LaSalle Street Auto Row Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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LaSalle Street Auto Row Historic District
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Location | 56-84 LaSalle St. and 57-83 S. LaSalle St., Aurora, Illinois |
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| Architectural style | Commercial Style |
| NRHP reference No. | 96000856 |
| Added to NRHP | August 1, 1996 |
The LaSalle Street Auto Row Historic District is a special group of fifteen buildings in Aurora, Illinois. These buildings show how car dealerships grew in Aurora during the early 1900s. It's like a snapshot of history, showing where people used to buy their first cars!
Contents
The Story of LaSalle Street's Car Dealerships
How Cars Became Popular
At first, cars were mostly for very rich people. But as time went on, more and more families could afford them. This made cars super popular in the early 1900s. Because so many people wanted cars, special shops called dealerships started opening up. These shops made it easier for people to buy their new vehicles.
Finding a New Home for Cars
The first big group of car dealerships in Aurora was on Broadway Street. But land on Broadway Street became very expensive. So, car sellers looked for a new place. They found cheaper land just one block east, on LaSalle Street. This street was still right in the middle of the city. Having many car shops together on one street was a common idea back then. It was often called an "Auto Row."
LaSalle Street's Busy Car Years
The very first building on LaSalle Street connected to cars was the Coates Garage. This happened around 1912. Soon, LaSalle Street became known as the place to buy a car. Between 1912 and 1921, the number of car businesses on the street grew a lot. It went from just three to fifteen!
Many famous car companies had shops there. These included Studebaker, Velie, Overland Automobile, and Buick. All the buildings were built in a style called the Commercial Style. This was a popular way to design business buildings back then. These buildings looked simpler than older ones, with less fancy decoration.
Changes Over Time
LaSalle Street was a major car selling spot until the mid-1920s. After that, other types of businesses started buying the lots. By 1952, only two buildings on LaSalle Street were still used for car-related things.
But even though the car shops left, most of the buildings stayed! About 70% of them were used for other purposes instead of being torn down. In the 1990s, some of the buildings were fixed up. They even put back old-fashioned storefront windows from the early 1900s.
Because of its important history, the LaSalle Street Auto Row Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 1, 1996. This means it's a special place worth protecting!
