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Main Street Historic District (Tampico, Illinois)
Encyclopedia
The Main Street Historic District in Tampico, Illinois
, United States
is a historic district
notable as home to the birthplace of Ronald Reagan
. The district includes the late 19th century collection of buildings that comprise Tampico's central business district, among them are two apartments that the Reagan family occupied in the early 1900s. The buildings in the district went through several periods of rebuilding during the 1870s due to major fires and a tornado. The district boundaries encompass the 100 block of Main Street and exclude properties that do not date from the historic period.
The historic district represents an intact commercial district representative of rural, small town Illinois. The buildings present a cohesive architectural unit; each building within is dependent on the others for its significance. The district's contributing properties are divided into two major categories "contributing structures" and "significant structures." Both commercial buildings that the Reagans occupied second floor apartments in are listed as "significant." The Main Street Historic District was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
in 1982.
, in southeastern Whiteside County, was founded in 1858 but settlers did not arrive in earnest until 1871, partially due to the swamp
y nature of the terrain. After the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
constructed a line through Tampico in 1871 growth was rapid but faced a series of major setbacks. In 1872, 1874 and 1876 the village was struck by major fires which required the repeated rebuilding of the town's central business district along Main Street. A tornado
destroyed about 40 buildings in 1874, adding to the headache caused by the fires. As a result of the repeated rebuilding, all buildings along Main Street built after 1876 are constructed from brick
.
Between 1896–1905 the Main Street district in Tampico went through a building boom. Many agriculturally oriented industries located in Tampico during this time period. The construction of the Hennepin Canal
from 1899–1907 also contributed to the influx of new buildings in Tampico and during the period of construction five new buildings were added to Main Street. It was in 1906 that the family of Ronald Reagan
moved into the district, occupying the apartment
on the second floor of the building at 111 Main Street. They would live in other locations in Tampico, move, and eventually briefly return to the village and occupy another second floor apartment within the district.
Modern Main Street (Illinois Route 172
) in Tampico has fewer buildings and less density than it did during the peak of its historical significance from 1871–1920. Fires, and new construction are to blame, in part, for this situation. Despite fewer buildings, the row of commercial buildings along the east side of Main Street are illustrative of the former density of the district.
mostly overlie the traditional boundaries of the central business district The district boundaries exclude properties that are not part of the historic period. In addition, the boundaries exclude residential properties.
The northern boundary of the historic district, near Market Street, was drawn to include the properties at 106 and 107 S. Main while excluding a lot, vacant at the time of the district's inclusion on the National Register, and a new building. The southern border was drawn along Pig Alley and designed to exclude a non-historic grain elevator
near the railroad tracks.
lines and the two frame
buildings in the historic district predate the incorporation of Tampico as a village
. Land use within the district boundaries is strictly commercial and the architecture of the buildings reflect that use. The most architecturally significant structures in the district are part of an integrated, cohesive unit. Their significance is dependent upon each other, thus, the removal of any one of the buildings would reduce the integrity of the other buildings.
The three buildings considered contributing structures, while dating from the period of historical significance for the district, have been extensively altered. In addition, all three buildings are free-standing structures and thus, not integrated into the whole of the visual harmony found in the significant structures. The three altered buildings are located at 106, 110 and 131 South Main Street.
The building at 131 Main, on the east side of the street, was originally constructed in 1873 and formerly owned by the Glassburn Lumber and Feed company. The west facade of the building has been altered by the addition of a new storefront and a pseudo-Mansard roof
. The structures at 106 and 110 Main are connected by a single story structure between them. 106 S. Main Street was constructed in 1873 and features a false-front with a parapet
that hides its gable
roof. The building formerly housed a millinery and a beauty shop
and its front (east) facade has been significantly altered. At 110 S. Main Street is a 1905 two-story brick building originally used as a grocery store
. The building, which has been used by the Masonic Lodge
, has had part of its cornice removed and replaced by a shingled
canopy.
The building known as the H.C. Pitney Variety Store consists of two store fronts, and was erected by Ray McKenzie in 1900. The H.C. Pitney Variety Store occupied the property, under various owners, from 1911 until 1920. H.C. Pitney owned the store from 1911 until 1914, when he sold it. During his first period of ownership, Pitney employed Jack Reagan, the father of 40th U.S. President Ronald Reagan, as a clerk. The H.C. Pitney Variety Store is most notable for its upstairs tenants from 1919-1920. During this period, H.C. Pitney operated the building as the H.C. Pitney Variety Store, and the second-floor apartment was occupied by the family of 40th U.S. President Ronald Reagan.
The building is part of a two-story commercial block along Main Street, and is attached to the building next to it. Of the two structures in the block the Pitney Store is the newest, the other building was built a year earlier. The two-story brick building features a metal cornice
and two storefronts listed at different addressed. The first store front, at 124 Main Street is 3 bays wide and the second, at 122 Main Street, is 4 bays wide.
The building known as the birthplace of 40th U.S. President, Ronald Reagan, was constructed in 1896 for G.W. Stauffer by Fred Harvey Seymour and later became known as the Graham Building. It was built in 1896 and housed a tavern
from that time until 1915. On February 6, 1911 the 40th President of the United States
, Ronald Reagan, was born in the apartment above the tavern. The Reagans would move out of the apartment and into a house in Tampico a few months after Ronald was born.
Architecturally, the two story brick building is similar to its neighboring buildings. It is brick, two-stories tall, has three second story windows and a cornice. Only the area's oldest buildings differ from the Reagan Birthplace's metal cornices and flat headed windows. The building's first floor interior has been restored as the First National Bank, which occupied the property from 1919-1931. On the second floor the apartment has been restored to the period when Reagan was born. The site offers tours to the public and is listed as a "significant" contributing property
to the historic district.
The contributing properties in the Main Street Historic District are classified into two categories, "significant" and "contributing". Significant structures are those with architectural or historical distinction, 10 of the 14 buildings remaining within the district are classified as significant. The significant structures are grouped into two sets, one consists of the buildings from 107–119 Main Street (along the east side of the street) and the second of buildings from 122–126 Main Street (west side of street).
The first group of significant structures are along the east side of Main Street
and addressed from 107–119. 107 S. Main Street was constructed for Susie Slippell in 1903 and once housed a harness shop. The next building, 109 Main, was built in 1898 by J.J Blietz, it held the Elmdorf Grocery and Meat Market. The building adjacent the former meat market is the Ronald Reagan Birthplace. 113 and 115 Main were built simultaneously in 1900, and share a wall. 113 Main is the current home to the Ronald Reagan Gift Shop and was originally constructed by Fred Seymour for use as the Seymour Grocery Store. The building at 115 was built for M.R. Lyon and has been in use as a funeral home
since 1903.
The structures at 117 and 119 are the oldest brick buildings in the historic district and were built in 1877 following the last major fire. 117 Main, built for J.C. Paice, has housed a grocery store, meat market, and variety store, and retains its original cast iron
storefront. The building at 119 Main was erected for Ruben Davis. It was damaged by fire in 1980 but has since been repaired.
The second group of significant structures are found on the west side of Main Street from 122–126. The two storefronts at 122 and 124 Main are the H.C. Pitney Variety Store. The adjacent structure was built in 1899 for A.J. Glassburn, son of town founder John Glassburn. The building housed the Tampico State Bank from 1899–1931 with A.J. Glassburn as its president. Glassburn also served as mayor
of Tampico during three periods, 1882–1885, 1887–1893, and 1901–1902. After 1931 the building housed another bank and a lumber and hardware store
.
on 3 June 1982.
Tampico, Illinois
Tampico is a village located in Tampico Township, Whiteside County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census the village had a total population of 790, up from 772 at the 2000 census. U.S. President Ronald Reagan was born there and lived there for two brief periods of his...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
is a historic district
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
notable as home to the birthplace of Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
. The district includes the late 19th century collection of buildings that comprise Tampico's central business district, among them are two apartments that the Reagan family occupied in the early 1900s. The buildings in the district went through several periods of rebuilding during the 1870s due to major fires and a tornado. The district boundaries encompass the 100 block of Main Street and exclude properties that do not date from the historic period.
The historic district represents an intact commercial district representative of rural, small town Illinois. The buildings present a cohesive architectural unit; each building within is dependent on the others for its significance. The district's contributing properties are divided into two major categories "contributing structures" and "significant structures." Both commercial buildings that the Reagans occupied second floor apartments in are listed as "significant." The Main Street Historic District was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1982.
History
Tampico, IllinoisTampico, Illinois
Tampico is a village located in Tampico Township, Whiteside County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census the village had a total population of 790, up from 772 at the 2000 census. U.S. President Ronald Reagan was born there and lived there for two brief periods of his...
, in southeastern Whiteside County, was founded in 1858 but settlers did not arrive in earnest until 1871, partially due to the swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
y nature of the terrain. After the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington or as the Q, the Burlington Route served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri,...
constructed a line through Tampico in 1871 growth was rapid but faced a series of major setbacks. In 1872, 1874 and 1876 the village was struck by major fires which required the repeated rebuilding of the town's central business district along Main Street. A tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
destroyed about 40 buildings in 1874, adding to the headache caused by the fires. As a result of the repeated rebuilding, all buildings along Main Street built after 1876 are constructed from brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
.
Between 1896–1905 the Main Street district in Tampico went through a building boom. Many agriculturally oriented industries located in Tampico during this time period. The construction of the Hennepin Canal
Hennepin Canal
The Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park, also just called the Hennepin Canal, is an abandoned waterway in northwest Illinois, between the Mississippi River at Rock Island and the Illinois River near Hennepin. The entire canal is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.Opened in 1907, the...
from 1899–1907 also contributed to the influx of new buildings in Tampico and during the period of construction five new buildings were added to Main Street. It was in 1906 that the family of Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
moved into the district, occupying the apartment
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
on the second floor of the building at 111 Main Street. They would live in other locations in Tampico, move, and eventually briefly return to the village and occupy another second floor apartment within the district.
Modern Main Street (Illinois Route 172
Illinois Route 172
Illinois Route 172 is an inverted-'L' shaped highway in northwestern Illinois, though it is marked as being a north–south highway on signage. It runs from Illinois Route 40 to Illinois Route 92 by way of Tampico. This is a distance of . Illinois 172 is also a part of the Ronald Reagan Trail.-...
) in Tampico has fewer buildings and less density than it did during the peak of its historical significance from 1871–1920. Fires, and new construction are to blame, in part, for this situation. Despite fewer buildings, the row of commercial buildings along the east side of Main Street are illustrative of the former density of the district.
Boundaries
Historically, the central business district in Tampico stretched one block, the 100 block, of Main Street, which extended from Market Street on the north to the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy tracks on the south. The boundaries of the historic districtHistoric district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
mostly overlie the traditional boundaries of the central business district The district boundaries exclude properties that are not part of the historic period. In addition, the boundaries exclude residential properties.
The northern boundary of the historic district, near Market Street, was drawn to include the properties at 106 and 107 S. Main while excluding a lot, vacant at the time of the district's inclusion on the National Register, and a new building. The southern border was drawn along Pig Alley and designed to exclude a non-historic grain elevator
Grain elevator
A grain elevator is a tower containing a bucket elevator, which scoops up, elevates, and then uses gravity to deposit grain in a silo or other storage facility...
near the railroad tracks.
Architecture
The buildings in the Tampico Historic District all have a uniform setback, save the neo-Colonial, 1970s era bank building. All but one of the district's buildings stand two stories, contributing to a uniform architectural rhythm and harmony. Most of the district's buildings have matching corniceCornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
lines and the two frame
Framing (construction)
Framing, in construction known as light-frame construction, is a building technique based around structural members, usually called studs, which provide a stable frame to which interior and exterior wall coverings are attached, and covered by a roof comprising horizontal ceiling joists and sloping...
buildings in the historic district predate the incorporation of Tampico as a village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
. Land use within the district boundaries is strictly commercial and the architecture of the buildings reflect that use. The most architecturally significant structures in the district are part of an integrated, cohesive unit. Their significance is dependent upon each other, thus, the removal of any one of the buildings would reduce the integrity of the other buildings.
Contributing structures
The building at 131 Main, on the east side of the street, was originally constructed in 1873 and formerly owned by the Glassburn Lumber and Feed company. The west facade of the building has been altered by the addition of a new storefront and a pseudo-Mansard roof
Mansard roof
A mansard or mansard roof is a four-sided gambrel-style hip roof characterized by two slopes on each of its sides with the lower slope at a steeper angle than the upper that is punctured by dormer windows. The roof creates an additional floor of habitable space, such as a garret...
. The structures at 106 and 110 Main are connected by a single story structure between them. 106 S. Main Street was constructed in 1873 and features a false-front with a parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
that hides its gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
roof. The building formerly housed a millinery and a beauty shop
Beauty salon
A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment dealing with cosmetic treatments for men and women...
and its front (east) facade has been significantly altered. At 110 S. Main Street is a 1905 two-story brick building originally used as a grocery store
Grocery store
A grocery store is a store that retails food. A grocer, the owner of a grocery store, stocks different kinds of foods from assorted places and cultures, and sells these "groceries" to customers. Large grocery stores that stock products other than food, such as clothing or household items, are...
. The building, which has been used by the Masonic Lodge
Masonic Lodge
This article is about the Masonic term for a membership group. For buildings named Masonic Lodge, see Masonic Lodge A Masonic Lodge, often termed a Private Lodge or Constituent Lodge, is the basic organisation of Freemasonry...
, has had part of its cornice removed and replaced by a shingled
Roof shingle
Roof shingles are a roof covering consisting of individual overlapping elements. These elements are typically flat rectangular shapes laid in rows from the bottom edge of the roof up, with each successive higher row overlapping the joints in the row below...
canopy.
H.C. Pitney Variety Store
The building is part of a two-story commercial block along Main Street, and is attached to the building next to it. Of the two structures in the block the Pitney Store is the newest, the other building was built a year earlier. The two-story brick building features a metal cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
and two storefronts listed at different addressed. The first store front, at 124 Main Street is 3 bays wide and the second, at 122 Main Street, is 4 bays wide.
Ronald Reagan Birthplace
Tavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in some cases, where travelers receive lodging....
from that time until 1915. On February 6, 1911 the 40th President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, Ronald Reagan, was born in the apartment above the tavern. The Reagans would move out of the apartment and into a house in Tampico a few months after Ronald was born.
Architecturally, the two story brick building is similar to its neighboring buildings. It is brick, two-stories tall, has three second story windows and a cornice. Only the area's oldest buildings differ from the Reagan Birthplace's metal cornices and flat headed windows. The building's first floor interior has been restored as the First National Bank, which occupied the property from 1919-1931. On the second floor the apartment has been restored to the period when Reagan was born. The site offers tours to the public and is listed as a "significant" contributing property
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
to the historic district.
Significant structures
The first group of significant structures are along the east side of Main Street
Main Street
Main Street is the metonym for a generic street name of the primary retail street of a village, town, or small city in many parts of the world...
and addressed from 107–119. 107 S. Main Street was constructed for Susie Slippell in 1903 and once housed a harness shop. The next building, 109 Main, was built in 1898 by J.J Blietz, it held the Elmdorf Grocery and Meat Market. The building adjacent the former meat market is the Ronald Reagan Birthplace. 113 and 115 Main were built simultaneously in 1900, and share a wall. 113 Main is the current home to the Ronald Reagan Gift Shop and was originally constructed by Fred Seymour for use as the Seymour Grocery Store. The building at 115 was built for M.R. Lyon and has been in use as a funeral home
Funeral home
A funeral home, funeral parlor or mortuary, is a business that provides burial and funeral services for the deceased and their families. These services may include aprepared wake and funeral, and the provision of a chapel for the funeral....
since 1903.
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
storefront. The building at 119 Main was erected for Ruben Davis. It was damaged by fire in 1980 but has since been repaired.
The second group of significant structures are found on the west side of Main Street from 122–126. The two storefronts at 122 and 124 Main are the H.C. Pitney Variety Store. The adjacent structure was built in 1899 for A.J. Glassburn, son of town founder John Glassburn. The building housed the Tampico State Bank from 1899–1931 with A.J. Glassburn as its president. Glassburn also served as mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Tampico during three periods, 1882–1885, 1887–1893, and 1901–1902. After 1931 the building housed another bank and a lumber and hardware store
Hardware store
Hardware stores, sometimes known as DIY stores, sell household hardware including: fasteners, hand tools, power tools, keys, locks, hinges, chains, plumbing supplies, electrical supplies, cleaning products, housewares, tools, utensils, paint, and lawn and garden products directly to consumers for...
.
Significance
The Main Street Historic District in Tampico, Illinois is most significant in two areas. First, the district represents an intact example of a central commercial district in a rural Illinois town. Second, the birthplace of the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, is located within the district's boundaries. These reasons contributed to the historic district's listing on the U.S. National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on 3 June 1982.
See also
- Other Main St. Historic Districts
- Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home
- Ronald Reagan TrailRonald Reagan TrailThe Ronald Reagan Trail is a collection of highways in central Illinois that connect villages and cities that were of importance to former United States President Ronald Reagan...