Downtown Historic District

Plainfield preserved its historic architecture through a downtown district encompassing 50 properties on both sides of Lockport Street between Division Street and James and Main Streets. Developed between 1848 and 1963, this four-block area includes a dense block of brick commercial buildings and three blocks containing a mix of churches, commercial buildings, and residences. Commercial development in Plainfield was initially scattered, but by the late 1840s it had concentrated along both sides of Lockport Road. By 1869, the northern and southern sections of Plainfield had joined as a single community, and Lockport Street was later selected as part of the route of the Lincoln Highway, the first paved transcontinental highway. Greek Revival was the most common architectural style among the earliest downtown wood-framed commercial and residential structures. Fires in the 1880s and 1890s led to new brick buildings in popular styles including Italianate and Queen Anne. More than 100 years of development in downtown Plainfield are reflected in its wide range of building materials, styles, and building types.

Plainfield, Illinois · United States