The North Geneva Historic District is a set of 161 buildings and structures in

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

. Of those, 150 contribute to the district's historical integrity. The district was added to 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 1979, and was slightly enlarged in 2017.

History

The North Geneva Historic District reflects the northern portion of the original settlement, which was home to many prominent early Geneva businessmen as well as the working class. It consists of the area known as the First Ward, roughly bounded by Stevens Street, the (modern day)

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

on the west, W. State Street to the south, and the Fox River to the east. The west and east sides of the district exhibit architectural similarities. The district is representative of the socioeconomic status of the original settlers. The First Ward was platted in a gridiron pattern with blocks of , divided into ten lots of . Lots along the Fox River differ in shape and size. Working-class homes are moderately-sized and stylistically conservative. Most are of frame construction. Oscar and August Wilson were among the more prominent local architects, who admired

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...

and incorporated

Prairie School Prairie School is a late 19th- and early 20th-century architectural style, most common in the Midwestern United States. The style is usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped in ...

elements into their otherwise

vernacular A vernacular or vernacular language is in contrast with a "standard language". It refers to the language or dialect that is spoken by people that are inhabiting a particular country or region. The vernacular is typically the native language, n ...

buildings. 62 of the 150 notable structures are considered to have particular historical or architectural significance. Three of Geneva's first five churches are located in the district. The district was added to the

on August 1, 1979.Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
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Notable properties

The nomination form for the historic district singles out several properties that are particularly representative of mid- to late- 19th century architectural styles. *Hubbard–Wrate House, built c. 1848, Italianate *DeGrout House, built c. 1856,

Greek Revival The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but ...

*202 N. Fourth Street, built c. 1915, residence for August Wilson,

*228 N. Fourth Street, built c. 1916, residence for Oscar Wilson,

*United Methodist Church, built 1874 (tower completed 1893), Romanesque Revival *Westgrath–Crary House, built 1849, built with riverstone

References

National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form: North Geneva Historic District
{{reflist Geneva, Illinois National Register of Historic Places in Kane County, Illinois Italianate architecture in Illinois Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois Geography of Kane County, Illinois Tourist attractions in Kane County, Illinois