Galena Historic District
Encyclopedia
The Galena Historic District is a historic district
located in the city of Galena, Illinois
, USA
. The historic district encompasses 85 percent of the city of Galena and includes more than 1,000 properties. The downtown area consists of three successive tiers made up of Main, Bench and Prospect Streets. Within the boundaries of the district are such notable homes as the Ulysses S. Grant Home
and the Elihu B. Washburne House. The Galena Historic District was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
in 1969.
Galena's appearance was primarily influenced by a string of fires that plagued the city during the 1850s. Those fires led city government to prohibit new construction using wood, resulting in a downtown built mostly of brick
and stone
. Much of Galena's early growth was due to the lead
mining industry that sprouted up around lead deposits in the region. By the 1830s, Galena's population had surpassed Chicago
, and many city leaders expected Galena to become the leading city in the Midwest
. Galena began a long decline in the 1860s as railroads succeeded rivers as the main transportation method and the lead industry suffered falling prices.
By the 1880s, the city of Galena no longer held its former prominence, being surpassed by other river ports, such as Dubuque, Iowa
, and passed over by major railroads for other locations, such as East Dubuque, Illinois
. The Galena River
was no longer easily navigable, and floods, including a serious one in 1937, helped ensure the end of Galena's glory days. Galena's long decline continued through the 1950s; at that time, many of the downtown buildings were dilapidated and boarded up. As the historic preservation
movement took hold, Galena became one of the first cities in Illinois to pass a historic preservation ordinance. Galena's historic preservation ordinance was passed in 1965; four years later, the Galena Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
The Galena Historic District contains more than 1,000 buildings constructed before 1900 that are considered contributing properties. The center of downtown Galena is laid out in three parallel segmental tiers starting at Main Street closest to the river. Beyond Main Street, and at a higher elevation, are Bench and Prospect Streets. Main Street forms the primary commercial strip through Galena and is lined with buildings two, three, and four stories tall. Most of Main Street's structures are built of red brick and cast in Federal style of the simple commercial style of the 1840s.
On Bench Street, most of the buildings are public or fraternal buildings, among them some of the district's principal churches. Viewed from the levee
or the railroad tracks, the church steeples
crown downtown. Backdropping the prominent church steeples of Bench Street is the wooded terrace
of Prospect Street. Prospect Street is mostly residential with the large old high school and its clock tower
being the evident exception. Northwest of Prospect Street the residential area continues. Many of the private homes in this area date from Galena's early days. The concentration of 19th-century homes, both beyond Prospect Street and on the opposite side of the Galena River, was labeled "astonishing" in the National Register nomination document.
Within the boundaries of the Galena Historic District are three structures that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places in their own right. The Ulysses S. Grant Home
is a declared National Historic Landmark
, and the Elihu B. Washburne House and Old Market House enjoy listings on the National Register. Aside from those structures, many buildings dating to the early history of Galena and Illinois are included within the district.
The DeSoto House Hotel, on Main Street, opened in April 1855 and is reported as the oldest operating hotel
in Illinois. Like many hotels, the DeSoto played host to important and prominent guests of its day; individuals such as Theodore Roosevelt
, William Jennings Bryan
, and Ralph Waldo Emerson
all passed through its doors. Abraham Lincoln
once spoke from the hotel balcony as well. Today the hotel has 55 rooms, two dining rooms and a tavern.
Just off Main Street, at Green and Commerce Streets, is the historic Galena Customs House and U.S. Post Office. The building is a superior example of Federal style architecture. It was constructed in 1858 and originally served as the Galena Customs House before finding use as the U.S. Post Office, its current function. The post office is said to be the longest operating such building in the United States.
Even amidst the public buildings of Bench Street are examples of some of the fine mansions constructed around Galena, each an integral part of the historic district in its own right. The John Dowling House is one such mansion, cast in the Classical Revival style, the Dowling House was built within the grounds of the stockade
constructed here during the Black Hawk War
. The 1847 Dowling House was surveyed as part of the Historic American Buildings Survey
in 1934.
The architectural styles present in the Galena Historic District vary according to the time period during which the structures were built. Styles ranging from simple commercial-style buildings of the 1820s up through the Greek Revival
, Italianate, Gothic Revival and later Victorian style
s are all represented within the historic district
. The area is home to some of the finest Greek Revival
architecture in the United States.
The buildings lining Main Street present a unique architectural unity. The bend of Main Street, which approximately follows the course of the Galena River, enhances the spatial character of the street and is a feature that is rare in American towns and cities. Past Main Street, upon the bluffs and facing Prospect Street, are huge mansions built from 1840–90. The homes, built by mostly mine owners and steamboat captains, range from a hodge-podge of architectural styles to distinct stylistic representations of the period.
Because of its unique period architecture, Galena has earned various nicknames. The city has been called the "outdoor museum of the Victorian Midwest" and variations on "the town that time forgot." Depending on the commentator Galena's best architectural attractions are found either on Main Street in the downtown area or in the surrounding bluffs which are dotted with 19th-century mansions.
, and today the town retains much of its 19th-century character. A stroll through the streets of Galena, especially during the early morning when crowds are not present, envelops one in the sights and sense of a bygone era. Galena is closely connected with its era of urban prosperity and grace that have long since been eliminated by industrialization in most American towns.
The Galena Historic District was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
on October 18, 1969. The National Register nomination cited the historic district's significance in multiple areas including, agriculture, mining, art and military as its reasons for its listing.
The city of Galena hosts more than one million visitors annually. The exact number of visitors varies, depending upon the source of the estimate and the year it was made. The New York Times
cited "more than a million" visitors in 2002, as did the Smithsonian
magazine in 2007. In 2003, a Chicago Tribune
article stated 1.3 million as the number of visitors to the city of Galena per year; two years later the same publication estimated 1.4 million annual visitors. The historic district is populated by tourist-driven shops and business, including dozens of bed and breakfast inns. More than a dozen art galleries dot the downtown area, which is also home to numerous restaurants and taverns.
After the Galena Historic District was listed on the National Register, the area began to change. Antique stores sprouted up, according to The New York Times, "like mushrooms after a steady rain." The antique stores have since been replaced. More restaurants, and retail shops, many geared toward tourists are located in the storefronts of downtown Galena. The changes by what some residents and business owners have linked to owners in Chicago have met with mixed reviews. The New York Times reported in 2007 that many long-time Galena residents and second home owners alike appreciated the shift from antique shops to retail and restaurants. In a 2005 Chicago Tribune article, some residents and business owners lamented the growth of the city as well as the rise in rent costs instigated by the change in Galena's commercial base.
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
located in the city of Galena, Illinois
Galena, Illinois
Galena is the county seat of, and largest city in, Jo Daviess County, Illinois in the United States, with a population of 3,429 in 2010. The city is a popular tourist destination known for its history, historical architecture, and ski and golf resorts. Galena was the residence of Ulysses S...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The historic district encompasses 85 percent of the city of Galena and includes more than 1,000 properties. The downtown area consists of three successive tiers made up of Main, Bench and Prospect Streets. Within the boundaries of the district are such notable homes as the Ulysses S. Grant Home
Ulysses S. Grant Home
The Ulysses S. Grant Home in Galena, Illinois is the former home of Ulysses S. Grant, the Civil War General and later 18th President of the United States. The home was given to Grant by residents of Galena as thanks for his war service in 1865, and has been maintained as a memorial to Grant since...
and the Elihu B. Washburne House. The Galena Historic District was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1969.
Boundaries
At the time of its nomination to the National Register of Historic Places, the Galena Historic District included over 90 percent of the city. Present-day numbers cited in media reports were more conservative, stating that the district included 85 percent of the city. City ordinance in Galena describes the boundary of the historic district as any area, place, building, structure, work of art of, or other object within the "original city" and all subdivisions added before December 31, 1859.History
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
and stone
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
. Much of Galena's early growth was due to the lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
mining industry that sprouted up around lead deposits in the region. By the 1830s, Galena's population had surpassed Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and many city leaders expected Galena to become the leading city in the Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
. Galena began a long decline in the 1860s as railroads succeeded rivers as the main transportation method and the lead industry suffered falling prices.
By the 1880s, the city of Galena no longer held its former prominence, being surpassed by other river ports, such as Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
, and passed over by major railroads for other locations, such as East Dubuque, Illinois
East Dubuque, Illinois
East Dubuque is a city in Jo Daviess County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,704 at the 2010 census, down from 1,995 at the 2000 census. East Dubuque is located alongside the Mississippi River. Across the river is the city of Dubuque, Iowa. About three miles north of the city is the...
. The Galena River
Galena River (Illinois)
The Galena River, also known as the Fevre or Fever River, is a river which flows through the Midwestern United States.- Geography :...
was no longer easily navigable, and floods, including a serious one in 1937, helped ensure the end of Galena's glory days. Galena's long decline continued through the 1950s; at that time, many of the downtown buildings were dilapidated and boarded up. As the historic preservation
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
movement took hold, Galena became one of the first cities in Illinois to pass a historic preservation ordinance. Galena's historic preservation ordinance was passed in 1965; four years later, the Galena Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
General
On Bench Street, most of the buildings are public or fraternal buildings, among them some of the district's principal churches. Viewed from the levee
Levee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
or the railroad tracks, the church steeples
Steeple (architecture)
A steeple, in architecture, is a tall tower on a building, often topped by a spire. Steeples are very common on Christian churches and cathedrals and the use of the term generally connotes a religious structure...
crown downtown. Backdropping the prominent church steeples of Bench Street is the wooded terrace
Terrace
A terrace may refer to:*Terrace , a leveled surface*Terrace , a raised flat platform*Terrace , a step-like landform that borders a shoreline or river floodplain...
of Prospect Street. Prospect Street is mostly residential with the large old high school and its clock tower
Clock tower
A clock tower is a tower specifically built with one or more clock faces. Clock towers can be either freestanding or part of a church or municipal building such as a town hall. Some clock towers are not true clock towers having had their clock faces added to an already existing building...
being the evident exception. Northwest of Prospect Street the residential area continues. Many of the private homes in this area date from Galena's early days. The concentration of 19th-century homes, both beyond Prospect Street and on the opposite side of the Galena River, was labeled "astonishing" in the National Register nomination document.
Individual structures
Ulysses S. Grant Home
The Ulysses S. Grant Home in Galena, Illinois is the former home of Ulysses S. Grant, the Civil War General and later 18th President of the United States. The home was given to Grant by residents of Galena as thanks for his war service in 1865, and has been maintained as a memorial to Grant since...
is a declared National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
, and the Elihu B. Washburne House and Old Market House enjoy listings on the National Register. Aside from those structures, many buildings dating to the early history of Galena and Illinois are included within the district.
The DeSoto House Hotel, on Main Street, opened in April 1855 and is reported as the oldest operating hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
in Illinois. Like many hotels, the DeSoto played host to important and prominent guests of its day; individuals such as Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
, William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan was an American politician in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. He was a dominant force in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, standing three times as its candidate for President of the United States...
, and Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century...
all passed through its doors. Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
once spoke from the hotel balcony as well. Today the hotel has 55 rooms, two dining rooms and a tavern.
Even amidst the public buildings of Bench Street are examples of some of the fine mansions constructed around Galena, each an integral part of the historic district in its own right. The John Dowling House is one such mansion, cast in the Classical Revival style, the Dowling House was built within the grounds of the stockade
Stockade
A stockade is an enclosure of palisades and tall walls made of logs placed side by side vertically with the tops sharpened to provide security.-Stockade as a security fence:...
constructed here during the Black Hawk War
Black Hawk War
The Black Hawk War was a brief conflict fought in 1832 between the United States and Native Americans headed by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted soon after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis, and Kickapoos known as the "British Band" crossed the Mississippi River into the U.S....
. The 1847 Dowling House was surveyed as part of the Historic American Buildings Survey
Historic American Buildings Survey
The Historic American Buildings Survey , Historic American Engineering Record , and Historic American Landscapes Survey are programs of the National Park Service established for the purpose of documenting historic places. Records consists of measured drawings, archival photographs, and written...
in 1934.
Architecture
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
, Italianate, Gothic Revival and later Victorian style
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
s are all represented within the historic district
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
. The area is home to some of the finest Greek Revival
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
architecture in the United States.
The buildings lining Main Street present a unique architectural unity. The bend of Main Street, which approximately follows the course of the Galena River, enhances the spatial character of the street and is a feature that is rare in American towns and cities. Past Main Street, upon the bluffs and facing Prospect Street, are huge mansions built from 1840–90. The homes, built by mostly mine owners and steamboat captains, range from a hodge-podge of architectural styles to distinct stylistic representations of the period.
Historic significance
Galena's 1858 population stood at 14,000 before the city began an era of significant decline. Many of the buildings, however, survived the ensuing time period, though in a much dilapidated state. Galena was important to the early development of the Upper MidwestUpper Midwest
The Upper Midwest is a region in the northern portion of the U.S. Census Bureau's Midwestern United States. It is largely a sub-region of the midwest. Although there are no uniformly agreed-upon boundaries, the region is most commonly used to refer to the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and...
, and today the town retains much of its 19th-century character. A stroll through the streets of Galena, especially during the early morning when crowds are not present, envelops one in the sights and sense of a bygone era. Galena is closely connected with its era of urban prosperity and grace that have long since been eliminated by industrialization in most American towns.
The Galena Historic District was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on October 18, 1969. The National Register nomination cited the historic district's significance in multiple areas including, agriculture, mining, art and military as its reasons for its listing.
As a tourist destination
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
cited "more than a million" visitors in 2002, as did the Smithsonian
Smithsonian (magazine)
Smithsonian is the official journal published by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The first issue was published in 1970.-History:...
magazine in 2007. In 2003, a Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
article stated 1.3 million as the number of visitors to the city of Galena per year; two years later the same publication estimated 1.4 million annual visitors. The historic district is populated by tourist-driven shops and business, including dozens of bed and breakfast inns. More than a dozen art galleries dot the downtown area, which is also home to numerous restaurants and taverns.
After the Galena Historic District was listed on the National Register, the area began to change. Antique stores sprouted up, according to The New York Times, "like mushrooms after a steady rain." The antique stores have since been replaced. More restaurants, and retail shops, many geared toward tourists are located in the storefronts of downtown Galena. The changes by what some residents and business owners have linked to owners in Chicago have met with mixed reviews. The New York Times reported in 2007 that many long-time Galena residents and second home owners alike appreciated the shift from antique shops to retail and restaurants. In a 2005 Chicago Tribune article, some residents and business owners lamented the growth of the city as well as the rise in rent costs instigated by the change in Galena's commercial base.
External links
- City of Galena
- Galena Historic District, National Register District Report, Illinois Historic Preservation AgencyIllinois Historic Preservation AgencyThe Illinois Historic Preservation Agency is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Illinois. It is tasked with the duty of maintaining most State-owned historic sites within Illinois, and maximizing their educational and recreational value to visitors....
, accessed May 12, 2008. - Galena Historic District: Property Information Report, Illinois Historic Preservation AgencyIllinois Historic Preservation AgencyThe Illinois Historic Preservation Agency is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Illinois. It is tasked with the duty of maintaining most State-owned historic sites within Illinois, and maximizing their educational and recreational value to visitors....
, accessed May 12, 2008.