Wabasha Commercial Historic District Explained

Wabasha Commercial Historic District
Nrhp Type:hd
Nocat:yest
Coordinates:44.3839°N -92.0328°W
Location:Roughly along Main Street between Bridge and Bailey Avenues, Wabasha, Minnesota
Area:10acres
Built:1856–1928
Architect:Multiple
Architecture:Italianate
Refnum:82003063
Designated Nrhp Type:April 15, 1982

The Wabasha Commercial Historic District is a designation applied to the historic downtown of Wabasha, Minnesota, United States. It comprises 52 contributing properties built from 1856 to 1928.[1] It was listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 for having local significance in the theme of commerce.[2] It was nominated for the integrity of its cohesive design and its continuity of use as a commercial district since the mid-19th century.[3]

Description

The Wabasha Commercial Historic District is situated on a fluvial terrace parallel to the Mississippi River. Encompassing about 10acres, it stretches three and a half blocks along Wabasha's Main Street to the width of one block on either side, with a slight extension to the southwest along Pembroke Avenue. Of the 59 buildings included in the district upon its designation in 1982, all but 15 dated to the latter half of the 19th century. The district primarily comprises commercial buildings, though the western end includes several residential houses.

The commercial buildings are largely consistent in design. Nearly all stand two stories tall, with brick walls or façades, and featuring a commercial adaptation of Italianate architecture. Their ornamentation is largely restrained to simple brick cornices, stone window sills and keystones, and a modest variety of window styles.

One contributing property, the Hurd House–Anderson Hotel, had been individually listed on the National Register in 1978. Eight buildings were considered non-contributing properties because they were constructed or significantly altered outside the period or style of the rest of the district.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Wabasha Commercial Historic District . Minnesota National Register Properties Database . Minnesota Historical Society . 2009 . 2013-07-20.
  2. Web site: Wabasha Commercial Historic District . Minnesota National Register Properties Database . Minnesota Historical Society . 2009 . 2015-06-19.
  3. Kudzia . Camille . [{{NRHP url|id=82003063}} National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Wabasha Historic District ]. National Park Service . February 1980 . 2016-03-25.