Historic East Village is a commercial and residential neighborhood in central Des Moines, Iowa, United States, directly east of the Downtown Des Moines area. The neighborhood is bounded by Interstate 235 on the north, the Des Moines River on the west and south,[2] and East 14th Street on the east. It also sits adjacent to the Historic Court District, which sits west across the Des Moines River. Part of the East Village forms a nationally recognized historic district that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2019.[1]
The East Village was platted in 1854. Several of the 40 buildings that make up the historic district are associated with European immigrants, especially Scandinavians and Eastern European Jews, that began settling the city's near east side in the 1870s and 1880s.[3] There were three periods of construction in the district. The first period was from the 1840s to the 1890s. Many buildings were wood-framed and included single-family homes, double-houses, and row houses. The ones that remain have been remodeled for commercial use while others have been replaced by commercial buildings. The second period lasted from the 1870s to the 1920s. These buildings were predominantly constructed of brick in styles that were popular at the time, including Italianate, Gothic Revival, Romanesque Revival, Queen Anne, Neoclassical, and Commercial architecture. Included in this group of buildings is the only known surviving row house on the east side of Des Moines, and the only surviving church in the district (Capitol Hill Lutheran Church).[3] The third period lasted from the 1920s to the 1950s and the buildings reflect the influences of the automobile on their design and usage. It includes buildings that were a part of the East Des Moines Auto Row. Architectural styles from this period include Modernism, Art Deco, Commercial, and Moderne.[citation needed]
In 2000, the City of Des Moines slated several buildings in the neighborhood for demolition, however, a group of individuals came together to advocate saving the buildings.[4] Many of the structures stand today as homes to eateries, boutique shops, and loft-style housing.[5]
