The Wilton Commercial Historic District is a nationally recognized

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 ...

located in

Wilton, Iowa Wilton (formerly Wilton Junction) is a city in Cedar and Muscatine counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 2,924 at the time of the 2020 census. The Muscatine County portion of Wilton is part of the Muscatine Micropolitan Statist ...

, United States. It 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 2016. At the time of its nomination it consisted of 47 resources, which included 32

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

contributing structure 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 14 non-contributing buildings. Wilton got its start when the

Mississippi and Missouri Railroad The Mississippi and Missouri Railroad (M&M Railroad) was the first railroad in Iowa. It was chartered in 1853 to build a line between Davenport, Iowa, on the Mississippi River and Council Bluffs, Iowa, on the Missouri River.Dix, John Adams. Speech ...

, later the

Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (CRI&P RW, sometimes called ''Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway'') was an American Class I railroad. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock. At the end ...

, was surveyed through this area in 1853. It was named for Wilton, Maine, the hometown of one of the founders. This historic district covers the town's

central business district A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...

. The buildings were built between 1856 and 1966. Most are attached, two stories tall, a single storefront wide, with exteriors composed of brick. There are a few wood-frame buildings. The buildings on the edges of the district are generally detached. Architecturally, the buildings tend to favor the vernacular forms with influences from the

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literature ...

and revival styles. For the most part, first floors are still occupied with retail establishments and second floors with professional offices or apartments. Civic buildings include the

WPA WPA may refer to: Computing *Wi-Fi Protected Access, a wireless encryption standard *Windows Product Activation, in Microsoft software licensing * Wireless Public Alerting (Alert Ready), emergency alerts over LTE in Canada * Windows Performance An ...

-funded city hall (1939), and the mid-century modern post office (1960). The

Wilton Candy Kitchen Wilton Candy Kitchen is a combination ice cream parlor, soda fountain and confectionery store located in Wilton, Iowa, United States. The two-story wood-frame building has a gable roof that is obstructed on the main facade by a false front. It ...

(1856), the oldest building in the district, and the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Depot (1898) are individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

References

Wilton, Iowa Victorian architecture in Iowa Historic districts in Muscatine County, Iowa National Register of Historic Places in Muscatine County, Iowa Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa {{Iowa-struct-stub