National Register of Historic Places Registration Form

NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Registration Form This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in National Register Bulletin, How to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. If any item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions. Place additional certification comments, entries, and narrative items on continuation sheets if needed (NPS Form 10-900a). 1. Name of Property historic name Arsenal Courts Historic District other names/site number Name of Multiple Property Listing N/A (Enter "N/A" if property is not part of a multiple property listing) 2. Location street & number 1400 5th Street n/a not for publication city or town Rock Island n/a vicinity state Illinois county Rock Island zip code 61201 3. State/Federal Agency Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, I hereby certify that this nomination request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property meets does not meet the National Register Criteria. I recommend that this property be considered significant at the following level(s) of significance: national statewide local Applicable National Register Criteria: A B C D Signature of certifying official/Title: Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer Date Illinois Department of Natural Resources - SHPO State or Federal agency/bureau or Tribal Government In my opinion, the property meets does not meet the National Register criteria. Signature of commenting official Date Title State or Federal agency/bureau or Tribal Government 4. National Park Service Certification I hereby certify that this property is: entered in the National Register determined eligible for the National Register determined not eligible for the National Register removed from the National Register other (explain:) Signature of the Keeper Date of Action 1 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Arsenal Courts Historic District Rock Island, Illinois Name of Property County and State 5. Classification Ownership of Property Category of Property Number of Resources within Property (Check as many boxes as apply.) (Check only one box.) (Do not include previously listed resources in the count.) Contributing Noncontributing X private building(s) 43 0 buildings public - Local X district site public - State site structure public - Federal structure object object 43 0 Total Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register none 6. Function or Use Historic Functions Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions.) (Enter categories from instructions.) DOMESTIC/Multiple Dwelling DOMESTIC/Multiple Dwelling 7. Description Architectural Classification Materials (Enter categories from instructions.) (Enter categories from instructions.) LATE 19TH AND 20TH CENTURY REVIVALS/Colonial Revival foundation: not visible walls: BRICK roof: ASPHALT other: Lintels: STONE/Sandstone 2 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Arsenal Courts Historic District Rock Island, Illinois Name of Property County and State Narrative Description (Describe the historic and current physical appearance and condition of the property. Describe contributing and noncontributing resources if applicable. Begin with a summary paragraph that briefly describes the general characteristics of the property, such as its location, type, style, method of construction, setting, size, and significant features. Indicate whether the property has historic integrity). Summary Paragraph The Arsenal Courts apartment complex is located on the west side of Rock Island, Illinois (Figure 1). It was constructed in 1940-41 by the United States Housing Administration. Its purpose was to provide housing for workers recruited by the federal government to relocate to Rock Island to help address the rapidly expanding workforce needs at the Rock Island Arsenal, one of the nation’s largest military facilities. Constructed on about nineteen acres of land, Arsenal Courts was originally a group of 52 one- and two- story buildings, totaling 305 housing units (Figure 5). The apartment complex was designed with units in a variety of configurations in terms of the number of bedrooms and bathrooms. Also constructed in 1940- 41 was an Administration Building and a storage building, making a total of 54 buildings. The complex was designed by the prominent early 20th century Rock Island firm Cervin & Stuhr. The buildings are a simple, rectangular design, with most having flat roofs and lacking ornamentation. The complex’s mimimal architectural detailing, such as lattice type porch columns, and pedimented porch roofs, was influenced by Colonial Revival design. During an ownership change in the mid-1990s, selected building demolition occurred to create more open space at specific locations in the complex. Today Arsenal Courts is a group of 41 one- and two-story buildings, totaling 238 housing units (Figure 1). The Administration Building and storage building still exist, making a total of 43 buildings. In addition, a Community Building was constructed in the mid-1990s, which is outside the historic property boundaries. Through its extant site plan, building configurations, apartment layouts, and original exterior and interior features, Arsenal Courts retains the necessary aspects of integrity of location, setting, materials, design, and workmanship to communicate its function as an apartment complex and original relationship to its surroundings. In addition, Arsenal Courts retains its feeling and association with its apartment complex history and as a direct link to the creation of defense worker housing at the onset of World War II. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Narrative Description Setting and Design Arsenal Courts is located about two miles from the Rock Island Arsenal, a large military facility dating to the 19th century situated on a 945-acre island in the Mississippi River. Rock Island Arsenal was designated a National Register Historic District in 1969 because of its cohesive architectural styling and contribution to American ordnance development and manufacture (NR 69000057). The Arsenal Courts apartment complex, located on the west side of Rock Island, Illinois, was a large housing development compared to the development pattern and scale of the surrounding area, known since the 1990s as the Douglas Park neighborhood. In 1900, Rock Island was only about three-square miles in size, with about 19,500 residents. In order to expand, Rock Island looked southwestward. 3 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Arsenal Courts Historic District Rock Island, Illinois Name of Property County and State Through several annexations, over the next two decades Rock Island successfully expanded south to the Rock River and west to the Mississippi River. This included the area that later became Arsenal Courts, which became part of Rock Island by the mid-1910s.1 The apartment complex is bounded by 5th Street (east), 12th Avenue (north), 3rd Street (west), and 16th Avenue (south). The surrounding neighborhood on the north, east, and south sides is laid out in a grid pattern. Blocks are commonly 300 feet in length, with six or seven single-family houses per block. As a generalization, lots are approximately 40 to 50 feet wide and 145 feet deep. Garages have rear access from alleys. The neighborhood is dominated by small, early 20th century, vernacular or bungalow style single-family houses2 (Figure 2). To the west, an industrial area that originally bordered Arsenal Courts has been replaced by a freeway, the Centennial Expressway (Illinois Route 92). The Arsenal Courts architects, Cervin & Stuhr, utilized several solutions to address the difference in scale between a neighborhood of small houses on small lots compared to a 305-unit apartment complex on sixteen acres. First, the architects incorporated vehicle and pedestrian circulation networks into Arsenal Courts, dividing the site into smaller blocks, which still exist today. A series of public streets with driveways on 5th Street relates the site to the grid street pattern of the surrounding neighborhood. This relationship to the neighborhood is reinforced with multiple walkways that also meet the public sidewalk on 5th Street (Figure 2). Internal to the site, the architects designed parking areas, sidewalks, and pedestrian circulation paths to provide order to a location accommodating about 1,300 residents. Overall, the design enables the large-scale development to have the walkable feel of a less densely populated neighborhood. Second, the architects purposely reinforced the impression of a less dense development

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