Antoine LeClaire House
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Antoine LeClaire House
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| Location | 630 E. 7th St. Davenport, Iowa |
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| Coordinates | 41°31′37″N 90°33′54″W / 41.52694°N 90.56500°WCoordinates: 41°31′37″N 90°33′54″W / 41.52694°N 90.56500°W |
| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1855 |
| Architect | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| NRHP Reference # | 74000809 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | March 22, 1974 |
| Designated DRHP | September 16, 1992 |
The Antoine LeClaire House, located on the east side of Davenport, Iowa, United States, is a community center that was built as a private home by one of the founders of city of Davenport. It also housed two of Davenport's Catholic bishops. The home was constructed in 1855. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and on the Davenport Register of Historic Properties in 1992.
Antoine Le Claire was an interpreter for the U.S. Government stationed at Fort Armstrong on Rock Island on the Mississippi River. In 1832 he was the interpreter for the treaty signing between the Sac (Sauk) and Meskwaki tribes and the United States after the Black Hawk War. The tribes gave Le Claire two parcels of land in Iowa, one at the top of the Rock Island Rapids and one below. The lower parcel became part of the city of Davenport, which he was instrumental in establishing in 1836.
Le Claire became Davenport's first citizen. He established the first church (St. Anthony's), ferry service, steam mill, store, hotel and foundry. His philanthropy included the establishment of two other churches, the property for the Scott County Courthouse, and Iowa College, which later became Grinnell College. There is also some indication that Le Claire was involved in the Underground Railroad.
Le Claire agreed to build his first house on the location where the Black Hawk Treaty was signed. He built a small log structure on the site in 1833 after the treaty was ratified by the United States Senate. It was replaced by a small white house that became known as the Treaty House. Le Claire and his wife Marguerite lived in the modest house until 1855 when they built an Italianate mansion in the center of the Le Claire Reserve. The Reserve is one of the parcels deeded to Le Claire by the tribes and covers much of the east side of Davenport south of Locust Street. The house, and others being built by Davenport’s wealthier citizens, shows the progress the city had made in the twenty years since its founding.
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