Fort Madison Downtown Commercial Historic District Design Guidelines

RDG Planning and Design

From guidelines: "These guidelines were developed to serve as a resource and guide for building owners in Fort Madison's downtown commercial historic district. Maintaining these buildings in their historic form is an important step in keeping the culture and history of Fort Madison alive. These buildings are enjoyed not only by the building owners and the local community, but also by visitors. Preserving these structures is a key step in maintaining a piece of the story of America's past as well. Early buildings in the district were mostly frame construction, but by the 1870's brick became the dominate construction material. The date 'of the district's existing building stock begins in the 1850's and is primarily two-story masonry commercial buildings. There are a few one and three-story commercial buildings along with significant public buildings. First floor uses tended to be commercial with upper floors being occupied as offices or housing. Most of the buildings were built in the Italianate style, with more Neo-Classical Revival influence in those buildings built after 1900. For many buildings, it is difficult to label a building with any one particular style. Builders at the time often wanted their buildings to take on the style popular at the time, but the end result was often a modified interpretation. It is important to keep in mind that while many of the buildings of Fort Madison reflect particular elements of certain, styles, most buildings in small towns across the country are rarely a pure example of one style but rather a combination of several stylistic influences. Rather than attempting to label one's building in a particular style, a building owner Should instead become familiar with the various details that make up his or her building to learn more about the history of the building. A few of the more common styles found in Fort Madison's commercial historic district are highlighted on the next page." Project funding was provided in part by a 2012 Historic Preservation Fund grant to the City of Fort Madison (project number IA-12-049) administered by Iowa State Historic Preservation Office (grant number 19-12-41922) and the State, Tribal, and Local Plans and Grants Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Fort Madison, Iowa is a Certified Local Government.

Fort Madison Downtown Commercial Historic District Design Guidelines

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