College Square Historic District
College Square Historic District | |
NRHP reference No. | 83003628[1] |
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Added to NRHP | November 18, 1983 |
College Square Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located on a bluff north of downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.[1] The district derives it name from two different colleges that were located here in the 19th century.
History
Iowa College was founded in 1846 by members of the
The following year the school property was purchased by
The diocese sold the property on the west side of Main Street to the Davenport Board of Education for $53,000.[7] They built Davenport High School on the property between 1904 and 1907.[8] The north part of the district is largely occupied by houses that were built largely in the two decades following the American Civil War. In the middle of the district is the city's Civil War soldier's monument. Also adjacent to the historic district is Palmer College of Chiropractic.
The College Square Historic District is part of the larger Hilltop Neighborhood. In 2010 community planners held workshops and other meetings to revitalize the area. They are focused on the commercial district on Harrison Street, which just to the west of the historic district, as well as infill housing in the residential sections.[9]
Trinity Episcopal Cathedral
The cornerstone for the cathedral was laid in 1867 and it was completed in 1873, except for its bell tower and spire. The church was designed by New York City architect Edward Tuckerman Potter and was completed for $80,000.[10] It was only the second Episcopal Church in the United States built exclusively as a cathedral.[11] The attached parish house was completed in 1993, replacing an older building, and the bell tower and spire were completed in 1998 after Potter's original design.[12] The cross on top of the spire reaches 131 feet (40 m) above the ground.[12] On the south side of the cathedral is the dean's house. The buildings are harmonious in appearance, scale, and materials. They are all masonry buildings, grey-tan in color and follow the cathedral's Gothic Revival style.
The cathedral complex had another building that was a contributing property in the historic district, but it has subsequently been torn down. Davenport architect John W. Ross designed the two-story, brick, Gothic Revival, Ely House (1881). Caroline D. Ely of New York paid for its construction, and its use was intended as the residence for the holder of a theological chair at Griswold College. The chair had been endowed by her late husband, David J. Ely, and the house was named in his memory.[3]
Central High School
Davenport Central High School sits directly across Main Street from Trinity Cathedral. Its building's darker coloring create a contrast with those of the cathedral complex, which are lighter in color. The school at one time was a multi-building complex. The main building of the high school was completed in 1907. It was designed by Parke Burrows in the Beaux Arts style and was built in dark red brick.[13] The building is a square plan with a stone basement and hipped roof. On both the Main Street and Harrison Street sides of the building are single round-arched entrances that are framed with Ionic columns. Several additions have been made to the building over the years.
In front of the main school building sits the former Kemper Hall. It was designed by
Before World War I an industrial arts building was built on the campus. It was a side-gable brick building in the Colonial Revival style. The building was illuminated by large multi-paned steel windows that were similar to those used in factories of the era.[13] It has subsequently been torn down.
Civil War Monument
Between the cathedral and the high school sits the Civil War Soldier's monument in the middle of Main Street. The monument is a stone
Residential Neighborhood
The residential section of the district is a four-block area north of the high school and cathedral complexes. Most of the houses are fairly large in size and reflect various architectural styles. Some of the styles include
In addition to the institutional buildings, several houses were also designed by local architects and builders. However, none of the commissions are considered their best work.[3] They include T.W. McClelland (Parker-Ficke House and 133 West 13th Street), G.A. Hanssen (G.A. Koester House), and Edward S. Hammatt who designed a house for himself on West 13th Street.
References
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ 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. 9.4.
- ^ a b c Martha Bowers; Marlys Svendsen-Roesler. "College Square Historic District". National Park Service. Retrieved November 11, 2017. with photos
- ^ a b Anderson, Fredrick I., ed. (1982). Joined by a River: Quad Cities. Davenport: Lee Enterprises. p. 75.
- ^ Horton, Loren N. (2003). The Beautiful Heritage: A History of the Diocese of Iowa. Des Moines: Diocese of Iowa. p. 41.
- ^ Horton 2003, p. 43.
- ^ Horton 2003, p. 63.
- ^ Svendsen & Bowers 1982, p. 9.1.
- ^ DeWitt, Jennifer (March 29, 2010). "Hilltop looks for design ideas". Quad-City Times. Davenport. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
- ^ Horton 2003, p. 44.
- ^ Horton 2003, p. 32.
- ^ a b Horton 2003, p. 121.
- ^ a b Svendsen & Bowers 1982, p. 10.3.
- ^ Svendsen & Bowers 1982, p. 10.2.
- ^ a b Svendsen & Bowers 1982, p. 17.6.
- ^ a b Historic Preservation Commission. "Davenport Register of Historic Properties" (PDF). City of Davenport. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 8, 2011. Retrieved March 7, 2011.