place

Mays Island

AC with 0 elementsGovernment buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in IowaHistoric districts in Cedar Rapids, IowaHistoric districts on the National Register of Historic Places in IowaLandforms of Linn County, Iowa
NRHP infobox with nocatNational Register of Historic Places in Cedar Rapids, IowaRiver islands of Iowa
Cedar Rapids Mays Island
Cedar Rapids Mays Island

May's Island (or Mays Island) is a small island on the Cedar River, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Functioning as a civic center much like the Île de la Cité, it is the site of the Memorial Building (the city hall), the Linn County Courthouse, and the county jail. The island plus an adjacent block was listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.The island and all of its buildings were devastated by the 2008 flood of the Cedar River, with water reaching above the first floors. Until the 2008 flood, the concentration of local and county government on the island served to unify the city on both sides. The Memorial Building was designed by Hunter & Hatton, architects of Cedar Rapids. The Beaux Arts-style Linn County Courthouse was designed by Joseph Royer, of Urbana, as was the county jail. The building masses are long and narrow, like the island itself. The buildings face each other, creating an "insular quality".The concentration of government services extends to the east bank, where the Federal government is located, to the east of the Memorial Building, in the Beaux Arts-style Federal Building, whose design is credited to the Office of the Supervising Architect under James A. Wetmore. Its block, from 1st Avenue north to 2nd Avenue, from 1st Street west to the river, is also included in the historic district. This makes a total of four contributing buildings in the district.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Mays Island (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Mays Island
3rd Avenue, Cedar Rapids

Geographical coordinates (GPS) Address Nearby Places
placeShow on map

Wikipedia: Mays IslandContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 41.975833333333 ° E -91.670277777778 °
placeShow on map

Address

3rd Avenue 62
52401 Cedar Rapids
Iowa, United States
mapOpen on Google Maps

Cedar Rapids Mays Island
Cedar Rapids Mays Island
Share experience

Nearby Places

West Side Third Avenue SW Commercial Historic District
West Side Third Avenue SW Commercial Historic District

The West Side Third Avenue SW Commercial Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. At the time of its nomination it consisted of 10 resources, which included seven contributing buildings and three non-contributing buildings. Cedar Rapids was platted on the east bank of the Cedar River as Rapids City in 1841, and it was incorporated in 1849. Kingston was established on the west bank of the river in 1852, and it was annexed by Cedar Rapids in 1870. The streets were laid out parallel and perpendicular to the river, which flowed from the northwest to the southeast. The Chicago, Iowa & Nebraska Railway, later the Chicago & North Western Railway, was the prominent railroad on the west side of town. The first bridge across the river at Third Avenue was built in 1871. The current bridge was completed in 1912. Prior to a bridge, Rapid City and Kingston were connected by a ferry operated by David W. King, the founder of Kingston. Initially residential, Third Avenue west of the river became increasingly commercial in the 1880s. The buildings that make up the historic district date from 1909 to 1942, and are representative of the various architectural styles and vernacular building forms that were popular during this time period. Two of the non-contributing buildings are more recent construction, while the third has been significantly altered. The buildings here are one to two stories in height and feature masonry facades, ground-floor storefronts, and uniform alignment that creates a uniform street wall. The buildings have housed a variety of commercial functions that include a bank, retail and wholesale stores, and professional offices. Peoples Savings Bank (1911) is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places.