The Blair Historic District is a historic district located in downtown Belleville, Illinois. The district encompasses a mainly commercial area on the west side of downtown; it includes 78 buildings, 57 of which are contributing buildings. The entire district is located within the original plat of the city, which was established following a land donation from George Blair in 1814. The oldest buildings in the district date to circa 1850, and development continued from then into the early twentieth century. Most buildings in the district are two-part brick commercial blocks designed in styles popular at the time of their construction, such as the Italianate, Second Empire, Classical Revival, and Romanesque Revival. The Reichert Business Block, a three-story structure at 200 West Main Street, is a notable example of Second Empire design; the building features a mansard roof with dormers and a decorative cornice, and it has been described as the district's most elaborate building. Two Classical Revival buildings, the 1911 United States Post Office Building and the 1924 Turner Hall, are also prominent within the district; the post office was designed by Supervising Architect James Knox Taylor.[1]

The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 18, 2015.[2]

References

  1. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named NPS