Downtown East St. Louis Historic District, Historic commercial district in East St. Louis, Illinois, United States

The Downtown East St. Louis Historic District covers 35 buildings, 25 of them contributing, along Collinsville, Missouri and St. Louis avenues. All but one were built for commerce. The first survivors date from around 1900, after an 1896 tornado; the Cahokia Building remains from the pre-1910 boom, and the 1920s added the Spivey Building, the city's only skyscraper, the Union Trust Bank Company Building, the Grossman Building and the Majestic Theatre.

After a devastating tornado in 1896, the area became a thriving commercial center with the construction of key buildings like the Murphy Building and Cahokia Building completed by 1910. Development continued during the 1920s with new structures like the Spivey Building and the Union Trust Bank Company Building.

By 1910 the district held stores, offices and entertainment venues, and the 1920s boom added the Majestic Theatre. The Spivey Building, the city's only skyscraper, and the Union Trust Bank Company Building, the largest bank in the city, date from that decade. All but one of the 35 buildings were built for commercial use.

The district runs along Collinsville, Missouri and St. Louis avenues in downtown East St. Louis. Many of the 35 buildings stand vacant or in disrepair, so walk with care and view the structures from the public sidewalk. The Spivey Building, the city's only skyscraper, and the Union Trust Bank Company Building are among the landmarks to look for.

The district's 1920s boom produced the Spivey Building, East St. Louis's only skyscraper, and the Union Trust Bank Company Building, the city's largest bank. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 17, 2014. Of its 35 buildings, 25 are contributing, and all but one were built for commercial use.