Moline Downtown Commercial Historic District
Encyclopedia
Moline Downtown Commercial Historic District is a historic district
located in Moline, Illinois
, United States
. Centered on 5th Avenue, it is roughly bounded by 12th Street to 18th Street, 4th Avenue to 7th Avenue. The distinct covers 33 acre (0.13354638 km²) and includes 114 buildings. One hundred of the buildings contribute to the significance of the district because they retain their historic and architectural integrity and reflect the character of the historic downtown.
in 1836. He established a brush and stone mill in 1838 in what was an unincorporated area known as Rock Island Mills. Other mills were opened in the area that did everything from grounding corn and wheat to processing logs into lumber. John Deere opened his first factory along the Mississippi River
in 1847, as part of a partnership, Deere, Tate and Gould. The partnership would dissolve in 1852 and become Deere &Company
. The name of the area was changed to Moline, an adaptation of the French word for “milltown.” Moline was incorporated into a town on April 21, 1848.
Moline’s downtown commercial district initially developed along Third Avenue between Fifteenth and Eighteenth Streets. It was close to the factories and mills that lined the river. Most of the buildings were two and three stories, built of brick in the Italianate style. It was separated from the rest of the city by railroad tracks. The first train passed through Moline’s commercial district in February 1854. By 1895 there were 75 trains a day on the tracks and it made it difficult for residents to reach the main business district.
By the turn of the 20th century businesses started to relocate south of the tracks. Initially they moved along 15th Street, which had a trolley line that climbed the hill to the city’s newer residential districts. In the 1910s several large commercial buildings were built along Fifth Avenue, which became the main artery in the downtown business district. Sixth Avenue became a secondary artery through the area. A significant loss to the area were several stately homes that lined the avenues.
By the 1920s the downtown area featured bank buildings that contained office space on multiple floors above the main banking rooms on the first floor, as well as other office buildings. These buildings provided a variety of professional services. Two of the buildings were eight stories tall, the Fifth Avenue Building and a building that is now Chase Bank. The LeClaire Hotel
, which opened in 1922, anchored the east side of the downtown area. On the west side of downtown is the imposing First Lutheran Church, which was built in 1876. Department stores, first floor specialty shops, theaters, hotels, restaurants and bars rounded out the businesses. Institutional structures such as the Carnegie Library (1904), City Hall (1914), Elks Club (1924) and the Unitarian Church (1928) were also built in the downtown business district.
The downtown historic district continued to be the main business and cultural area for the city into the mid 20th century. The area was also the location for parades and other civic gatherings. By the 1940s auto dealerships and gas stations started to appear along the edges of downtown. Five large department stores were located downtown: Block & Kuhl Company, New York Store, which was demolished in 1990, J. C. Penny, Sears, Roebuck & Company, and Montgomery Ward & Company. In the 1950s and 1960s storefronts were modified in an attempt to modernize their looks. The department stores closed in the 1970s and 1980s after SouthPark Mall
opened in 1974. Since then some of the older buildings in the district have been torn down, but for the most part they have retained their historical integrity. There has also been significant development along the river, just outside the historic district, after the i wireless Center opened in 1993.
, Gothic Revival, Tudor Revival, Italian Renaissance
, Prairie School
, Moderne
, Art Deco, Chateauesque
, and Commercial. Several prominent local architects designed some of the more significant buildings in the historic district. Olaf Z. Cervin designed the First National Bank Building, now Chase Bank, and the Reliance Block. H. W. Wittsett designed the Moline Commercial Club. William Schultzke has the largest number of historically significant buildings downtown. He designed the Bell Telephone Building, Montgomery Ward, Moline National Bank, now First Midwest Bank, Fifth Avenue Building, Sohrbecks, Carlson Brothers, Elks Club, and City Hall,
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
located in Moline, Illinois
Moline, Illinois
Moline is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States, with a population of 45,792 in 2010. Moline is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring East Moline and Rock Island in Illinois and the cities of Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa. The Quad Cities has a population of...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Centered on 5th Avenue, it is roughly bounded by 12th Street to 18th Street, 4th Avenue to 7th Avenue. The distinct covers 33 acre (0.13354638 km²) and includes 114 buildings. One hundred of the buildings contribute to the significance of the district because they retain their historic and architectural integrity and reflect the character of the historic downtown.
History
The city of Moline traces its beginnings to the arrival of David B. Sears from Cairo, IllinoisCairo, Illinois
Cairo is the southernmost city in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the county seat of Alexander County. Cairo is located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. The rivers converge at Fort Defiance State Park, an American Civil War fort that was commanded by General Ulysses S. Grant...
in 1836. He established a brush and stone mill in 1838 in what was an unincorporated area known as Rock Island Mills. Other mills were opened in the area that did everything from grounding corn and wheat to processing logs into lumber. John Deere opened his first factory along the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
in 1847, as part of a partnership, Deere, Tate and Gould. The partnership would dissolve in 1852 and become Deere &Company
John Deere
John Deere was an American blacksmith and manufacturer who founded Deere & Company, one of the largest and leading agricultural and construction equipment manufacturers in the world...
. The name of the area was changed to Moline, an adaptation of the French word for “milltown.” Moline was incorporated into a town on April 21, 1848.
Moline’s downtown commercial district initially developed along Third Avenue between Fifteenth and Eighteenth Streets. It was close to the factories and mills that lined the river. Most of the buildings were two and three stories, built of brick in the Italianate style. It was separated from the rest of the city by railroad tracks. The first train passed through Moline’s commercial district in February 1854. By 1895 there were 75 trains a day on the tracks and it made it difficult for residents to reach the main business district.
By the turn of the 20th century businesses started to relocate south of the tracks. Initially they moved along 15th Street, which had a trolley line that climbed the hill to the city’s newer residential districts. In the 1910s several large commercial buildings were built along Fifth Avenue, which became the main artery in the downtown business district. Sixth Avenue became a secondary artery through the area. A significant loss to the area were several stately homes that lined the avenues.
By the 1920s the downtown area featured bank buildings that contained office space on multiple floors above the main banking rooms on the first floor, as well as other office buildings. These buildings provided a variety of professional services. Two of the buildings were eight stories tall, the Fifth Avenue Building and a building that is now Chase Bank. The LeClaire Hotel
LeClaire Hotel
LeClaire Hotel is an historic building located in downtown Moline, Illinois, United States. It was named a Moline Historic Landmark in 1993 and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. The building is now an apartment building known as the LeClaire...
, which opened in 1922, anchored the east side of the downtown area. On the west side of downtown is the imposing First Lutheran Church, which was built in 1876. Department stores, first floor specialty shops, theaters, hotels, restaurants and bars rounded out the businesses. Institutional structures such as the Carnegie Library (1904), City Hall (1914), Elks Club (1924) and the Unitarian Church (1928) were also built in the downtown business district.
The downtown historic district continued to be the main business and cultural area for the city into the mid 20th century. The area was also the location for parades and other civic gatherings. By the 1940s auto dealerships and gas stations started to appear along the edges of downtown. Five large department stores were located downtown: Block & Kuhl Company, New York Store, which was demolished in 1990, J. C. Penny, Sears, Roebuck & Company, and Montgomery Ward & Company. In the 1950s and 1960s storefronts were modified in an attempt to modernize their looks. The department stores closed in the 1970s and 1980s after SouthPark Mall
Southpark Mall (Moline, Illinois)
SouthPark Mall is the name of the shopping mall located in Moline, Illinois. As Moline is part of the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa, the mall services part of the population of these cities. The mall is located southwest of the intersection of Interstate 74 and Illinois Route 5 at 4500 16th...
opened in 1974. Since then some of the older buildings in the district have been torn down, but for the most part they have retained their historical integrity. There has also been significant development along the river, just outside the historic district, after the i wireless Center opened in 1993.
Architecture
The Moline Downtown Commercial Historic District contains numerous architectural building styles, including: Beaux-Arts, Colonial Revival, Classical RevivalNeoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
, Gothic Revival, Tudor Revival, Italian Renaissance
Renaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
, Prairie School
Prairie School
Prairie School was a late 19th and early 20th century architectural style, most common to the Midwestern United States.The works of the Prairie School architects are usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped in horizontal bands,...
, Moderne
Moderne architecture
Moderne architecture, also sometimes referred to as "Style Moderne" or simply "Moderne", a general United States landmarks term for styles of architecture that were popular from 1925 through the 1940s. It has expression in styles traditionally classified as Art Deco, Streamline Moderne, and WPA...
, Art Deco, Chateauesque
Châteauesque
Châteauesque is one of several terms, including Francis I style, and, in Canada, the Château Style, that refer to a revival architectural style based on the French Renaissance architecture of the monumental French country homes built in the Loire Valley from the late fifteenth century to the...
, and Commercial. Several prominent local architects designed some of the more significant buildings in the historic district. Olaf Z. Cervin designed the First National Bank Building, now Chase Bank, and the Reliance Block. H. W. Wittsett designed the Moline Commercial Club. William Schultzke has the largest number of historically significant buildings downtown. He designed the Bell Telephone Building, Montgomery Ward, Moline National Bank, now First Midwest Bank, Fifth Avenue Building, Sohrbecks, Carlson Brothers, Elks Club, and City Hall,
