Riverview Park Plat Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Riverview Park Plat Historic District
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1951 Arlington Avenue
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | Arlington Ave. between Franklin and 6th Aves. Des Moines, Iowa |
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| Area | 11 acres (4.5 ha) |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne Tudor Revival Colonial Revival |
| MPS | Towards a Greater Des Moines MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 96001157 |
| Added to NRHP | October 25, 1996 |
The Riverview Park Plat Historic District is a special neighborhood in north-central Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It's like a historical treasure! This area has been officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1996. This means it's recognized for its important history and unique buildings.
Contents
Exploring Riverview Park Plat
A Look Back in Time
In 1886, a company called Riverview Park Company bought some land. They paid $12,500 for it. This was a time when many new neighborhoods were being built in Des Moines. The company hoped to sell the land quickly.
Some parts of the land sold fast, especially the lots on the north side. These spots had amazing views of the Des Moines River. Other parts, south of Arlington Avenue, sold more slowly. Over time, some of the larger lots were divided into smaller ones. For example, in 1891, lot 13 became Jackson's Subdivision. Later, two more lots were split into 13 new ones and called Arlington Place.
Building a Special Neighborhood
Riverview Park Plat was planned to be a fancy neighborhood. The company wanted to make sure only certain types of homes were built there. If someone wanted to sell their land, they first had to offer it to others who already owned property in the area. This rule was a special agreement called a "restrictive residential covenant." It was one of the first of its kind in Des Moines.
Many large, beautiful homes were built in this neighborhood. For a long time, most of these homes were for single families. But as the houses got older, some were changed into apartments for multiple families. In the 1980s, the neighborhood faced challenges, and some homes needed repairs.
Discovering the Architecture
Homes with Unique Styles
The Riverview Park Plat Historic District has some of the biggest and most interesting houses from that time in Des Moines. You can see many different styles of homes here. Two popular styles were Queen Anne and Colonial Revival.
Some houses even mixed different styles! They might combine Colonial Revival with American Four Square, Tudor Revival, or American Craftsman styles. Famous architectural companies from Des Moines, like Liebbe, Nourse & Rasmussen, helped design these homes.
A Park-Like Setting
Riverview Park Plat was one of several neighborhoods in Des Moines designed to feel like a park. These were built in the 1880s. A civil engineer named Frank Pelton planned the layout. The neighborhood's design follows the curve of the Des Moines River.
Arlington Avenue, a main street, also curves along the river. This area even used to have a small island park, but it's not there anymore. The streets in Riverview Park Plat are wider than most other streets in Des Moines. Arlington Avenue is about 75 feet (23 m) wide, while most streets were only 50 feet (15 m) wide. This extra width makes the area feel even more open and park-like.
