The Downtown Commercial Historic District in

Muscatine, Iowa Muscatine ( ) is a city in Muscatine County, Iowa, United States. The population was 23,797 at the time of the 2020 census, an increase from 22,697 in 2000. The county seat of Muscatine County, it is located along the Mississippi River. The lo ...

is a

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...

that was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 2006. At that time, it included 93

contributing buildings In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distric ...

, one other

contributing object In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distric ...

, and 18 non-contributing buildings. Includes maps and historic photos. With The city of Muscatine was established as Bloomington in 1836. The original town was built on land that is generally flat along the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

. Residential areas were located on the surrounding hills. Commercial and industrial interests developed on the flatter land near the river. Muscatine's commercial and industrial center had developed in a 12-block area along Front Street, now Mississippi Drive, and 2nd Street between Pine Street and Mulberry Street by 1874. This area, represented by the Downtown Commercial Historic District, is the city's original commercial area. Within its boundaries is a large number of 19th-century commercial buildings, many of which were modified in the first half of the 20th century.

Contributing properties

Contributing buildings include: * Trinity Episcopal Church (already individually listed on the National Register), *

Welch Apartments Welch Apartments is an historic building located in downtown Muscatine, Iowa, United States. The Scott House hotel existed on this property prior to this building, which was constructed about 1900. The Italianate-style building contain 26 units wi ...

(already individually listed on the National Register), *The Hotel Muscatine (1914–15), 101 W. Mississippi Drive, an expensive-in-its-time building, funded in part by a large number of citizens who bought its common stock. It is a seven-story building designed by architect Paul V. Hyland which was the tallest in Muscatine until the 1970s. *The Laurel Building (1916–17), 101 E. 2nd Street, a six-story combination department store and office building, also designed by Paul V. Hyland, which was for a long time the "other" tall building in downtown Muscatine. *Muscatine City Hall (1914), a building for city offices designed by Detroit architect Joseph E. Mills, who had previously designed the district-adjacent

Muscatine County Courthouse The Muscatine County Courthouse in Muscatine, Iowa, United States, was built in 1909. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. The courthouse is the third buil ...

(1909) and Muscatine County Jail (1909). *Masonic Temple (1920–21), 317 E. 3rd Street, claimed to be the first Masonic lodge building in Iowa, which also served non-Masonic organizations. The three-story brick building plus furnishings cost more than $104,000. *First Baptist Church (1923), 224 E. 3rd Street, adjacent to the 1914 City Hall, built in style and material similar to the Masonic Temple.

References

External links

* Queen Anne architecture in Iowa Italianate architecture in Iowa Buildings and structures in Muscatine, Iowa Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa National Register of Historic Places in Muscatine County, Iowa Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa Historic districts in Muscatine County, Iowa {{MuscatineCountyIA-NRHP-stub