Haight Village Historic District (Additional Documentation)

Haight Village is a 14-block neighborhood just south of Rockford's East State Street business district, in Winnebago County, Illinois. It holds about 150 buildings, mostly residential, along with churches, a Masonic Temple, a fire station, a boys club and a former watch factory. The oldest survivor is a Gothic cottage built in 1843 for Willard Wheeler, Rockford's first mayor. Most buildings date from 1860-70 and 1880-95. Their styles run from Greek Revival and Italianate through Gothic Revival and Queen Anne to Classical Revival. The area was Rockford's most fashionable address, home to leaders of industry, commerce and government such as Judge William Brown and his sons Edward and Frank, furniture makers, and bankers. Many residents worked in the nearby business district. Railroad tracks, busy arterial streets and differing land uses set the neighborhood apart from its surroundings. Restoration work since 1977 has returned many altered houses to their original look, so the district resembles its period of significance. Ninety-nine buildings contribute to its character.