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Seventh Street Commercial Historic District

Commercial architecture in IllinoisCommercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in IllinoisHistoric districts on the National Register of Historic Places in IllinoisItalianate architecture in IllinoisNRHP infobox with nocat
National Register of Historic Places in Winnebago County, IllinoisNorthern Illinois Registered Historic Place stubsRomanesque Revival architecture in Illinois
Ekstrom's Shop
Ekstrom's Shop

The Seventh Street Commercial Historic District is a national historic district which encompasses several blocks of Seventh Street in Rockford, Illinois. The district was the commercial center of Rockford's substantial Swedish American community. Swedish settlement in Rockford began in 1852, and Swedes accounted for a third of the city's population by the 1890s; while the first Swedish American community formed around a railroad station on Kishwaukee Street, it shifted to Seventh Street in the late 1860s and 1870s. Seventh Street was home to the community's retail stores, community buildings, and two of its three banks. Forest City Furniture, the first major firm in Rockford's furniture industry, was also based there, as were many of its competitors. The buildings in the district exhibit many popular architectural styles of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including Italianate, Romanesque Revival, and Commercial.The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 23, 2005.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Seventh Street Commercial Historic District (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Seventh Street Commercial Historic District
7th Street, Rockford

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Wikipedia: Seventh Street Commercial Historic DistrictContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 42.262222222222 ° E -89.080555555556 °
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Address

7th Street 518
61104 Rockford
Illinois, United States
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Ekstrom's Shop
Ekstrom's Shop
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Rockford, Illinois
Rockford, Illinois

Rockford is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, located in the far northern part of the state. Situated on the banks of the Rock River, Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County (a small portion of the city is located in Ogle County). The largest city in Illinois outside of the Chicago metropolitan area, Rockford is the fourth-largest city in the state and the 171st most populous in the United States. According to 2020 U.S. Census data, the City of Rockford had a population of 148,655 with an outlying metropolitan area population of 348,360. Settled in the mid-1830s, the position of the city on the Rock River made its location strategic for industrial development. In the second half of the 19th century, Rockford was notable for its output of heavy machinery, hardware and tools; by the twentieth century, it was the second leading center of furniture manufacturing in the nation, and 94th largest city. During the second half of the 20th century, Rockford struggled alongside many Rust Belt cities. Since the late 1990s, efforts in economic diversification have led to growth of automotive, aerospace, and healthcare industries, as well as the undertaking of various tourism and downtown revitalization efforts. Nicknamed the Forest City, Rockford is presently known for various venues of cultural or historical significance, including Anderson Japanese Gardens, Klehm Arboretum, Rockford Art Museum, Tinker Swiss Cottage, the BMO Harris Bank Center, the Coronado Theatre, the Laurent House, and the Burpee Museum of Natural History. Its contributions to music are noted in the Mendelssohn Club, the oldest music club in the nation, and performers such as Phantom Regiment and Cheap Trick. Notable outdoor or recreational spots near Rockford are Rock Cut State Park, Atwood Homestead County Forest Preserve, and Lowden State Park.