Houses Dating Back to 1907

The Highlands Historic District is located on north Main Street between 12th and 15th avenues. It is composed of seventeen houses built between the period of 1907-1969. The area was first given the lofty title of Highlands because it rose three feet higher than the commercial district which was located in a slough.

From Prairie to Neighborhood

When the first houses were built, only prairie grass covered the area. Young trees were brought up from along the James River and planted to form the tree-lined streets. A sampling of the homes that make up this district are included below.

For More Information

For more information on the Highlands Historic District, download the Highland Historic District brochure (1989 reprinted 1994) by Judy Krueger and Scott Anderson.

Historic Houses

1201 North Main Street In 1907, this home was built by Charles A. Howard Sr., a major in the 1st South Dakota Infantry in the Spanish American War. Although changes have been made to the property over the years, it still maintains its original charm with a hitching post in the front yard and a brick carriage house in the rear.		1216 North Main Street Alonzo Ward Sr., owner of the Ward Hotel, had this home built in 1909. It features the characteristics of the Prairie style: dormers, extended eves, rectangular windows, and an intricate brick pattern throughout.
1206 North Main Street W.D. Swain, an Aberdeen realtor, was the first owner of this home, originally occupied in 1909. It was designed to be an exact replica of the Longfellow house in Cambridge, MA. This is generally considered to be the most true Georgian Revival structure in the area.		1314 North Main Street This house was built for Dr. M. Robert Gelber in 1940. This home is an excellent example of the Tudor style: the first story is brick with a cut stone foundation, while the walls of the second story are stucco with half timbering.