National Register of Historic Places

Old Main Historic District

Dubuque, Dubuque County, Iowa
Listed
January 12, 1983
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
83000356

About this property

Old Main Street Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Dubuque, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. At the time of its nomination it consisted of 33 resources, which included 30 contributing buildings and three non-contributing buildings. In 2015 the boundaries were increased to include five more buildings. Four of the buildings are contributing properties that were excluded from the original district because they were slated to be torn down as a part of the expansion of U.S. Route 61. While the highway was built the buildings were spared. The fifth building is non-contributing as are three structures. This is primarily a commercial area located immediately south of the central business district. Originally, this is where the city's commercial district was located because of its proximity to the ferry and riverboat landings. After 1860 most of the larger retail businesses, banks, and professional offices moved further north on Main Street, and new wholesale businesses moved here and built new structures. The buildings are all constructed in brick and are between three and four stories tall. It is considered to be the "largest concentration of significant nineteenth-century commercial architecture" in Dubuque. The Bishop's Block (1887) and the German Bank (1901) are individually listed on the National Register, and the Hotel Julien Dubuque (1914) is also a contributing building.

Location

Dubuque, Dubuque County, Iowa
42.49669, -90.66474

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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Everything a full report reveals about Old Main Historic District

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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.
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Nearby Historic Sites

German Bank
Industrial
0 mi
Orpheum Theatre and Site
Colonial
0.1 mi
Cathedral Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Listed
0.1 mi
Redstone
Industrial
0.1 mi
Bishop's Block
Industrial
0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Attack on Sinsinawa Mound
1832Early Republic
8.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Old Main Historic District listed on the National Register?

Old Main Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 12, 1983.

What type of historic resource is Old Main Historic District?

Old Main Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Old Main Historic District?

The period of significance for Old Main Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Old Main 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 Old Main Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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