National Register of Historic Places

Ottawa Commercial Historic District

Ottawa, La Salle County, Illinois
Listed
November 22, 2011
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
11000850

About this property

The Ottawa Commercial Historic District is a historic district in downtown Ottawa, Illinois. The district includes 195 buildings and structures, most of them commercial buildings, spread out over 26 city blocks. The oldest buildings in the district, located near the Illinois and Fox rivers, were built in the 1830s. The district expanded northward toward the Illinois & Michigan Canal over time, and the buildings in its northern half date to the mid-to-late 19th and early 20th centuries. The district's buildings include most popular Midwestern architectural styles from the mid-19th century through the mid-20th century; some of the most common are vernacular frame buildings from the early years of the district's growth, Italianate buildings from the mid-19th century, Commercial style buildings from the early 20th century, and International Style buildings from the mid-20th century. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 22, 2011. Two sites within the district, the Washington Park Historic District and the Knuessl Building, are independently listed on the National Register.

Location

Ottawa, La Salle County, Illinois
41.35036, -88.84309

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 Ottawa Commercial Historic District

This page lists Ottawa 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.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Washington Park Historic District
Listed
0.1 mi
Knuessl Building
Civil War
0.3 mi
Strawn, Jeremiah, House
Industrial
0.5 mi
Ottawa East Side Historic District
Listed
0.6 mi
Hossack, John, House
Industrial
0.7 mi

Questions about this property

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

Ottawa Commercial Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 22, 2011.

What type of historic resource is Ottawa Commercial Historic District?

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

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

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

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

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