It has a linear layout, with twin main streets (Davis and Benton), associated with Central Park and the Adams County Courthouse (not in the district) at its uppermost end.

[2] The elevation slopes down toward the East Nodaway River, south of the downtown and a light industrial area.

Two other periods of major development include the years after the Panic of 1893 and the Great Depression.

Besides commercial use, buildings here also housed theaters, government functions, especially federal agricultural agencies, and the inclusion of automobile-related businesses.

This article about a property in Adams County, Iowa on the National Register of Historic Places is a stub.