Black Hawk Hotel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Black Hawk Hotel
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | 115-119 Main St. Cedar Falls, Iowa |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1915 (renovation) |
| Architect | John G. Ralston (renovation) |
| Architectural style | Second Empire Late 19th & early 20th Century American Movements |
| Part of | Cedar Falls Downtown Historic District (ID100001673) |
| NRHP reference No. | 02001542 |
| Added to NRHP | December 19, 2002 |
The Black Hawk Hotel is a very old and important building. You can find it in downtown Cedar Falls, Iowa. It's so special that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. This list helps protect important places in the United States. Later, in 2017, it also became part of the Cedar Falls Downtown Historic District. This district is a group of historic buildings in the city center.
Contents
The Hotel's Long History
A hotel has stood on this spot in Cedar Falls since the early 1850s. Over the years, there have been two different buildings. The hotel also had many different names.
Early Days: From Winslow House to Carter House
Around 1853, the first hotel was built. It was called the Winslow House. This was a wooden building that served as a stagecoach hotel. Travelers would stop here during their journeys. In 1858, its name changed to the Western. They also added another floor to the building. By the 1860s, the hotel was known as the Carter House.
New Building, New Names
In the late 1870s, the building you see today was constructed. It was built in the Second Empire style. This style often features tall, mansard roofs. The new building was first named the Davis House. In 1885, the Burr family took over the hotel. They renamed it Burr's Hotel.
A Big Makeover: Becoming the Blackhawk
In 1914, a group of people invested money in the hotel. They hired an architect named John G. Ralston from Waterloo, Iowa. His job was to redesign the hotel building. The renovation combined the Second Empire style with the Mission style. The Mission style often uses features like stucco walls and red tile roofs. It was after this big makeover that the hotel was named the Blackhawk.
