This part Greek Revival part Federal Style rowhouse at 314 Gaines St. is one of the oldest remaining buildings in Davenport as well as the oldest multiple-unit dwelling in the downtown area. Built of locally quarried stone and brick its earliest section was built as the home of German immigrant John Hiller in 1852 upon land sold to him by city founder Antoine LeClaire and sits in the area of the city where many early German immigrants first settled. Hiller was a stone mason who helped build the first bridge across the Mississippi River, the Rock Island Arsenal Clock Tower, and many other commercial and religious buildings in the city. In 1856 Hiller expanded the house from a single family home to a multi-unit dwelling and then expanded again in 1859 underscoring the rapid population growth of the city by the thousands during the 1850s.
The rowhouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and is considered a contributing part of the West Third Street Historic District added to the National Register in 1983.
The building has had rough use and little maintenance in recent years. It has been vacant since 2015 and is currently uninhabitable and under a repair/demolish order. The exterior south wall has developed a decided bow at the second floor and cracks are visible on the exterior. In addition, sections of stone have fallen from the interior side of the same wall. Sills and lintels on the south side of the east façade also need extensive restoration. Other parts of the exterior have deteriorated brick and parging. Finally, there is an ongoing issue with people removing boards from windows and doors to enter and illegally inhabit the property.
In the interior most original layouts appear to be intact. Original elements like historic newel posts, door surrounds, spindles, and even simple painted grain woodwork are intact in many parts of the building.
Although the future of the property is uncertain, the current owner is willing to sell and for the past two years, those interested in preserving the building have brought potential investors together with city staff to talk about city incentives as well as appropriate and realistic rehabilitation approaches.
