Griggsville Historic District

Griggsville's historic district takes in the central part of a west-central Illinois town, following a north-south ridge known as Griggsville Mound and stretching west along Quincy Street. Of 125 structures, 52 were judged architecturally or historically special. Most date from 1854 to the close of the 19th century, and Italianate houses and storefronts are the strongest group. Federal, Greek Revival, Octagon, Carpenter Gothic and Queen Anne examples add variety. The commercial block on the south side of Quincy between Corey and Stanford has changed little since 1894, while Corey Street south of Congress forms a lively residential neighborhood. The town was laid out in 1834 as a speculative venture by eastern investors and grew as a trading center for farmland, with some river shipping and later a railroad in 1869. Listing recognized the unusually complete picture of a small 19th-century city, at a time when several major buildings had recently been demolished.