National Register of Historic Places

Marion Commercial Historic District

Marion, Linn County, Iowa
Listed
November 18, 2009
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
09000930

About this property

The Marion Commercial Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Marion, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. At the time of its nomination it consisted of 41 resources, which included 29 contributing buildings, one contributing site, one contributing structure, two contributing objects, and eight non-contributing buildings. The historic district covers the city's central business district. The development of this area largely occurred when Marion was the county seat of Linn County (1838-1919). There are no county government buildings extant from this era. The city was also a division point for the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The period of significance is from 1855, when the oldest building in the district was built, to 1957 when the area had reached the culmination of its development. Fires in 1894 and 1895 destroyed a number of buildings, and they were replaced by more stylish commercial buildings. Commercial blocks in styles popular in Late Victorian era are dominant here. Most of the buildings in the district housed commercial operations, but it also includes three houses and two churches. Also located here is the former Marion Carnegie Public Library (1905), which is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places. City Square Park is the contributing site. It was established in 1839, and the county courthouse was located across Sixth Avenue where the public library is now located. The Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument (1914) and the Cannon Monument, both located in the park, are the contributing objects. Tenth Street between Fifth and Seventh Avenues was paved with bricks in the late nineteenth century, and it is the contributing structure. Remnants of the historic train station that was torn down in 1988 were used to create a shelter house in City Square Park. It is one of the non-contributing buildings.

Location

560-748 10th., 958-1298 7th Ave., 760-96 11th St., 766-76 13th St., 1108 8th Ave., and 969 6th Ave.
Marion, Linn County, Iowa
42.03537, -91.59685

Categories

ARCHITECTURECOMMERCESOCIAL HISTORY
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.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Marion Commercial Historic District

This page lists Marion Commercial Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Marion Commercial Historic District report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

First Presbyterian Church of Marion, Iowa
Industrial
0.1 mi
Bowman, James W. and Ida G., House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Marion Carnegie Public Library
Industrial
0.1 mi
Granger House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Terrace Park Historic District
Modern
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

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

Marion Commercial Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 18, 2009.

What type of historic resource is Marion Commercial Historic District?

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

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

The period of significance for Marion Commercial Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Marion Commercial Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Marion Commercial Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Linn County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Linn County.

Explore LinnCounty ›

More historic places in Iowa

Browse all historic places in Iowa.

View Iowahistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Iowa history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Iowahistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Marion Commercial Historic District will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report