National Register of Historic Places

Original Main Street Historic District

Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minnesota
Listed
August 4, 1994
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
94000758

About this property

The Original Main Street Historic District stretches for ten blocks along Main Street in downtown Sauk Centre, Minnesota, United States. It is considered the inspiration for the 1920 novel Main Street by locally born author Sinclair Lewis, which in turn inspired the concept of "Main Street" as a symbol of American small towns. It was listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994 for its national significance in the theme of social history. It was nominated for its close identification with the bestselling novel of the 1920s and the enduring concept it popularized. At the time of the district's accession to the National Register, it contained 90 contributing properties and 55 non-contributing properties. The contributing properties include the 82.5-foot-wide (25.1 m) Main Street itself and the various surviving features along its length from the period 1920 to 1947. These include commercial and civic buildings, houses, parks, and a bridge and dam on the Sauk River.

Location

Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minnesota
45.73971, -94.95251

Categories

SOCIAL 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.

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Everything a full report reveals about Original Main Street Historic District

This page lists Original Main Street 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

Palmer House Hotel
Industrial
0.2 mi
Lewis, Sinclair, Boyhood Home
Industrial
0.3 mi
Minnesota Home School for Girls Historic District
Industrial
0.9 mi
Saint Cloud and Red River Valley Stage Road-Kandota Section
Industrial
3.4 mi
Church of St. Boniface
Industrial
8.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Original Main Street Historic District listed on the National Register?

Original Main Street Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 4, 1994.

What type of historic resource is Original Main Street Historic District?

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

What is the period of significance for Original Main Street Historic District?

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

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

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