The gentle ridge along which these blocks run gave Summit Street its name. The first homes were built on South Summit Street in the 1860’s and the street was incorporated into the city in 1880. The Summit Street district was listed in the National Register of Historic Places On October 9, 1973, and dedicated as an Iowa City Historic Preservation District on February 28, 1984.  

The Summit Street Historic Preservation District has a remarkable unity despite the wide variety of architectural styles represented by the home s along the street. Three quarters of the 50 residences within the district were built between 1860 and 1910. The broad tree-lined width of Summit Street, the wooded lots and the generous front yards produce a park-like atmosphere strongly reminiscent of the well-to-do middle class American midwest of the late nineteenth Century Because of the grand scale and architectural distinction of the houses and the degree to which the area has been preserved intact, the district is regarded as a living museum of turn of the century American life and home architecture.  

When visiting the Summit Street neighborhood, parking is available on the street and the side streets. Your cooperation is respecting the privacy of the residents is greatly appreciated.