Downtown Manhattan Historic District
National Register of Historic Places

Downtown Manhattan Historic District

Manhattan, Riley County, Kansas
Listed
October 1, 2007
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
06001240

About this property

The Downtown Manhattan Historic District in Manhattan, Kansas is a 25.8 acres (10.4 ha) historic district which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. The district generally includes the blocks between Humboldt and Pierre Sts. from 3rd to 5th Sts. Wareham Hall (Formerly the Wareham Theater) (1910), 408-412 Poyntz The Downtown Manhattan Historic District was first designated as a Certified Local Historic District in 1982, nearly 25 years before its listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. It encompasses just over six blocks of downtown Manhattan, Kansas, preserving a rich concentration of historic commercial and civic architecture. In July 1855, the townsite of Manhattan was platted. The east–west street later developed as the district’s commercial core was named Poyntz Avenue, after Colonel Poyntz, an investor in the steamboat Hartford. The adjacent street to the south was named for Sam Houston, recognized as one of the area’s first white settlers. The Downtown Manhattan Historic District remains a vibrant cultural and entertainment hub. Centered along Poyntz Avenue, the district features a variety of restaurants, breweries, cafés, and venues, anchoring downtown as a gathering place for both locals and visitors. Downtown regularly hosts community-oriented arts and cultural events—such as Third Thursdays and the Plein Air on Poyntz Art Walk—which bring together residents, artists, and businesses through public exhibitions and performances. The historic Wareham Theatre is undergoing redevelopment into Wareham Hall, a non-profit, multi‐purpose mid‐sized venue that will enable performances including concerts, theater, and comedy shows. The city supports this roughly $40 million project through philanthropy, tax incentives and historic tax credits, signaling a strategic investment in enhancing downtown’s cultural infrastructure.

Location

Manhattan, Riley County, Kansas
39.18105, -96.56247

Categories

COMMERCEARCHITECTURE
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 Downtown Manhattan Historic District

This page lists Downtown Manhattan 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

Riley County Courthouse
Industrial
0.1 mi
Community House
Industrial
0.1 mi
First Christian Church
Industrial
0.1 mi
Lyda-Jean Apartments
Industrial
0.1 mi
Avalon, The
Industrial
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Downtown Manhattan Historic District listed on the National Register?

Downtown Manhattan Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 1, 2007.

What type of historic resource is Downtown Manhattan Historic District?

Downtown Manhattan Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Downtown Manhattan Historic District?

The period of significance for Downtown Manhattan Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

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

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