Photos by Ryan Moffatt and Bryan Wicks
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Davenport Photo Page

Davenport, Iowa is Iowa’s third largest city, the county seat of Scott County, and home to 98,359 people, with 359,062 in the Davenport-Rock Island- Moline (Quad Cities) metropolitan area.  Located halfway between Des Moines and Chicago on the Mississippi River, Davenport was incorporated as a special charter city of the territory of Iowa in 1839 and named for Colonel George Davenport; a popular local figure whose home located in nearby Fort Armstrong (now Rock Island Arsenal) was host to early meetings establishing the city.  Two years later the city became the Seat of Scott County. Davenport started as a river port and transportation hub.  Its early industry reflected this with timber mills, planning mills, barrel factories, furniture factories, slaughter houses and breweries.  In 1856, Davenport became home to the first Rail Road Bridge to cross the Mississippi River.  By the 1890’s Davenport had grown into a retail and commercial hub, with most of the largest banks in the state calling Davenport home.  As Davenport entered the 20th Century the city’s downtown grew with multilevel office buildings and hotels. Also streetcar lines dotted the city.  The city thrived through the 1930 and 1940’s as a cultural hub with the cities of Rock Island and Moline, Illinois.  During this time, the Tri-Cities were home to both NFL and NBA teams. During the later half of the 20th Century Davenport and the Quad Cities established itself as the Farm Implement Capital of the World with John Deere and other manufacturers calling the Quad Cities home.  The local economy’s reliance on this type of manufacturing during the farm crisis of the 1980’s devastated the local economy. Today Davenport is making a comeback by diversifying its economy into service and tourism.  The Mississippi River is the city’s greatest asset and is playing a vital role in its comeback with riverboat casinos, recreation, and new downtown developments.  More photos of Davenport will likely be added to this page in the future.

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Downtown and Riverfront

 
Davenport Skyline- A portion of the downtown skyline with the 15 story MidAmerican Plaza Building as the centerpiece.  Downtown Davenport has the Mississippi River at its doorstep, as shown by the riverboat casino parked along the shore.
September 2003
 

Davenport Skyline- Another partial view of the west half of the skyline.  Prominently shown are the ornate Wells Fargo Bank Building (formerly Davenport Bank and Trust Building) and the construction for the new Figge Arts Center.
September 2003
 
Davenport Skyline and Mississippi River- A wider view showing most of the skyline of Davenport.  This photo was taken from Rock Island, Illinois and shows the broad expanse of the Mississippi River.
September 2003
 
Davenport Skyline at Night- The downtown skyline all lit up night reflects off of the Mississippi River.
September 2003
 
Davenport Skyline With New Additions- The downtown skyline cluster with the Figge Arts Museum at left, near the new skybridge.
May 2005

Photo Courtesy of AJ Sorenson
 
Davenport from the Mississippi- Downtown Davenport as seen from the Mississippi River.
May 2005

Photo Courtesy of AJ Sorenson
 
Downtown from the West End- A few downtown highrises can be seen from the adjacent West End neighborhood.
May 2005

Photo Courtesy of A.J. Sorenson
 
Davenport Skyline with the Figge- The modern addition of the Figge Art Museum enhances the skyline.
May 2005

Photo Courtesy of AJ Sorenson
 
Mississippi Hotel- The 10-story Mississippi Hotel Building was built in 1931 and is currently home to a theater and low income apartments.  A complete overhaul is currently proposed for the upper floors of this building and the Adler Theater itself has been recently renovated.
September 2003
 
Mississippi Hotel View- Another view of the Mississippi Hotel, and nearby buildings.
May 2005

Photo Courtesy of AJ Sorenson
 
Blackhawk Hotel- This classic 11-story building was completed in 1915 and is currently used as a hotel for a local casino.  The skywalk connects this hotel with the RiverCentre Convention Hall and Expo Center.
September 2003
 
Redstone Building/Mississippi River Music Experience- This late 19th Century four story building spent most of its life as Peterson’s (now Von Maur) Flagship Department Store.  In 2002 and 2004 this building was renovated creating private offices and condos on the top two floors and the River Music Experience Museum in the basement and on the bottom two floors.
September 2003
 
US Bank Building- The classic former First Bank of Davenport building located along West 2nd Street is 10 stories tall and was completed in 1923.  Notice the historic clock mounted on the corner of the three story lobby.
September 2003
 
Downtown with Construction- A detailed shot of the western portion of the Davenport skyline with several high rises stealing the view.  The steel is being erected for the Figge Art Museum and the urban neighborhoods just beyond downtown can be seen peaking through the downtown buildings.
September 2003
 

Wells Fargo Building- The spire of the Wells Fargo Office Building (formerly Davenport Bank & Trust Building) is downtown's signature feature.  This 19-story building was completed in 1927 and is 240 ft. tall.
September 2003
 
Wells Fargo Building- Another shot of the historic Wells Fargo Building, the tallest highrise in downtown Davenport.
September 2005
 
Downtown Streetview- A street view showing some of the larger offices of downtown.  The Wells Fargo building is shown in the left center.
September 2003
 
Downtown 19th Century Architecture- A look at the buildings on the corner of Harrison and 3rd Streets.
August 2004
 

Kahl Building/Capital Theater- This huge 10-story building was built in 1920 and has very ornate detailing when viewed up close.  It is currently the home of office space, apartments and the Capital Performing Arts Theater on the ground level.
September 2003
 
Davenport Union Arcade Building- Originally built in the 1920’s as the Union Savings Bank this 8-story building is currently home to wedding related retail on the first floor and many law firms on the upper floors.
September 2003
 
East 2nd Street Shops- This section of 2nd St. is being cultivated into an arts themed area, home too many specialty shops, selling art or art supplies and an artist cooperative art gallery.
September 2003
 
Downtown Streetview- A grouping of downtown structures including the Adler Theater Building, Davenport Arcade and the Starting Line Bar and Grill.
September 2003
 
Downtown Streetview- Looking East down 3rd St. towards Harrison St.  The 10-Story Mississippi Hotel can be seen in the distance.
August 2004
 
Downtown Streetview- A view eastward down 2nd Street show the new city parking garage and Mississippi Plaza office buildings at left, with a few of the taller buildings poking out in back.
August 2004
 
New Parking Garage-   A somewhat tastefully designed new parking ramp at the intersection of River Drive and Main Street provides the parking necessary to support the recent downtown renaissance underway in Davenport.
September 2005
 
New Parking Garage- Another one of the two new downtown parking garages built downtown in recent years.  This one is located on Harrison Street.
September 2005
 

MidAmerican Energy Plaza- One of the newer additions to the downtown skyline, the MidAmerican Energy Plaza is the 2nd tallest building in downtown at 15 stories.  The building has nine stories of occupied office space, with a 6 level parking garage at the base.
September 2003
 
View Down West 2nd Street- Several notable downtown buildings tower above the new streetscape and lush hanging baskets and landscaping along one of downtown Davenport's primary streets.
September 2005
 
Parker Building- The 7-story Parker Building was built in 1924, and sits at the primary intersection of the business core of downtown along West 2nd Street.
September 2005
 
Mid-American Energy Plaza and Buildings- A more zoomed out version of the Mid-American Energy Plaza, with the Headquarters of Northwest Bank at left, and downtown's newest Hotel, the Radisson Quad City Plaza in the foreground.
September 2005
 
Putnam Building- The 8-story Putnam Building sits at the corner of Brady and E. 4th Streets in the heart of downtown. The building, with its neighbor the Parker Building were both designed by architect Daniel Burnham.
September 2005
 
Mississippi Plaza- The newest addition to the downtown office market is the 6-story Mississippi Plaza Building.  Headquarters of Lee Publishing Company, this building was completed in 2004 and is the first new office construction in downtown Davenport in over a decade.
September 2005
 
Mississippi Plaza with Wells Fargo- A blend of old new architecture merge in downtown Davenport.
September 2005
 
Mississippi Plaza- Taken from atop a new parking garage, the new Mississippi Plaza office building as at left, with the US Bank building on the right.
May 2005

Photo Courtesy of AJ Sorenson
 
Quad Cities Radisson Hotel- The newest hotel in downtown Davenport is the 6-story 221-room Radisson Quad Cities Plaza.
September 2005
 
Figge Art Museum- The new home of the Davenport Museum of Art is now the Figge Art Museum, located in the heart of downtown Davenport.  This new $30 million dollar, 70,000 sq. ft. museum features an ultra-contemporary design by well known architect David Chipperfield.
September 2005
 
Figge Art Museum- A close-up view of the new Figge Art Museum, showing the exterior clad in metal, glass and stone.  At night, the translucent glass panels will glow with light and provide a very modern addition to the Davenport skyline.
September 2005
 
Figge Art Museum- A wide angle of the Figge Art Museum, showing the height of the structure in comparison to other downtown buildings.
September 2005
 
Figge Art Museum- Another shot of the Figge amongst its surroundings in downtown Davenport.
September 2005
 
Gritty Historic Buildings- The Forrest Block buildings date back to the 1880's, and hav sat vacant for nearly 3 decades and was to be demolished in the early 1990’s.  However, the building was spared demolition and it appears as if a developer will be renovating the buildings into residential condos and commercial space.
September 2003
 
Gritty Downtown Apartments- Going west out of downtown Davenport, rows of gritty, but historic and urban looking apartment blocks fill the streets.
August 2004
 
Skid Row- A view down West 2nd Street shows the expanse of brick apartments and commercial buildings.  Visually, the West End Neighborhood makes for interesting exploring with all the historical River Commercial Period architecture, it is a low income neighborhood that is referred to as the "Skid Row" of Davenport.  Dive bars, pawn shops, flop houses and transitional apartments fill many of these older buildings.  Lately, the neighborhood has slowly been gentrifying and is becoming one of the premier gay neighborhoods of the Quad Cities.
August 2004
 
Centennial Bridge and Riverfront- Built in 1940 by the City of Rock Island, this toll bridge provides a vital link between Downtown Davenport and Downtown Rock Island. Also this bridge has pedestrian access that provide for some amazing views of both downtowns.
September 2003
 
Centennial Bridge at Dusk-Centennial Bridge through the trees, with the nighttime lights visible.
May 2005

Photo Courtesy of AJ Sorenson
 
I-74 Bridge- A look at the I-74 Bridge crossing the Mississippi River.  Downtown Moline can be seen in the distance.
May 2005

Photo Courtesy of AJ Sorenson
 
Davenport Skybridge- Completed in 2004, the Davenport Skybridge is perhaps the most iconic architectural symbol in the City of Davenport.  The modern and glassy skybridge is meant to get downtown pedestrian activity from the business core to the riverfront, which is separated at ground level by the busy and quite wide River Drive.
September 2005
 
Davenport Skybridge- The awesome new Davenport Skybridge stretches over River Drive.  A night, a fiber optic display changes the color of the glass on the bridge.
May 2005

Photo Courtesy of AJ Sorenson
 
Interior of Skybridge- The skybridge is 600 feet long and 50 feet in the air, providing nice panoramic views of the river and nearby downtowns of Rock Island, Illinois and Davenport.  An interior shot showing the long span of the skybridge.
September 2005
 
Skybridge View- A view of several downtown buildings from the Davenport Skybridge.
September 2005
 
Skybridge View- The view from the other side of the skybridge shows the new Figge Arts Center, and other downtown structures.
September 2005
 
Skybridge Interior- Another shot of the interior of the enclosed skybridge.
September 2005
 
Skybridge Entrance- The attractive downtown entrance to the skybridge adds a modern contrast of glass and metal to the surrounding brick buildings.
September 2005
 
Downtown Plaza- A newly installed plaza, looking down from the entrance of the new skybridge.
September 2005
 
Downtown Rock Island- From the downtown Riverfront Park and across the Mississippi, you can see the skyline of Rock Island, Illinois.
September 2005
 
Mississippi Riverfront Park- The well landscaped LeClaire Riverfront Park sits center stage on the riverfront in downtown.
August 2004
 
LeClaire Park and Bandshell- This riverfront park provides stunning unobstructed views of the Mississippi River and is home to the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival and Bix Biederbeck Memorial Jazz festival along with numerous other musical events throughout the summer.
September 2005
 
LeClaire Park- A monument and plaza sits at the center of LeClaire Park, providing an interesting foreground to the Centennial Bridge.
September 2005
 
Rock Island Arsenal & Lock and Dam #15- Finishing construction in 1934, this historic looking lock and dam sits right in downtown Davenport and the Rock Island Arsenal.  The Lock and Dam was built to suppress a series of rapids along the Mississippi River, and now controls water levels for passing boat traffic and helps with flood control.
September 2005
 
View Down River Drive- A view northward down River Drive reveals the 1896 Government Railroad Bridge and Lock and Dam #15 found along the Mississippi River.
September 2005
 
Mississippi River and Port of Davenport- From the bluffs of the northern Davenport river neighborhoods, the long expanse of the riverfront can be seen.  The Davenport Marina is in the foreground and the hilltop bluffs make for an excellent spot to view the boat and barge traffic along the Mississippi River.
September 2003

 

Neighborhoods and Residential

 
Village of East Davenport- Originally founded as a logging town in 1851, the Village of East Davenport is now home to historic shops, quaint restaurants and well-preserved older homes.
September 2003
 
Village of East Davenport- Many of the structures in the Village of East Davenport are original and dating back to the 1850's and 1860's  The word-frame architecture of the district gives the appearance of a small northeastern U.S. village.
September 2003
 
Village of East Davenport- More historic commercial buildings in the downtown of the Village of East Davenport.  The downtown is a hub of upscale, unique and one-of-a-kind shops.
September 2003
 
Historic House Fire- A house fire was captured in a beautiful and huge historic home in the bluffs near downtown.  It appeared to be undergoing minor renovation at the time.
September 2003
 
Victorian Mansion- This is home to all of the old money of Davenport with most of these houses built in later part of the 19th Century while Davenport was a retail and commercial hub.
September 2003
 
Victorian Mansion- Another well landscaped and manicured Victorian Mansion in the McClellan Heights Neighborhood.
September 2003
 
Victorian Home- Further off the riverfront bluffs of the McClellan Heights neighborhood sit the more modest, but intricate and well cared for Victorian Homes.
September 2003

Davenport Miscellaneous

 
Northwest Bank Building- This 10-story modern addition is home to Northwest Bank and is the tallest building in Davenport outside of downtown.  It is located adjacent to Northpark Mall.
August 2004

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