Moline Downtown Commercial Historic District

Moline's downtown commercial core runs along 5th Avenue between 12th and 18th Streets, with additional buildings on neighboring blocks. Most of the 114 resources are one- to three-story brick commercial buildings with flat roofs set flush against one another, creating a solid streetscape. Three eight-story anchor buildings rise near the center. Styles range from Italianate and Queen Anne to Prairie School, Art Deco and Gothic Revival, and many buildings combine ground-floor shops with upper-floor apartments. The district also includes a Gothic Revival Lutheran church founded by Swedish immigrants, a large Sears Roebuck warehouse and a cast-iron street clock from 1912. It reflects the city's growth from a mill town platted in 1843, powered by the Mississippi River, into a commercial center. The period of significance runs from 1845, when the earliest building was constructed, to 1957. About 88 percent of the buildings contribute to the district's character, and the area is recognized for both its commercial history and architectural variety.