bluff Historic District United States historic place

The Fifth Street Bluff Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Ottumwa, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. At the time of its nomination it contained 67 resources, which included 40 contributing buildings, three contributing structures, and 24 non-contributing buildings.

Court Hill Historic District United States historic place

Court Hill Historic District is a historic district located in Ottumwa, Iowa, United States. It is a residential area of large homes with a few small homes in between. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998 as a part of Ottumwa MPS. At the time of its nomination it contained 84 resources, which included 56 contributing buildings, two contributing structures, 25 non-contributing buildings, and one non-contributing site.

Downtown Commercial Historic District (Burlington, Iowa) United States historic place

The Downtown Commercial Historic District encompasses most of the central business district of Burlington, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. The historic district includes 65 properties that were part of a 2012 to 2013 survey of the area. It also includes as contributing properties the buildings in the West Jefferson Street Historic District and three buildings in the Manufacturing and Wholesale Historic District that were previously listed on the National Register. All total there are 122 resources within the district, which includes 108 contributing and 14 non-contributing properties.

Broadway–Phelps Park Historic District United States historic place

The Broadway–Phelps Park Historic District is located in Decorah, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The historic district is composed of seven blocks of a residential area and the city's oldest park. It is located on a prominent hill in the heart of Decorah. Contributing properties include five churches, three government buildings, a museum, brick kiln, a carriage house, and 36 private residences. Contributing sites include the city park square and the river bluff. The historic buildings were built from the 1850s to the early 1900s. Most of the structures are two or more stories, and were built in limestone, sandstone, or brick. The Ellsworth-Porter House is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Northwood Central Avenue Historic District United States historic place

The Northwood Commercial Historic District encompasses most of the central business district along four blocks of Central Avenue in Northwood, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. The historic district includes 59 properties. It includes, as contributing properties, 40 buildings, one site, one structure, and three objects. There are also 14 buildings that are non-contributing.

Manning Commercial Historic District (Manning, Iowa) United States historic place

The Manning Commercial Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Manning, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. At the time of its nomination it contained 37 resources, which included 26 contributing buildings, four contributing structures, and seven non-contributing buildings.

Bonaparte Historic Riverfront District United States historic place

The Bonaparte Historic Riverfront District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Bonaparte, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. At the time of its nomination it contained 38 resources, which included 24 contributing buildings, one contributing structure, 11 non-contributing buildings, and two non-contributing structures. Three mill-related buildings near the Des Moines River are associated with the Meek's family who had a central role in the town's development from its founding through the turn of the 20th-century. They include the woolen mill (1863), the flour mill (1878), which is individually listed on the National Register, and the pants factory (1892). Eighteen commercial buildings are of brick construction. Of those, eight are two-story structures, and ten are single-story structures. The remaining three buildings are wood frame commercial buildings. The single historic structure is the stone lock in the city park, which is also individually listed on the National Register.

West Pleasant Street Historic District United States historic place

The West Pleasant Street Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Maquoketa, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. At the time of its nomination it contained 50 resources, which included 29 contributing buildings, 21 non-contributing buildings, and one non-contributing site. The historic district is primarily a residential area that was built during Maquoketa's "Boom Years" (1873-1899) and the "Comfortable Years" (1900-1922). The first house built in the district was in 1863 and the last was in 1914. This is where many of the city's business and professional leaders choose to build their houses. Most of the 28 houses were probably not designed by an architect, but were crafted in the "High Style" of the time by local builders. With the exception of Greek Revival, all the major styles of the period built in Maquoketa are found here. Eight of the houses and one of the three remaining carriage houses are brick structures; the rest are wood.

Decorah Woolen Mill United States historic place

Decorah Woolen Mill, also known as the Meritol Building or Decorah Tire Service, is a historic building located in Decorah, Iowa, United States. The mill was originally constructed in 1867, and was operated by various owners in the years to come. They included the Decorah Glove and Mitten Works who operated in the building the same year, 1908, that it was struct by a tornado. The third floor sustained damage, and they continued operations here. By 1919 they were no longer in business here and the American Drug and Press Association, the Meritol Company, bought the building and expanded it. They made pharmaceuticals and patent medicines, and went bankrupt in 1932. Various other companies operated from here until 1955 when Decorah Tire Service took over. The building was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. The property was developed into a 15-unit apartment building, which opened in 2002. In 2017 it was included as a contributing property in the Decorah Commercial Historic District.

McGregor Commercial Historic District United States historic place

The McGregor Commercial Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in McGregor, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. At the time of its nomination the district consisted of 60 resources, including 51 contributing buildings, one contributing site, one contributing structure, and seven noncontributing buildings. Unlike most river towns in Iowa the central business district does not follow along the Mississippi River, but moves away from it. It is linear in shape, following Main Street, which runs from the southwest to the northeast in a narrow valley between two 400-foot (120 m) bluffs. The narrow valley ends at the river.

Old Main Street Historic District (Dubuque, Iowa) United States historic place

Old Main Street Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Dubuque, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. At the time of its nomination it consisted of 33 resources, which included 30 contributing buildings and three non-contributing buildings. In 2015 the boundaries were increased to include five more buildings. Four of the buildings are contributing properties that were excluded from the original district because they were slated to be torn down as a part of the expansion of U.S. Route 61. While the highway was built the buildings were spared. The fifth building is non-contributing as are three structures.

Upper Iowa Street Historic District United States historic place

The Upper Iowa Street Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Dubuque, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. At the time of its nomination it consisted of nine resources, which included eight contributing buildings and one non-contributing building. The district is a single block with commercial and residential buildings on both sides of Iowa Street. It was originally a residential section on the north side of the central business district. The first two commercial buildings were substantial Italianate-style structures constructed on the north side of the block in the mid-1880s. In the 1890s larger and more elaborate Queen Anne commercial buildings were built to the south. The oldest building is an 1872 residence that was used as a doctor's office and other business purposes. It has subsequently been covered in Permastone. The rest of the buildings are brick with stone ornamentation.

Island Historic District United States historic place

The Island Historic District is a mixed commercial and residential historic district located in Plainwell, Michigan. It is roughly bounded by Bannister Street to the north, Hill Street to the south, the Kalamazoo River to the east, and Park Street to the west, as well as including properties along Main Street south of the mill race and along Bridge Street west to the mill race. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.

Coggon Public School United States historic place

Coggon Public School, also known as the Coggon Center, is a historic building located in Coggon, Iowa, United States.

Marion Commercial Historic District United States historic place

The Marion Commercial Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Marion, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. At the time of its nomination it consisted of 41 resources, which included 29 contributing buildings, one contributing site, one contributing structure, two contributing objects, and eight non-contributing buildings. The historic district covers the city's central business district. The development of this area largely occurred when Marion was the county seat of Linn County (1838-1919). There are no county government buildings extant from this era. The city was also a division point for the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

West Union Commercial Historic District United States historic place

The West Union Commercial Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in West Union, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. At the time of its nomination the district consisted of 56 resources, including 38 contributing buildings, one contributing structure, and 17 noncontributing buildings. West Union was platted in 1850 and retail businesses began the same year around the public square. The square also served as the center for county government and as a place for many of the community's social activities. The wide streets and sidewalks in the central business district also facilitated the city's commercial and social life. The buildings in the district have housed various commercial businesses, government operations, and churches. The residential buildings are mostly associated with the churches. Most of the buildings are one and two-stories in height, although a couple are three-stories, and built of brick. Most of them are in the revival styles built in the Victorian era, including Italianate, Queen Anne, Neoclassical, and Colonial Revival. There are also buildings designed in the Commercial style. Several buildings were designed by architects, but for the most part the designers are unknown. The city's water tower is the contributing structure. The First Baptist Church (1867), Hobson Block (1885), Maple View Sanitarium (1903), and the Fayette County Courthouse (1923) are all individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. 1 2 3 Jan Olive Full. "Decorah Commercial Historic District" (PDF). City of Decorah. Retrieved 2016-03-04.