Last updated: February 6, 2021
Place
West Branch Commercial Historic District
![A brick commercial building has two stories and green and cream gingerbread trim.](/common/uploads/cropped_image/primary/EF60636D-EA6C-1BDC-6CE0DAC969D8B807.jpg?width=1600&quality=90&mode=crop)
NPS Photo/John Tobiason
Audio Description, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits
When Herbert Hoover was born in 1874, West Branch was beginning a long period of growth and general prosperity that lasted through the early part of the 20th century. Fifteen of the sixteen buildings from that time remain and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. That designation was the result of a proud community’s recognition of West Branch’s place in history and a tireless effort to preserve their past.
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West Branch Commercial Historic District
When Hoover was born in 1874, West Branch was beginning a long period of growth and general prosperity that lasted through the early part of the 20th century. While most of these buildings were not in existence during Hoover’s childhood, together they illustrate the evolution of downtown West Branch - between 1875 and 1916 - from a collection of ramshackle wooden storefronts into a bustling commercial center anchored by blocks of ornate brick buildings.
- Credit / Author:
- NPS
- Date created:
- 01/21/2021