Grinnell Historic Commercial District
National Register of Historic Places

Grinnell Historic Commercial District

Grinnell, Poweshiek County, Iowa
Listed
April 8, 1991
Type
District
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
91000384

About this property

The Grinnell Historic Commercial District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Grinnell, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. At the time of its nomination it contained 75 resources, which included 47 contributing buildings, and 26 non-contributing buildings. The historic district is the core of the city's central business district. Fires struck the area in 1889 (Block 8) and twice in 1891 (Block 7). They destroyed the frame buildings, and were replaced with brick and stone structures, although Block 7 developed more slowly. Most of the buildings are two stories in height, six buildings are single-story structures, and two are three stories. The economic development of the city was also assisted by the presence of Grinnell College and the presence of two railroads. The district contains a number of buildings that were designed by prominent architects. They include Foster and Liebbe (Spencer Building, 1884; Seaman Building, 1889), Hallett & Rawson (Spaulding Block, 1899; Armory, 1906; Spaulding-Spurgeon Building, 1906), Josselyn and Todd (Cass and Works Building, 1889; Mclntosh Grocery, 1889; Morse Block, 1889; The Scott Building, 1889; Vest Brothers Building, 1889; Beyer Building, 1892), Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson (Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks, 1914; Grinnell Herald, 1916), Louis Sullivan (Merchants' National Bank, 1914), and Hyland & Green (Grinnell State Bank, 1913/1914) and F.E. Wetherell (Hermon Masonic Temple, 1917).

Location

Grinnell, Poweshiek County, Iowa
41.74381, -92.72549

Categories

COMMERCEARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Merchants' National Bank
Industrial
0 mi
Spaulding Manufacturing Company
Industrial
0 mi
Grinnell Herald Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Interior Telephone Company Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Farmers Mutual Reinsurance Company Building
Industrial
0.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Grinnell Historic Commercial District listed on the National Register?

Grinnell Historic Commercial District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 8, 1991.

What type of historic resource is Grinnell Historic Commercial District?

Grinnell Historic Commercial District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Grinnell Historic Commercial District?

The period of significance for Grinnell Historic Commercial District is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1889.

Can I research the history near Grinnell Historic Commercial District?

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