Despite its smaller size, Belvidere has a remarkably intact streetscape of Victorian-era commercial architecture. Especially on the south side of State Street, the existing buildings have atypically heavy applied ornament and retain many original features. However, I didn't take enough photos of any one building to warrant its own article, so my entire trip is posted in a series of three “dump articles.”
Belvidere, the "City of Murals," is a city in northern Illinois which is the county seat of Boone County. It has a population of 25,339 people as of 2020.
The Belvidere area was originally settled by the Illinois Confederation of Native American tribes, which later declined in population due to contact with French traders. Belvidere was first settled in 1835 and named "Elysian Fields," which was changed to its current name after residents could not spell or pronounce the earlier name. The town was first developed on the north side of the Kishwaukee River, later shifting south after the construction of the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad in 1851.
Belvidere was known for its industrial presence along the railroad and river. The most notable factory was the National Sewing Machine Company, which operated on the northeast end of downtown between 1886 and the 1940s. A bit of the factory buildings survive (which I did not cover), but most were demolished in the 2000s.