Historic Downtown Davenport

Downtown is filled with rich history, from being the home of sliced bread to being on the cutting edge by hosting the first Virtual Reality tournament in the state of Iowa!

Downtown is home to four districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The vast majority of downtown benefits from these designations, making properties eligible for federal and state historic preservation tax credits that can be used by investors and developers to help finance renovations, and spur further redevelopment. Davenport's rich architectural and cultural history is celebrated through these designated districts that unlock additional resources to shape an attractive and vibrant future for our community.

The Davenport Commercial Historic District (NRHP 2020) is a 49-acre section containing a variety of commercial, governmental, domestic, social, religious, recreational, and light industrial buildings, as well as some rail-related transportation resources.

Davenport Motor Row and Industrial Historic District (NRHP 2019) consists of six-and-half blocks containing 28 buildings, one former rail siding, and one railroad crossing bridge in Davenport. This Historic District is located on the east end of the downtown Davenport commercial business district, one block north of the river and encompasses about 6 acres.

The Crescent Warehouse Historic District (NRHP 2003) occupies a roughly rectangular shaped piece of ground containing 14 factory and warehouse buildings and two railroad related structures. The District is located east of downtown Davenport and four blocks north of the Mississippi River, covering portions of East 4th Street, East 5th Street, Iowa Street & Pershing Avenue. 

The West 3rd Street Historic District (NRHP 1978) is a 6-block long "fringe" area situated between Davenport's central business district and a large working class residential neighborhood that occupies over a third of the "valley" portion of the city. The district presents a significant concentration of small-scale commercial architecture, ranging from the 1850's to the 1920's.