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Cedar Rapids 2nd Avenue SE. Automobile Row Historic District

Historic districts in Cedar Rapids, IowaHistoric districts on the National Register of Historic Places in IowaLincoln HighwayLinn County, Iowa Registered Historic Place stubsNRHP infobox with nocat
National Register of Historic Places in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids 2nd St SE Automobile Row Historic District 2
Cedar Rapids 2nd St SE Automobile Row Historic District 2

The Cedar Rapids 2nd Avenue SE. Automobile Row 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 2015. At the time of its nomination it consisted of 24 resources, which included 17 contributing buildings, two contributing sites, four non-contributing buildings, and one non-contributing structure. This is a collection of commercial buildings that were built along the old Lincoln Highway between 1912 and 1953 to house automobile dealerships. They feature broad fronts with large display windows and open interiors. Auto repair shops were generally located at the rear of a dealership, but some were located in their own utilitarian buildings. Some of the corner lots were taken up by small gas stations. In later years, sales lots were placed adjacent to dealerships in order to display a larger number of cars. Other lots were occupied by used car lots. Prior to being converted into an automobile-centric commercial area, the district was a Victorian-era residential neighborhood. The multi-family dwelling at 309 8th St. SE remains as a reminder of that era, and it is one of the contributing properties.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Cedar Rapids 2nd Avenue SE. Automobile Row Historic District (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Cedar Rapids 2nd Avenue SE. Automobile Row Historic District
3rd Avenue Southeast, Cedar Rapids

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Latitude Longitude
N 41.980277777778 ° E -91.6625 °
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3rd Avenue Southeast
52403 Cedar Rapids
Iowa, United States
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Cedar Rapids 2nd St SE Automobile Row Historic District 2
Cedar Rapids 2nd St SE Automobile Row Historic District 2
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Nearby Places

George B. Douglas House
George B. Douglas House

The George B. Douglas House, which later became known as Turner Mortuary East, is owned today by The History Center, Linn County Historical Society. This historic building located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States. The house was built for Douglas who was a partner in a cereal mill that became the Quaker Oats Company. David Turner bought the property in 1924 and converted the house into a funeral home. He was a patron of regionalist artist Grant Wood, and Turner leased the carriage house to him from 1924 to 1933. Wood used it as his residence, along with his mother, and as a studio. It was here at #5 Turner Alley that he painted two of his most famous paintings, American Gothic (1930) and Stone City (1930). Wood also worked as a decorator when he lived here and designed the interior of the main house when it was converted into a funeral home. His work included two stained glass windows that flank the main entrance. Several Wood paintings also hung in the funeral home. The house is a 2½-story, brick Georgian Revival structure. It features a symmetrical facade and a hipped roof with three gable dormers. The symmetry, however, was undone by the addition built onto the northeast side. It was designed by local architect Bruce McKay and Grant Wood. Wood is thought to have designed the bay window for the first-floor chapel. Other additions were built onto the back of the structure. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

Cedar Rapids Central Business District Commercial Historic District
Cedar Rapids Central Business District Commercial Historic District

The Cedar Rapids Central Business District 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 2015. At the time of its nomination it consisted of 60 resources, which included 46 contributing buildings, one contributing structure, 12 non-contributing buildings, and one non-contributing structure. Cedar Rapids was platted on the east bank of the Cedar River as Rapids City in 1841, and it was incorporated under the same name in 1849. Kingston was established on the west bank of the river in 1852. The two smaller communities consolidated in 1870 as Cedar Rapids. The streets were laid out parallel and perpendicular to the river, which flowed from the northwest to the southeast. The Chicago, Iowa and Nebraska Railroad was the first to arrive in the community in 1859 and the tracks were laid on Fourth Street on the eastern edge of the central business district. The first bridge across the river was built at Third Avenue in 1871. The first commercial buildings in this area were log and wood-frame construction. After the American Civil War they began to be replaced by more substantial masonry structures. The buildings that make up the historic district date from 1880 to 1965, and are representative of the various architectural styles and vernacular building forms that were popular during this time period. While they differ in height and historic use, the buildings all 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 retail, office buildings, banking, post office, public library, industrial, saloon/restaurant, theater, hotel, and a social hall. The Fourth Street Railroad Corridor is the contributing structure, and a parking garage is the non-contributing structure. The following buildings are individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places: Cedar Rapids Post Office and Public Building (1908), Security Building (1908), Sokol Gymnasium (1908), Lattner Auditorium Building (1910), Iowa Building (1914), Hotel Roosevelt (1927), and the Paramount Theatre (1928).