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The Iowa City downtown is where the buildings of the University of Iowa, the municipal, county and state governments, and the main business district meet. Old Capitol, the state capitol building from 1842 until 1857 was and s the focal point of the downtown community. Since the removal of the state capital to Des Moines in 1857, both the University and the business districts have grown and developed around it. The center of Iowa City, including the downtown area, was laid out in the original town plat in 1839. It contains a number of Iowa City's best known buildings and many structures which have been placed in the national register for Historic Places. Public parking is available on the streets and in two municipal parking ramps, one on Clinton Street and one on Linn Street. |
2. 127 East College Street College
Block Building restaurant (NR)
1883 Victorian style with omate facade.
3. 307 East College Street U.I
Office of Public Information
1903 Beaux Arts & Classical revival style combination. Formerly
the camegie Public Library.
4. 320 East College Street Trinity
Episcopal Church (NR)
1871 Gothis Revival style
5. 325 East Washington Street
Commerce Center Building
1904 Three story commercial brick building.
Former Elks Club Building.
6. 332 East Washington Street
Former Davis Hotel Commercial/apartments
1896 Early industrial building for manufacture of vanilla extract,
perfume, cosmetics, etc. Converted to hotel in 1922.
7. 319 East Washington Street
Former Iowa City Press-Citizen Building
1937 Art Deco style.
8. 28 South Linn Street Iowa City/Johnson
County Senior Center (NR)
1904 Beaux Arts style
Former U.S. Post Office
9. 104-116 South Linn Street Commercial/apartments
1920 Craftsman style with Spanish accent.
Adaptive re-use of former automobile showroom and garage.
10. Historical marker. Northwest
comer of Washington & Linn Streets
Iowa City stage coach stop along old Military Road from Dubuque, Iowa
to the northern boundary of Missouri. The stop was authorized by Congress
in 1839.
11. 221 East Washington Street
Englert Block and Theater Building Movie theater, law office, apartments
1913 renaissance style.
12. 218-220 East Washington Street
IXL Block Building Commercial/apartments
1883 Victorian Commercial block structure.
13. 209 East Washington Street
Paul-Helen Building Commercial (NR)
1911 Prairie School style
Frank X. Freyder (architect )
14. 118 South Dubuque Street Restaurant
c. 1882 Three-story, mansard roof, brick building.
Formerly known as Blackstone Building a.k.a. the Mammoth Red Front,
former hardware and harness shop.
15. 115 South Dubuque Street Former
Franklin Printing House (NR)
1856 Three-story commercial brick.
16. 129 East Washington Street
Former Jefferson Hotel U.I. Offices/Street level commercial
1913 Once one of Iowas premier hotels. Hosted many important personages
such as John F. Kennedy during the 1960 campaign.
17. 32 South Clinton Street Commercial/apartments
1868 Mid-19th Century brick structure.
Former site of Builders Capital where four sessions of Legislative
Assemblies of Iowa met beginning in 1841.
18. 16 South Clinton Street Commercial/apartments
c. 1883 Three-story brick building with decorative comice
19. 9 South Linn Street G.H. Van
Patton House Office/appartments (NR)
c. 1870 Victorian style.
20. Iowa Avenue between Linn &
Gilbert Streets Seashore Hall, University of Iowa
The first U.I. Hospital was built at this location in 1897. It was
U-shaped facing Iowa Avenue between Linn & Gilbert Streets upon site
of a former City park. Center section and southeast wing were constructed
in 1897, southeast wing in 1908 (non-extant, 1989), north-west wing in
1914. The hospital operated form 1897 to 1928 when relocated to west side
campus and remodeled for classrooms or what is now called Seashore Hall.
21. 402 Iowa Avenue State Historical
Society of Iowa . The state historical Society was established by the Iowa
General Assembly in 1857. Facility operates as a Historical research library
with extensive manuscript and photo collections.
Hours: 9 AM-4:30 PM Tuesday-Saturday.
22. 115 North Gilbert Street The
Rohret-Lekin House Residence
c. 1860 Greek Revival style/
Served as City hall ( 1875-82 )
23. 318 East Jefferson Street
The Hutchinson-Shaw House Residential
1883 Italianate style.
24. 220 East Jefferson Street
St. Marys Roman Catholic Church (NR)
1869 Romanesque style with Gothic features.
25. 127-31 North Linn Street Brewery
Square (commercial shops ) (NR)
1856 Greek Revivial & Italianate style.
Formerly Union Brewery ( 1868-1916 ) and Economy Advertising ( 1926-1986
).
26. 213 East Market Street The
Geiger-Wesley Foundation House Offices.
1870 Italianate style
Antone Geiger built the Union Brewery.
27. Jefferson & Dubuque Streets
First United Methodist Church 1906 late Gothic Revival style.
Territorial Assembly allocated site to church in 1840-41.
28. 130 East Jefferson Street
Burkley Place Apartments (NR) 1852
Formerly the Park House Hotel (1852), and St. Agathas Female Seminary
(1862).
29. 109 East market Street The
Sanxay-Gilmore House Residence
1860 Italianate style
Former home of U.I. President Eugene Gilmore.
30. 28 East Market Street Old
Brick Former First Presbyterian Church Office and Community Events (NR)
1856-65 Romanesque Revival style.
Oldest church in Iowa City.
31. 30 North Clinton Street Congregational
United Church fo Christ (NR)
1868 Gothic Revival style.
Gordon P. Randall (architect)
32. Old Capitol Clinton Street
at Iowa Avenue (NR)
1842 Greek Revival style.
John F. Rague (designer )
Territorial Capitol (1842-46). State Capitol (1846-57).
33. The Pentacrest Clinton Street
(NR)
The pentacrest consists of five University buildings with the Old Capitol
serving as the focal point. President George E. MacLean (1899-1911) developed
the Pentacrest plan in 1905. The four other buildings of the Pentacrest
include: Schaeffer hall (1902), MacBride hall (1908), MacLean Hall
(1912), and Jessup Hall (1924). The University of Iowa pentacrest is located
on the site of Capitol Square that was designated by the Original Town
Plat of Iowa City in 1839.
34. 228 East Court Street St.
patricks Church
1878 Gothic Revival style.
35. 417 South Clinton Street Johnson
Country Courthouse (NR)
1901 Richardsonian Romanesque style. Notable stained glass domes
inside.