Cement City Historic District

Cement City Historic District is a residential area with approximately 80 concrete homes built in Prairie School style along Chestnut and Walnut Streets. The structures were constructed using a patented concrete method and remain standing as private residences today.

The development was commissioned in 1916 by the American Steel and Wire Company as housing for its workers near the factory. A specialized company used its patented concrete construction method to build the entire residential settlement.

This development grew out of an industrial company's plan to house its factory workers and their families in one unified community. The homes reflect early 20th-century thinking about how employers could shape worker lives through carefully designed neighborhoods.

The district covers about 8.8 acres between Modisette and Bertha Avenues in a compact area. Since the homes remain private residences, visitors can best explore by walking the surrounding streets to view the architecture from public spaces.

The construction of the entire complex required roughly 10,000 barrels of Portland cement, underscoring the scale of this early concrete building project. This enormous quantity of material made the undertaking a significant technical achievement for its time.