West Jefferson Street Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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West Jefferson Street Historic District
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Burlington Fire-Police Station in 2013.
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | Roughly the 400 to 800 blocks of W. Jefferson St., Burlington, Iowa |
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| Area | 18.5 acres (7.5 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 91000409 |
| Added to NRHP | April 9, 1991 |
The West Jefferson Street Historic District is a special area in downtown Burlington, Iowa, United States. It includes five blocks of buildings that are important because of their history. This district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The National Register is a list of places across the country that are worth saving because of their historical importance. Later, in 2015, this area also became part of the larger Downtown Commercial Historic District.
West Jefferson Street was a very important road in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It was the main way to travel through the Hawkeye Creek Valley. This street connected the main business area near the Mississippi River to Agency Road, which led out of town to the west. Most of the buildings in this historic district are commercial, meaning they were used for businesses like shops or offices. They range from one to four stories tall and are mostly made of brick. Many have cool details made from stone and terra cotta, which is a type of baked clay. There's even one building made of wood. Many buildings here are built in the Italianate style, which was popular back then and often features tall, narrow windows and decorative cornices. The old Fire and Police Station is also part of this district. When the district was first listed, it had 63 buildings, and 49 of them were considered "contributing properties." This means they added to the historical importance of the district.
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Historic Buildings and Their Styles
The West Jefferson Street Historic District is like a time capsule, showing us what buildings looked like long ago. Many of the buildings were built between 1876 and 1884. Most of them are commercial buildings, which means they were used for businesses. Some of these buildings are quite tall, up to four stories high. They are mostly made of brick, but many also have special details made from stone or terra cotta. Terra cotta is a type of clay that is shaped and then baked, often used for decorations on buildings.
Italianate Architecture in Burlington
A lot of the buildings in this district are built in the Italianate style. This style was very popular in the United States from the 1840s to the 1880s. Buildings in the Italianate style often have:
- Low-pitched roofs
- Wide eaves (the part of the roof that hangs over the walls)
- Decorative brackets under the eaves
- Tall, narrow windows, often with arches above them
- Sometimes, a tower or cupola (a small dome-like structure on the roof)
This style was inspired by the look of Italian Renaissance palaces. It gave buildings a grand and elegant appearance, which was popular for both homes and businesses during that time.
The Fire and Police Station
One special building in the district is the historic combined Fire and Police Station. This building served an important role in the community, housing both the firefighters and police officers who kept the city safe. It's a great example of the public buildings from that era and how they were designed.
Important Buildings in the District
Many buildings in the West Jefferson Street Historic District are considered "contributing properties." This means they help make the district historically important. They show the types of businesses and architecture that were common in Burlington during the late 19th century.
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The Lyman Cook Block (built in 1883) and the Jones Block (built in 1876) are two historic buildings.
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The Forney & Mellinger Block, built in 1883, is another example of the district's architecture.
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The Hedge Block, constructed in 1881, shows the style of buildings from that time.
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The Masonic Temple-Gregg Building, built in 1884, is also part of this historic area.
