in 1984, at which time it included 354 buildings deemed to contribute to the historic character of the area.
Description
A house on Glenwood Avenue
McClellan Heights is the largest neighborhood in the east end of Davenport. It is located east of the
Dutch
and New England immigrants. The park-like setting, and proximity to and view of the river, have kept this neighborhood fashionable even today. The houses remain in good to excellent condition. The few brick streets that run through the neighborhood also remain in excellent condition.
History
Camp McClellan marker in Lindsay Park
The area was known as
St. Louis, Missouri and consisted of over 300 acres (120 ha).[5] Part of Camp McClellan was set aside to become Camp Kearney where the federal government imprisoned 277 male members of the Sioux tribe, 16 women and two children and one member of the Ho-Chunk tribe. The men were involved in the Dakota War of 1862 in Minnesota and were held in the camp as prisoners because President Abraham Lincoln commuted their death sentences. After the war ended in 1865 the camp was decommissioned, and the buildings were torn down after the Native Americans left Camp Kearney in 1866.[6]
The land was returned to Ann R. Allen, Thomas Allen's widow. In June 1900 the
Iowa Legislature to turn the former camp into a state park. It had the support of Iowa's Civil War veterans groups, the GAR, and local citizens, but nothing came of it. By the early 20th century the Allen family had relocated to Belgium. There had been several attempts to purchase the land and develop it, but they all failed. A promoter made a personal trip to Belgium to visit with the family and he was able to acquire the land on behalf of the Camp McClellan Improvement Company. William Richter was president of the company and Amos Cutter, who had developed what is now the Oak Lane Historic District, was placed in charge of developing McClellan Heights.[7]
There were several restrictions imposed on those who built in the subdivision. One house could not obstruct the view of another, each house was to be double the cost of the lot it was built on, and commercial activity was not permitted.[8] There was also an officer who was responsible for the beatification of the subdivision, making repairs, caring for the plant life and weeding, and snow and ice removal.
Architecture
A house on River Street
Housing styles in McClellan Heights tend to follow a free-form eclecticism that was characteristic of the period rather than a desire to recreate classical architectural styles.
Georgian. The Prairie School style is somewhat ubiquitous throughout the neighborhood, but again, not in a literal sense. There are only a few textbook examples of the style in McClellan Heights. Instead, it found its expression in the use of broad roofs, horizontal window openings, and placing upper story windows just below the eaves. Its use was adapted by combining the Prairie School style with the revival styles as well as two other typically American styles that are found throughout the neighborhood, American Craftsman and American Foursquare
^Plan and Zoning Commission (December 1985). Historic Preservation in Davenport, Iowa.
^Svendsen, Marlys A.; Bowers, Martha H. (1982). Davenport where the Mississippi runs west: A Survey of Davenport History & Architecture. Davenport, Iowa: City of Davenport. p. 16.1.
Media related to McClellan Heights Historic District at Wikimedia Commons
