Highland Historic District (Waterloo, Iowa) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Highland Historic District
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214 Highland Blvd.
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | Roughly bounded by Independence Ave. and Steely, Idaho, and Vine Sts., Waterloo, Iowa |
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| Area | 64 acres (26 ha) |
| Architect | Mortimer B. Cleveland |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival American Craftsman |
| NRHP reference No. | 84001209 |
| Added to NRHP | September 24, 1984 |
The Highland Historic District is a special neighborhood in Waterloo, Iowa. It's known for its beautiful old homes. This area was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. Being on this list means it's recognized as an important historical place in the United States.
Exploring the Highland Historic District
The Highland Historic District is a residential area. This means it's mostly made up of houses where people live. It became a popular place for important business and professional people to live in the early 1900s.
How the Neighborhood Began
Waterloo grew very quickly between 1890 and 1910. The city's population doubled twice in just 20 years! This fast growth was due to more factories and jobs. More people meant the city needed more homes.
This need led to the development of a new housing area called "the Highlands." In 1901, John Steely, a real estate broker, and Lewis Lichty, a lawyer, bought the land. They opened the Highland Land Company in 1905 to start building this new neighborhood.
What the Homes Look Like
The oldest house in the district was built in 1900. Most of the other homes were built between 1908 and 1942. They are all made of wood, with exteriors of wood, stucco, brick, or stone.
You can see several popular architectural styles in the district. These include Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, and American Craftsman. A local architect from Waterloo, Mortimer B. Cleveland, designed at least 39 of these homes. The famous landscape architect Howard Evarts Weed from Chicago designed the neighborhood's public spaces and tree-lined streets.
The Highland Historic District was Waterloo's very first suburban neighborhood. It was a new idea for people to live outside the busy city center.
