Potter House
Also known as: 1906 7th Ave.
Why it's listed
Three buildings on 7th Avenue in Rock Island make up this property: a stucco main house, a servants house, and a carriage house. The main house, completed in 1907, was designed by local architect George Stauduhar. It combines Colonial Revival features, such as a dentil frieze, Tuscan columns, and a Palladian window, with Prairie School leaded-glass windows and two-tone stucco. The servants house dates to about 1900 and predates the main house, while the carriage house was built or moved to the site around the same time as the house. The property was home to Minnie Potter from 1907 until her death in 1936. After her husband's death in 1898 she led the J. W. Potter Company, publisher of The Rock Island Argus. Under her management the paper grew from about 400 subscribers to many thousands, absorbed its rival The Rock Island Union in 1920, and campaigned against crime figure John Looney. That role in local communications is the basis for the listing.
Significance in brief: The house is tied to Minnie Potter, who lived there from 1907 until her death in 1936 and guided The Rock Island Argus newspaper to security and regional prominence. Under her leadership the paper outlasted its local rivals and helped bring down crime boss John Looney. The nomination argues significance in the area of Communications at the local level.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 89000364, listed May 5, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1906 7th Ave., Rock Island |
|---|---|
| County | Rock Island County |
| Listed | May 5, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000364 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1907 - 1936 |
| Architect / builder | Stauduhar, George |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and early 20th Century Revivals: Colonial Revival, blended with Prairie School details |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Communications |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The form states the property is believed to retain its original appearance; current functions are listed as single dwelling and hotel. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.50495, -90.57376 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 89000364.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14688034
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.